A WEEK OF RESILIENCE & RENEWAL
HANNAH ELMEKIES
LIKE SO MANY OTHERS, THE AFTERMATH OF OCTOBER 7TH DEEPLY AFFECTED ME. I YEARNED FOR A WAY TO HELP AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE. THE SEPHARDIC COMMUNITY CENTER HAD MANY ISRAEL INITIATIVES THAT I, AS THEIR YOUNG ADULT COORDINATOR, WAS CONNECTED TO, BUT IT WASN’T UNTIL I HEARD ABOUT A TRIP THEY WANTED ME TO LEAD THAT MY SPIRITS WERE LIFTED.
It was a week-long trip to NYC for 15 Israelis — all of whom had experienced trauma from the horrific events. After a few short weeks of planning and preparation, they arrived. I stood with my sign at JFK and patiently waited for them to emerge. They were all so happy and grateful to be here. We made our way to the Center building for a welcome dinner where they were greeted by community members with flags, music, and dancing. We shared dinner, followed by inspiring welcoming words by Rabbi Ricky Cohen, and then we made our way to the Empire Hotel.
The car ride to the hotel was quiet; it was just the trip participants and me, in a van, and my broken Hebrew didn’t help. The next morning, we prepared for our jam-packed day. We went to a basketball game at Madison Square Garden where we sat in a private suite, we visited the Empire State Building and had a beautiful dinner followed by a party with our young adults at Mercer Labs. The group slowly started to get more comfortable, always laughing and singing, making the best out of each activity. On Friday, we had a helicopter ride followed by a beautiful afternoon in SoHo.
Shabbat was eye-opening. We had prayers and dinner at Edmond J. Safra Synagogue followed by speeches from the group. This was when they really started to open up, each one carrying the weight of their lost loved ones on their shoulders. Listening to their stories was both heartbreaking and life-changing. They are some of the strongest individuals I’ve ever encountered. Even though they had all been through so much, they were all radiating with positivity. The rest of the week was filled with laughter, singing, and a lot of vulnerability.
“This trip was so powerful. We laughed, and we also cried quite a bit — tears of pain because of the things we went through,” shared Menajem Mendel, a trip participant.
”It was all thanks to the amazing people who were with me on this trip, that I was able to unload what I had in my heart. We’ve supported each other throughout this journey, that’s what’s special about our people, we’ll always help each other without expecting anything in return,” another member of the group added.
“The trip was both fun and meaningful. It was great seeing your community and being part of it,” expressed Yaakov Rabinowitz, another participant.
“The ability to connect with people so quickly and have a shared experience in such a powerful way was very exciting. This was a unique opportunity. It’s important to remember why we came, it was a much-needed week off from the madness,” reflected Yaniv Fried.
“I feel really privileged that I got the chance and the zechut to share my birthday with this awesome group of people. The best thing I got from this trip is definitely a new group of friends,” said Matanya Weiss.
This trip was unique because we brought the Israelis to us. They needed it much more than we thought, and I am honored to have been a part of this beautiful mission. We were able to change the lives of this special group of individuals who went through horrific tragedies and wanted to feel normal again. I will carry the lessons I took away from this week with me forever. I learned to be grateful that I am safe, that I have my family and friends, and that I am Jewish. I only knew them for one week, but they became my family forever.
We’d like to graciously thank all our sponsors and donors who made this trip possible. It wouldn’t have possible without you!
Hannah Elmekies, a graduate of Baruch College with a degree in Marketing Management, found her career trajectory redirected by the COVID-19 pandemic. A transformative trip to Israel post-October 7th ignited her passion for hesed and community service. As Young Adult Coordinator at the Center, Hannah is dedicated to fostering connections and empowerment among our young adult community.
