Hadassah SA Antonio Event: Embracing Our Zionist Volunteers
More than two dozen members of the San Antonio Jewish community assembled in the Jewish Community Center’s Toubin Sukkah on Sunday morning, October 20th , to hear from local people who had gone to Israel to volunteer in the past year. Volunteers and community members eager to hear the stories of those who worked in Israel gathered together.
Among those who spoke about their experience were:
- Cynthia Hogle, who sent her report from Israel, where she had returned to volunteer.
- Orit Eylon, a professor at the University of the Incarnate Word, who went on a JNF (Jewish National Fund) mission.
- Buddy Cowan, 17, who volunteered through Camp Ramah
- Ron Gossen and Evelyn Selig, who participated in the Israel Defense Force’s Sar-El program.
- Joanie Alexander, a Hadassah member who went with a JNF program.
- Robin Long, who works for the Jewish Federation of San Antonio.
- Lee Amit Zinn, a Sabra now living in San Antonio.
Among those who volunteered but could not attend were Linda Wolfe and Dr. Michael Ozer.
Through a partnership with Betsy Cowan and Carla Cutler of the Barshop Jewish Community Center – aka the J, both the use of the Toubin Sukkah and assistance with publicity were generously provided. In addition, Linda Wolfe, whose Pita Plus catering is housed at the “J,” made Bourekas, Pita chips, Hummus, and provided bottled water for the attendees, with the “J” generously picking up the cost of these refreshments.
Many of those speaking talked about seeing the remains of homes attacked in the Israeli communities bordering Gaza and the memorial established at the site of the Nova Festival massacre. They had visited Hostage Square, where they met with the families of those still being held as hostages in Gaza. Joanie Alexander befriended a mother whose child had been kidnapped, who visits Hostage Square daily. Joanie admired the woman’s Israeli flag, one of the few not adorned with a yellow ribbon to remember the hostages. This bereft woman gave Joanie her flag to take back to America to share her story and as a symbol of hope that someday the hostages will return home.
Volunteer activities in Israel ranged from picking tomatoes and cooking to preparing boxes of snacks and medical supply kits for frontline soldiers. The volunteers observed that they were warmly welcomed wherever they went, and Israelis expressed their gratitude for the American presence.
Joanie and Robin Long mentioned Hebrew Free Loan as a means to fund trips to Israel. Howard Feinberg of HFLSA happened to be one of the attendees. He supported everything Joannie, Robin, and Lee Zinn said about visiting and volunteering.
The main thing the volunteers observed was the resilience of average Israelis. The Israelis were deeply traumatized; but, immediately began to help one another, set up ways to help those displaced from the northern border and the Gaza border, and fight back.
After the volunteers spoke, Marion Bernstein, Hadassah chapter president, and Joan Westgor, a retired nurse who has visited Hadassah hospitals recently, both described Hadassah’s resilience in dealing with the new situation. At Hadassah’s Mt. Scopus Hospital, a new rehabilitation facility was being built as war broke out. Immediately, they opened the not-yet-finished Gandel Rehabilitation Center, even using the garage area, to treat wounded soldiers and civilians.
In Hadassah’s Youth Aliyah Villages, which had taken refugees from Ukraine, they scrambled to make more room in their residential facilities for those young adults displaced from the Lebanon border as well as the Gaza area.
At the October 20th event, Tzedakah (change collection) boxes were put out for both Hadassah and the JNF. Contributions may also be made on-line at Hadassah.org. The Hadassah San Antonio guest volunteers were extremely appreciative of being given the chance to speak about their experiences while working to help Israel, the country and their communities, move forward. The attendees sat intently listening as each volunteer recounted being there amongst the battle weary and reinvigorated Israelis, truly embracing Am Yisrael Chai.
For additional information about this event and the San Antonio Hadassah Chapter, please contact Debbie K. Linck, Hadassah SA Programs VP at [email protected].