For many teens, the opportunity to travel to Israel is not just highlight of their year but a core experience of their youth. So, when war with Iran broke out this summer, and all travel to Israel was halted, Jewish teens across the country were devastated.
Our Diller Teen Fellows were among the thousands of teens that had to process that disappointment, while scrambling to make new summer plans. Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ stepped in immediately, reaching out to our partners at camps, teen travel programs, and European tours to find alternative options.
It was a fast and furious 12 days. By the end, we created an alternative experience to bring our teens on a heritage mission in the southern parts of the US. That’s when we heard the news. A ceasefire was reached, and Israeli airspace would be open again.
What to do?
These teens have been through a lot in the past five years. Their bar and bat mitzvahs were interrupted by COVID. Their High School years were fraught with a surge of antisemitism. And now the cancellation of the Diller global Jewish summit in Israel.
We were going to stop at nothing to pull off a miracle and give these teens the experience of a lifetime.
In under two weeks, we managed to obtain flights, create an all-new itinerary that highlighted Israel (and our Federation’s Israel partner communities), secure funding, train staff, and prepare curriculum to pull off a Federation Teen Mission to Israel.
The result? A remarkable 10-day journey for our teens that brought joy to their lives, warmth to our partners, and renewal to our souls. With so many teen missions to Israel cancelled this summer, we recognize that this trip only happened because of the strong partnerships, dedicated professionals, and Federation infrastructure already in place. We’re so grateful to everyone who made it possible!
During the trip, our teens kept journals to capture their thoughts, questions, and reflections along the way.
Keep reading for a glimpse inside an unforgettable journey.
Day 1: Gabi
Hi everyone! We’re at the end of our first day in Israel! They say they aren’t tired… but we’re off to bed. It was a long but amazing day! We had Aroma at the airport, drove to Jerusalem for an opening ceremony at the Yemin Moshe Windmill, and then headed to the Machane Yehuda Shuk (market). We packed meal kits for 500 families at Pantry Packers, then checked into our hotel early and spent a lot of time walking on Ben Yehuda Street shopping and relaxing.
Day 2: Ashton, Deia, & Mark
We had an amazing, busy second day today! In the morning, we began with breakfast at the hotel. Then we were off on a tour of the Old City, where we learned about the history of the ancient people of Jerusalem and their old customs. After, we walked through an underground water tunnel… which was a very tight squeeze, but a BLAST! We quickly changed into more modest clothing and walked from there to the Kotel, where everyone individually spent time reflecting at the wall. Afterward, everyone was able to choose a lunch location in the Old City… and it was delicious! We hiked the stairs of the Tower of David and experienced the most incredible view of the Old City. And then, of course, a fan favorite: shopping at the Mamilla Mall! After a brief rest, we had an amazing dinner on the Tayelet! Everyone is tired but super ready for our packed, exciting day tomorrow!
Day 3: Max
Today was a travel day, and we made stops on the way up to Kibbutz Sha’ar HaGolan. We started by driving up to Caesarea, which was an ancient Roman metropolis during the Syria-Palestinea era. It was right on the Mediterranean Sea, and it was beautiful! Then we drove to Zikhron Ya’akov, a city full of artisans. We stopped at a silk paper factory, where we watched a family make silk paper from trees, and then did some shopping because of all the different art throughout the town. Next, we went to Dor Beach and relaxed in the sea—so much fun and such a nice beach! Now we are on our way to Kibbutz Sha’ar HaGolan and ready to enjoy our first shabbat in the homeland! Shabbat shalom!
Day 4: Nomi
We had a wonderful and peaceful shabbat! In the morning, we began with breakfast at the kibbutz dining room. Then fellows participated in a morning of programming filled with Torah learning, meditation, and learning about kibbutzim! After lunch, we had rest time, during which fellows had the opportunity to swim in the kibbutz pool. After dinner, fellows participated in an exciting Havdalah filled with classic Diller songs! The night concluded with an energetic, fellow-run color war. Everyone enjoyed a relaxing shabbat and can’t wait for the rest of the week!
Day 5: Liv & Mia
Today was a very fun day! We began with Ashton’s fellow stage, which was playing Uno. We had a blast—it got pretty competitive! After a delicious breakfast on the kibbutz, we took a drive up to the mystical city of Tzfat. In Tzfat, we went to a candle factory, learned about the origins of Kabbalah, and did some shopping. The jewelry store was a big hit! Next, we went to an amazing water park on the Kinneret called AquaKef. It was a floating, inflatable obstacle course—and super fun! Some highlights were backflipping into the water and a large game of water polo. After that, we had a good lunch at the beach from restaurants in Tiberias. We then took a short ride to a chocolate factory on Kibbutz Degania Bet. We made chocolates with Irish crème and ganache. After some rest time back at our kibbutz, we got ready for dinner. Afterward, we went on a nighttime disco boat cruise on the Kinneret. There was dancing, pictures, and lots of laughter. Then we came home for a night of rest! We are very excited for what tomorrow has to bring!
