More than 30 congregants from the Forest Hills Jewish Center recently went to Israel to engage directly in rebuilding, healing and supporting communities that were impacted by the Hamas terrorist attacks on Oct. 7, 2023.
The congregants helped these communities through the Jewish National Fund-USA’s five-day “Congregational Volunteer in Israel Mission,” which grants the volunteers the opportunity to connect with the land of Israel while taking part in hands-on projects like rebuilding homes, planting trees and improving infrastructure.
Much of the work performed by the congregants of the Forest Hills Jewish Center consisted of assisting in the rebuilding of homes of evacuees who are set to return, planting trees, community cleanups and more. They also worked in the fields of the Galilee Culinary Institute and visited the Kiryat Shmona Medical Center. Additionally, the group prepared meals for Israel Defense Force soldiers in Ofakim, took part in the official Jerusalem Day ceremony at Ammunition Hill and visited the site of the Nova Music Festival, where the Oct. 7 attacks occurred.
The volunteer mission was proposed by Forest Hills center members Matt and Judy Beizer to the synagogue after they took part in a previous Volunteer in Israel Mission in July 2024. That previous experience granted them a deep appreciation of the impact they were able to make on the people of Israel.
“When we volunteered with Jewish National Fund-USA last year, we absolutely loved it,” Matt Beizer said. “We came back and started talking to folks, just saying, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if we went as a Kehila (community), if we did this together?’”
Forest Hills Jewish Center Rabbi Daniel Graber and the rest of the congregation were immediately invested in this proposal.
“For a year and a half, we have been in New York, loving Israel, supporting Israel and doing everything we can from afar,” Rabbi Graber said. “But at some point, you reach the limit of what you can do at arm’s length, and you need to go and be there. We had so many people who felt the need to get their hands dirty in the work of building and supporting this country in its time of need.”
It meant a lot to the Beizers for the Forest Hills Jewish Center to immediately act on their proposal and take part in a Volunteer in Israel Mission.
“It was incredible—not just because these were fellow synagogue members,” Judy Beizer said. “These are our friends, this is our community, and to do this together made it even more special.”
“This was very much a once-in-a-lifetime experience to be with our friends from the community and help make a difference in Israel,” Matt Beizer said. “Jewish National Fund-USA has been very supportive, it’s been a terrific experience, and I think it would be great for other communities to look inside themselves and do this as well.”
Through these missions from the Jewish National Fund-USA, congregants across all ages and parts of the United States are brought together to provide much-needed support to families, farmers and frontline communities in Israel. They also provide an inspiring blend of physical impact, spiritual connection and shared purpose.
Congregations that take part in the Volunteer in Israel Mission are also eligible to receive a $500 subsidy per participant to visit Israel, helping to make this volunteering opportunity more accessible to those who may be interested.
