SCA KADIMA MISSION

38 YOUNG ADULTS SHARE HOW THEIR TRIP TO ISRAEL CHANGED THEIR LIVES

MARLENE LEVY

IT’S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO DESCRIBE THE EMOTIONS THAT ARE DRAWN OUT AFTER SPENDING A WEEK IN ISRAEL. IN EVERY PLACE WE VISITED WE HAD SUCH MIXED EMOTIONS; SADNESS FOR THE LIVES LOST, JOY FOR THE ONES WHO SURVIVED, HATRED FOR THE DESPICABLE PEOPLE WHO COMMITTED THESE CRIMES, AND LOVE FOR OUR SOLDIERS WHO RISKED THEIR LIVES TO PROTECT US.

We felt terror for the potential of hearing a siren sound while we were there, and awe and resilience from our brothers and sisters in Am Yisrael who continue to choose growth and life in a time of irreparable pain.

Our delegation of young adults, spearheaded by The SCA, who have been at the forefront of the mission trips, was aptly named “The Kadima Trip.”

After SCA’s previous trip “Hineni” focused on sending the message of showing up for Israel in her time of need, our group was centered on the mission of helping Israel move forward. We had many opportunities to speak to injured soldiers as well as active soldiers, and it was almost laughable how they were so vehement in their thanks to us that you would have thought we saved their lives instead of the reverse. In reality, we learned through our visits how important it was to show them how the rest of the Jews in the world are extremely grateful for their sacrifices, and how we commend them for the strength it takes to leave their families to protect Am Yisrael as a whole.

On our trip we saw a lot of light in the darkness, which you don’t see from the videos that are shared on social media. We heard from two separate hostages’ siblings, and though it is incredibly difficult to hear about what the families of hostages are going through, it was imperative to hear every story of pain and suffering so we could confidently return home and advocate correctly for our nation. Being around people of such resilience reminded us how strong our nation is. The world has been trying to destroy us since the beginning of time, yet we’re still here. We plant flowers and trees in memory of the lives lost and the blood spilled. We build new homes and swings for children when entire kibbutzim have been destroyed and displaced. We visit injured soldiers and dance and laugh with them to bring them joy. We provide barbeques for soldiers who were called for reserve duty, to give them a nice home cooked meal and show our appreciation for their service. We build where they tear down, and our trip really experienced this time and time again.

It’s easy to think of what’s happening in Israel as something that is removed from our everyday life; we don’t hear siren rockets and we sleep comfortably in our beds at night, confident that our bed will still be there in the morning. After hearing Israeli news reporter Sivan Rahav Meir talk, I spoke with her personally and she mentioned something that really stuck out to me, and that was how the rest of the world is confused. They are confused about what the truth is, and they don’t know how to differentiate between the very loud noise that the wrong side is making, and the very clear truth that somehow isn’t entering their intellectual spaces. It is important that we remain “unconfused!” We should never allow ourselves or our children to be confused by the lies that the rest of the world lean into. It is so disheartening to see, especially after all The Kadima Trip has seen. But, if our trip can leave anyone with any message, it would be that you should not be afraid. We have seen, we have experienced, we have cried, we have rejoiced. The people of Am Yisrael will dance again whether the world likes it or not. We will not forget what they did to us, and we will continue to bring light into a world of darkness. We will move mountains for our brothers and sisters in Israel, and we will emerge from this stronger than ever before. Am Yisrael Hai.

QUOTES FROM PARTICIPANTS

Cookie Cohen:
I came to Israel because I thought I needed to grieve with my people. Instead, I laughed with displaced kids, flirted with soldiers, celebrated a homecoming at a community next to Kibbutz Be’eri, cried on the grounds of the Nova Festival, welcomed former hostage Mia Schem home, prayed with those whose loved ones were still in Gaza, sang with Ishay Ribo, danced in Mahane Yehuda, planted a lemon tree, bonded with wounded soldiers, and saw the sunrise at the Kotel. I came back prouder, lighter, stronger, and happier. I am thrilled that I came and witnessed our strength. I love Israel. Thank you SCA for giving us the opportunity to be a part of something so special, we’ll never forget it.

Albert A:
The Kadima trip was the most special, memorable, uplifting, and emotional trip I’ve ever been on in my life! These people are our family, they have been severely hurt in torturous ways, they love us, they are fighting for us, putting their life before ours, they are strong and they appreciate anything we can do to show our support! This trip was a life changer and I believe a life saver.

