November 6, 2024
On October 7, 2023, a dozen Kibbutz Kissufim members and six migrant workers were murdered, many suffered injuries, and later, more than 30 Israeli soldiers lost their lives defending this agricultural kibbutz near Gaza from terrorists. Three members were kidnapped by Hamas, and member Shlomo Mantzur remains in captivity. Residents were soon evacuated to a hotel near the Dead Sea, where they lived for most of the past year, only recently being relocated to temporary housing in Omer. Beth Emet, along with other congregations and Jewish organizations, have stepped in to provide funding and support as Kibbutz Kissufim rebuilds, both physically and emotionally, from this traumatic experience.
During this past summer, Rabbi London, the Kibbutz Aid Committee, and Kissufim representatives discussed ways to help strengthen the personal bond between our communities. At the suggestion of the Kissufim representatives, a visit by some members of Kissufim to Beth Emet was decided upon. Rabbi London helped lay the groundwork for that visit by meeting with interested Kissufim members during her sojourn in Israel this summer, answering questions and addressing concerns. After extensive planning, the visit took place from October 13-20. Beth Emet households hosted seven senior members of Kibbutz Kissufim, providing them with a short respite from their daily anxieties and challenges. This visit during the week of Sukkot proved to be a gift, not only for our Israeli guests but for us as well. We extended our love and understanding, and our guests demonstrated their resilience, opening the window to their experiences and voicing their belief in a better future.
As we learned at the welcoming lunch on October 13, our Kissufim guests had been somewhat apprehensive about traveling to the U. S. and being with strangers for a full week. Likewise, we were anxious about the visit: Would the political situation in Israel prevent our guests from traveling here? Do we have enough Hebrew-speaking hosts? Would our guests feel secure and safe? Fortunately, once they arrived and after we met one another, everyone was able to relax.
We balanced visiting Chicago and local landmarks with small group dinners, holiday and Shabbat celebrations, and other events. Together, we explored The Art Institute and Millennium Park, the Chicago Botanic Garden,le, Northwestern University, the Baha’i Temple and the lakefront. Our guests navigated lunch menus by using Google Translate. They allowed themselves to relax and interact with The Bean (Cloud Gate), taking note of others who were enjoying the park but also questioning whether it was okay to be joyous while others at home were not. On another day, Beth Emet member and NU Hebrew professor Hanna Tzucker-Seltzer led an engaging discussion with our guests about the complexities of the rise in anti-Semitism, protests, and freedom of speech in the U.S.
The Israelis were delighted to have an opportunity to give back to our community by cooking and serving at the Rabbi Peter and Elaine Knobel Soup Kitchen at Beth Emet. This was especially meaningful since members of the kibbutz had not had access to a kitchen to prepare their own meals during the many months they were living in the hotel by the Dead Sea. They enjoyed working together and with other soup kitchen volunteers to prepare a delicious dinner for over 70 attendees.
On Sukkot, our Kissufim guests enjoyed lunch with many congregants in the Beth Emet Sukkah. It was a warm and engaging group that gathered that day. Our guests went from the Sukkah to the Illinois Holocaust Museum. There they toured the Kindertransport exhibit and witnessed the specialized teaching tool of the Museum, where Holograms are used to give a personal telling of a Holocaust survivor’s experience. Several of the Kissufim guests were educators, and seeing this educational facility and also engaging in conversations with Beth Emet congregants and the Klei Kodesh was invaluable to them.
In addition, the Kissufim guests shopped for gifts to bring home to loved ones, and were able to take in some Americana by visiting the 1,000 Jack-O-Lanterns experience at the Chicago Botanic Garden. While spending time with their host families, they had a small sample of what life is like in Chicago, with visits to Devon Avenue, the Mexican Museum in Pilsen, Chinatown, and Target. Likewise, through our conversations, we were able to learn more about their lives at Kibbutz Kissufim, where several guests had lived for over 50 years. There were exchanges about the different ways we practice Judaism and live as Jews, both in Israel and in the U.S.
At Kabbalat Shabbat services, our guests participated in worship unlike anything they had previously experienced. There was a mutual appreciation of the warmth, connection, and shared hopes for peace that evening. Shabbat afternoon included a gathering at Rabbi Andrea and Danny London’s sukkah, with more warm conversations. On Saturday evening, our guests and Beth Emet volunteers gathered together for a farewell dinner and shared their heartfelt feelings. Our Kissufim guests were so grateful for the opportunity to know us on a personal level and expressed their desire to maintain contact and build on this relationship.
This incredible week would not have been possible without the help of Rabbi London, the Klei Kodesh, fundraisers, our wonderful home hospitality hosts, drivers, Hebrew Interpreters, and all of Beth Emet who helped by being welcoming and building our connection with our fellow Israelis.
This trip was a big journey, both physically and emotionally, for our Kissufim guests, and it was also a journey for us at Beth Emet. One of the senior Kissufim guests said, “Our hearts are beating together with yours, like Mishpachah—family.” We felt that way too.
