Two Sophomores Volunteer in Israel on Mission Trip

by Sara Rosenthal, SSLI '27

From March 17 to March 24, Schechter sophomores Shir Levenson and Micah Bidner went on a volunteer mission trip to Israel with the Jewish National Fund. About twenty high schoolers from across the United States were in the group that went, and most of them were from Jewish schools.

The students stayed in dorms at the Alexander Muss High School in Israel, which is located north of Tel Aviv. This school is for students from the United States who want to study for a week or even a semester in Israel, and the school supported this volunteer mission as well.

Levenson explained that “the goals of the Israel mission were to speak to people who are there, help volunteer, and learn about the current situation. Each day was a combination of all three things, and I think we really got the full experience of knowing what’s going on right now.”

Bidner added, "We spent some of our time helping out on farms, helping different communities, and packaging food for displaced families. We spent other time exploring the streets of Tel Aviv, going to the old city in Jerusalem, and getting food in the Shuk!”

Shir and Micah had a very meaningful trip to Israel. (SSLI Instagram) 

Levenson shared that the most meaningful aspect of the trip for her was “seeing the sites of the Nova Festival.” She elaborated: “I have a connection to Gili Adar, a young woman who was murdered at the festival. Being at the site of the festival really made me understand and see how real the attacks were and how much pain they cost.”

Bidner said, “I learned about the resilience of the Israeli people in the face of trauma, the impact of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on different communities, the significance of supporting Israel, and the importance of continuing with life despite challenges.” Levenson added that she learned that “we need to come together … because that’s what makes us the strongest.”

Both Levenson and Bidner shared that they would love to return to Israel soon, either on another mission to continue their support to Israel during this difficult time or in a time of peace. Levenson concluded, “We have so much work to do to rebuild and honor the memories of those whose lives were lost.”

Sara Rosenthal is a writer for Paw Print Now and has been published on the site since January 2024. Sara is currently a freshman at the Schechter School of Long Island and can be reached at the following email address: srosenthal27@schechterli.org.