Day 6: Maya
We started off the day with Talia’s fellow stage, where we played a fun game of “ninja.” Ashton won the game! We ate a yummy breakfast at the kibbutz before heading out. We traveled to Tel Aviv, and on the way, Talia led a fun and hydrating water-drinking game! We arrived in south Tel Aviv for an interesting October 7th graffiti tour. Then we took the bus to Shuk HaCarmel, where we separated for lunch at either a Moroccan meat and pita shop, fish and chips, or “Etrog Man.” In those groups, we shopped all around the shuk for jewelry, decorations, and—most importantly—Israeli snacks! We then met up again and traveled to Hostage Square for an important and impactful tour. We heard stories and saw exhibits such as the imitation tunnel, countdown, Tikva exhibit, and the piano of a hostage. We then made our way to the hotel, unpacked, and rested/showered until we went on a golden hour stroll with our guide. We walked all over Yafo and saw the sunset over the sea while overlooking many Israeli flags. We walked back and had dinner, while some of us had meetings with our families. Afterwards, we met two more Israeli Diller cohorts who—coincidentally—are also staying at our hotel!
Day 7: Sophie & Ziva
We had a very packed day today exploring the south of Israel and seeing our matches from Rishon LeZion. We started the day with breakfast at the hotel, then quickly made our way to the bus and began our journey south. The first stop was at Kibbutz Erez, where our Federation partner Michal guided us around her kibbutz. First, we learned about the agricultural business of the kibbutz and even got to try lychees straight off the tree! Michal then took us on a walk around the kibbutz, telling us what they experienced on October 7th as a community right next to the border. We then planted some trees and ended our time there with a swim in their gorgeous pool and some lunch. Afterward, we visited the Nova site. It was an experience that cannot exactly be put into words—very emotional and meaningful. We finished our time there by saying the Mourner’s Kaddish. After we had time to process and talk about how we felt, we boarded the bus again and headed to Rishon LeZion. After a heartfelt reunion with our friends (featuring lots of hugs), we broke up into groups to have dinner. Once dinner was done, we made our way back to the hotel to get some rest. The night was so fun, and we are so excited to see them tomorrow as we transition to the final portion of the trip!
Day 8: Max
Today was our first full day spent with our Rishon LeZion friends! We started by visiting their equivalent of Federation, where we met the parents of Matan Gotlieb. He was a fallen soldier in 2014 in Gaza and was a fellow in the second Rishon LeZion cohort. We continued the day by visiting a site in Rishon where a missile struck during the 12-day war. We learned about community projects led by members of the Rishon cohort to help rehabilitate the area. Then we went to the beach, where we volunteered at a ceremony marking the opening of a disabled-access section. We danced, made projects, and ate watermelon with them—it was so fun! We finished the day by heading to Kibbutz Shefayim, where we’ll be staying for the rest of our trip. It was an amazing day!
Days 9 & 10: Sara
Today we had a super fun time on our last full day together. At Kibbutz Shefayim, we had a later wake-up and headed over to their WATER PARK!!!! We had so much fun going down all the slides and splashing in the wave pool. We then returned to our hotel for some rest and hangout time. We said goodbye to our medic/security guard Dekel and one of our GMW fellows, Ashton. We then celebrated our last shabbat together as Metro LeZion Cohort 18. Shabbat shalom!
The Power of Federation
It was a true miracle that we were able to pull off this trip and it was the tireless effort of our staff, families, lay leaders, and partners. Meeting the group when they arrived back stateside, it was clear that each teen had been transformed, not just by the sights they saw or the activities they did, but by how they showed up for each other.
One of our Rishon LeZion teens had been displaced since a rocket landed and damaged her house. She insisted on meeting some teens who arrived early in the airport to welcome their arrival (even though they would not be spending time with each other until the following week). She told us that she had been counting down the days since the war to see if we would really show up. She said with tears in her eyes, “You told us that your family would come as soon as the air space opened. But you didn’t just say it, you actually showed up. You are here to be with us and to hold us.”
Our teens return home with deeper empathy, stronger identities, and a lived understanding of what it means to be part of something bigger. This was not just a trip but the beginning of a lifelong journey. This is what Federation does!