Reflections on a JNF-USA volunteer trip in Israel - doing something tangible to help Israelis

Sitting in my comfortable environment in the United States, sharing discussions and expressions of upsets over what was happening in Israel left me with a deep pit of helplessness that could not be abated by writing a donation check or attending speakers. Israelis needed to know my unapologetic support, needed to know that we're not looking the other way, needed to see that we're here on their soil, needed to feel our hugs, and know that they're not abandoned or alone.

I'm a first generation American. My mother survived the horrors of the Holocaust. My husband's cousin survived the horrors of...