Kim Chetrit:
I have never had a better week in my life — although at times it felt as if my heart was bleeding, and at other times my smile was from ear to ear. Reflecting on our people, who are selflessly willing to fight for Israel, and for us, I see the love they give is like no other. They’re always smiling, showing simplicity through all the gruesome atrocities they’ve been through all these years. They are true heroes with an immense amount of emunah — people who I admire and want to be like. If you are contemplating going, do it. If you haven’t thought about it yet, hopefully now you have.

Liz Tawil:
After October 7th, it was extremely challenging being in New York and not being able to help or be with our family in Israel. SCA provided us with the opportunity to fulfill this task. We visited numerous displaced families, and the appreciation and feedback we received will resonate with us for a lifetime. If you have the chance to go to Israel, don’t hesitate — they need our support!

Jack Ashkenazi:
This trip has been incredible. SCA could not have planned a better week, each day, outing, and activity was better than the last and I wouldn’t change one thing. Each person involved and each activity we did was so important and special.

Eddie Ancona:
For seven days straight, early morning until late at night, we went from one hesed project to the next. The pace would normally knock anyone out, but with each encounter, the faces of all the people that we met, seeing them up front and center somehow gave us strength that spiritually filled our physical energy to keep going! I’m thankful for the amazing group of people I met through this experience and would like to give special thanks to all involved in making this amazing trip possible! It was a long impactful week,and a life changing decision that I’ll never forget. This week may be over, but the mission isn’t. To be continued until we win this and all hostages are back home. Amen!

Lilly Franco:
It’s definitely hard to put into words how transformative the SCA Kadima Trip was for us. From the very first moment we stepped off the plane until the very last minute on holy ground, we were immersed in hesed. I think Jacob, who’s brother, Elkana Bohbot, is still held hostage, phrased it perfectly, “A piece of every single one of us was kidnapped on October 7th.” Before coming to Israel, I felt a void that was inconsolable. I felt useless in all my efforts in New York and I needed to get there to see our brothers and sisters, to hug them, cry with them and help bring some happiness into their lives. After returning from Israel, seeing with my own eyes how our nation is healing together, how our soldiers are stronger than ever and are willing to fight to their deaths for any Jewish life, and seeing how a lot of unobservant Jews are returning to Hashem, has helped me feel an enormous sense of pride to call myself a Jew. If you are thinking of going to Israel, go! Go to Israel, experience how special our nation is, and with Hashem’s help may we only continue to heal and move forward or as they say in Israel — kadima!

Gabe Saff:
This trip to Israel has definitely been my best one yet, and it only enhanced my love for the country. Just by visiting the soldiers in the hospital you can feel how much the State of Israel means to its people. A few of the wounded soldiers said they can’t wait to get back into combat with their brothers and sisters — and to me, that’s where we get our source of life.

Ikey Cabasso:
I’ve had the privilege of participating in both SCA Young Adult trips. Witnessing the incredible drive and passion of our community’s young adults to make a difference has been nothing short of inspiring. Despite the physical distance, Medinat Yisrael feels like home. This sentiment was deeply ingrained in us throughout these missions. It’s evident that while our brothers and sisters in Israel are tasked with protecting and nurturing the land, our role, no matter where we are, is to support, empathize, and stand with them through every challenge.

I am profoundly grateful to the SCA for leading the charge in organizing these pivotal trips for young adults and for their unwavering commitment to Israel. Their dedication not only fosters a tangible connection between our community and Israel but also empowers a new generation to contribute meaningfully to our homeland’s future.

Lydia Cohen
There isn’t a waking moment I am not thinking about my brothers and sisters in Israel and now I can say that we made an impact on them.

Diane Catton:
On the trip, I met this young girl, Shirah, who was saved from the city, Sderot, where sadly a lot of people were murdered. At such a young age, she already experienced so much. The feeling of not knowing when it is safe enough to go back home is a feeling we cannot even imagine. That day, Shirah was the one who uplifted my spirit. She was so excited to play games and dance together to Israeli music. She went through so much trauma and still has the strength to put a big smile on her face. To see Shirah and all the other kids look and feel so happy, we all realized why we needed to come to Israel. It was to make an impact, and to make our brothers and sisters smile, through it all.

Bobby Tawil:
I wanted to go on the SCA Kadima Mission trip because it meant taking some action instead of “doom scrolling” social media. We saw firsthand the strength of the Israeli people.

