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Magazine I Supporting Israel

From Brooklyn to Be'er Sheva: Volunteers Rebuild Israel "If my Holocaust survivor grandparents could come to pre-state Israel in ‘46 and fight, I think I can pick some onions for a day", says Tori Lynn Leibovic, who came to Israel with Jewish National Fund-USA / By Stefan Oberman

tour guide and protected by an armed security guard. Asked if she had any reservations before coming to Israel, Leibovic explained, “if my Holocaust survivor grandparents could come to pre state Israel in ‘46 and fight in the Haganah (the precursor to the Israel Defense Forces), I think I can pick some onions for a day”. She added, “there’s only so much you can see regarding the situation in Israel on social media. You have to come here and be on the ground seeing the realities for yourself. I live in a part of Brooklyn where I’m surrounded by anti-Israel people all day long. It’s important that I can bear testimony to what really happened here on October 7 amidst the unrelenting disinformation campaigns”. Weeklong and day-only volunteer trips are available. ■ For more information, visit our website at jnf.org/volunteeril, call 877.563.8687 or email travel@jnf.org.

Jewish National Fund-USA volunteers pick eggplant in the north of Israel

Thousands of Americans are reassuring the people of Israel that they are not alone by volunteering in the country’s north and south. One organization spearheading volunteer missions to Israel is Jewish National Fund-USA, which has sent over 4,000 volunteers since October 7. “It has been 15 years since I last came to Israel”, says mission participant Tori Lynn Leibovic, 31, from Brooklyn, New York. “I learned about Israel’s history and wars at my Jewish Day School; however, I never really ‘felt it’ until October 7 following painting buildings, constructing outdoor furniture, cleaning up parks and playgrounds, cooking food for soldiers, picking fruit and vegetables, packing care packages for people in hospitals and soldiers, and much more. Jewish National Fund-USA is working with over 17 communities Hamas’ unprecedented attack against Israeli communities”. Volunteer activities include

in Israel’s south – more than any other organization – to help bring displaced residents home. “Mission participants should be prepared to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty”, says Northern California Jewish National Fund-USA Director, Martha Kariv, who led a July volunteer mission. “Volunteers also visit the site of the NOVA music festival massacre and plant trees”. The missions have attracted participants ranging in age from 18 to 93. They are led by a professional

Jewish National Fund-USA volunteer helps repair the communities in the south

Volunteer Tori Lynn Leibovic picks eggplant in the north of Israel

24 ATMOSPHERE FEBRUARY 2025