by Carole Levine, NCJW vice president

As I reflect on our recent NCJW Israel mission, the feelings that surface most often are those of sisterhood. I have always felt at home in Israel and have shared many experiences with friends and family. 

But this mission was different. 

I experienced Israel through the stories, dreams, and visions of the women who make Israel their home: through the lens of women who ride gender segregated buses; through the struggles of gay Palestinian women; and through the joy of Tali Friedman, a renowned chef based in Machaneh Yehuda (an outdoor marketplace in Jerusalem) who shared the delights of her cooking skills with us.

I heard the reality check in the message of Miri Eisin, a retired Israeli Army officer who gave us a three-way perspective on Israel today: domestic, regional and international. I listened to activist Anat Hoffman whose work spans all aspects of women’s rights in Israel. And I heard from young students at Hebrew University High School (built by NCJW) who connect — beyond their own perspectives — with Arab Israeli high schoolers.

It was amazing to see — and do — all that we did and to meet with so many inspiring women across the country. These are women who are making a difference in people’s lives every day. We met with faculty and students at the NCJW Women and Gender Studies program at Tel Aviv University. We heard from student leaders who participated in the social justice protests this summer. We spoke with political leader Tzipi Livni, and we met with women who aspire to hold seats in the Knesset. We shared perspectives with Israeli Arab women, with Palestinian women, and with those who are working to bring communities together. We prayed at the Wall and sang (with women’s voices!) to welcome Shabbat in Jerusalem.

In Haifa we heard how the Ethiopian Jews are taking their full place in the community and how the International Golda Meir Mt. Carmel Training Center for Women is training educators and journalists from all over the world. (I had lunch with educators from Cameroon.) We met women at the Haifa Feminist Center and discussed the issues of gay Palestinian women and of Palestinian women seeking to gain a better life in Israel for their community — including how they were able to mobilize to get bus service, which truly made a difference. We experienced gracious home hospitality in Jerusalem and in Haifa and did not want those vibrant discussions to come to an end!

While all of this sounds like a very intense trip, it was also a trip that focused on fellowship and fun. Some of us went to hear Rami Kleinstein, and watched as he captivated everyone with his songs. We all took pride in our visits to Israeli Granting Program sites and our meetings with the people who make these programs happen. We shared our own stories and feelings and created bonds and friendships that will last well beyond this Mission. We experienced sisterhood all along the way … with each other and with those we met. And I can say, without hesitation, that I am even more proud to be a part of NCJW now that I have deepened my understanding of our role and place in Israel. Just as we are the voice for progressive Jewish women in the United States, we are the support and enthusiasts for progressive women in Israel. I would not have expected less, but I now know that we can do even more.

There is more than what I can fit on this page, but suffice it to say that it was a wonderful, enlightening and mind-expanding trip!