Sonia Dweck:
After visiting army bases and injured soldiers, I noticed how strong they are physically and mentally. It was so important to be there for them and to see first hand the smiles we were able to put on their faces

I AM STARTING TO SEE THE SUN
RISING IN ISRAEL
A FIRSTHAND ACCOUNT OF MY 3 VISITS
TO ISRAEL SINCE OCTOBER 7TH
BY BOBBY DWECK

I want to share some reflections after my third solidarity trip to Israel. On my first group trip to Israel, which was only 12 days after the massacre on October 7th, I saw a nation in shock. The people had genuine fear for the future of the State of Israel. At the time, the nation was mourning their loved ones. There was a lot of sadness all around, as there were non-stop funerals.

As I visited soldiers’ bases all around Israel, it seemed they were very anxious, yet determined to fight. The future seemed uncertain and it was unclear when the IDF would invade Gaza. Hospitals around Israel were full of injured soldiers and civilians. In addition, there was the challenge of 300,000 people who were suddenly displaced from the North and South of Israel. Many of the hotels across Israel were housing these displaced people. These families needed to stay in a safe location until it was safe to return home.

On the second solidarity trip to Israel, I observed so many new things around the country. The war had started and was progressing. There were over 90 hostages that were released. Many of the displaced families were starting to feel the stress of not living in their homes. They missed their daily routines and having their children going to school. Soldiers were starting to fall in battle and there were many more injured soldiers filling up the hospitals. Many soldiers hadn’t seen their families since Oct. 7th. The stress of the economy was starting to take its toll along with the antisemitism campaigns all over the world. The daily stress of rockets and sirens around Israel was starting to impact many families around Israel.

On my third trip, you could start to see the sun rising in Israel. I was part of The SCA Mission Kadima Group of Young Adults. The group name was all about helping Israel move forward to start the healing process. The group helped coordinate many programs to help the people of Israel get back on their feet. There were many initiatives the group facilitated in order to help the people of Israel heal. We spent the beginning of the trip helping to expand a PTSD Center at Lahav farms to help anyone affected since October 7th. The group was told that there is a waitlist of 40 groups that want to use the facility to start the healing process. In addition, we helped families return to their homes in the South of Israel by organizing carnivals, bbqs and by making swing sets for their communities, so they could feel more at home.

The group helped displaced families who were still unable to return home, by organizing recreational activities such as bowling and sports activities. This helped give the parents a break, and it was a fun night out for the displaced children. We visited army bases and made bbqs for them. We provided soldiers with strength and inspiration and was our way of thanking the soldiers for all their sacrifice to keep the State of Israel safe.

One night, we sat with a special unit of the army on the Gaza border. They were involved in the rescuing of two hostages on February 11th. They shared their experiences of that special evening. Their units were mainly responsible to drive into Gaza and rescue injured soldiers and take them to the hospital right away. That evening, they were responsible for taking the rescued hostages to the hospital so they could be given the proper care. We had a bbq and sang around the fire pit with them. Finally, the group capped off the trip by inviting former hostage Mia Shem for dinner and surprising her with a special concert by Ishay Ribo. This was really special because Mia shared that when she was in captivity, she heard a few of his songs in the background of the house she was being held in. She shared that one specific song he sang “Returning Home,” was a signal that she would be freed from captivity very soon.

As I reflect on the plane back to America about the last four and half months, and what Israel has been through, I feel like there’s still so much more that needs to be done to help the people heal. It’s time to start rebuilding our country. We have to help people return home and get back to starting life again. I believe this last trip, with our young adults made me realize that we must connect the next generation to the State of Israel now more than ever! We have to thank G-d for the miracle of having our own country. We must realize that having our own country has responsibilities. We must not take it for granted. I noticed that there is still much suffering and trauma around the country but I am starting see the sun rising! I believe we must redouble our efforts in order to help the Israeli people heal. We must provide emotional and financial assistance until the State of Israel gets back on its feet. Everyone has a role to play. We are all one family! If you want to see what faith and trust in G-d is, then hop on a plane and meet the people who are the living examples of these amazing qualities. I will keep going back until we have complete victory!

Marlene Levy is a graduate of Yeshiva University and Yeshivah of Flatbush. She is currently studying school psychology at Adelphi University and is committed to continuing her involvement in Israel advocacy during these times.