Rabbi Howard Morrison

This morning, we visited the Zechariah Moshav outside the area of Bet Shemesh and spent an hour and a half working on a tomato farm. I will never take fresh tomatoes for granted after seeing the preparatory work which is required.

We visited and climbed the Castel, just outside of Jerusalem. Originally a Crusader fortress, this hill was a signicant conquest by Israel in April 1948 which opened the way to Jerusalem during the war of independence.

We encountered a Golani brigade enjoying a mental health break after having served four consecutive months in Gaza. By experiencing Castel, young Israelis understand what we are fighting for to this very day.

Upon leaving Castel, we saw many new trainees in uniform. Their commanding officer told one from our group, " We are not merely fighting for our land. We are fighting for our nation." These young inductees understand the message of Castel to this precise moment in our history.

We visited an Arab-Israeli neighborhood called Ein Rafa. There, we were hosted by a resident named Yasmin. She shared her personal views on all kinds of subjects which were meaningful to all of us. While some of her views were controversial to our group, I would maintain that any level of authentic dialogue is important. We should appreciate that in a mission of this sort, it was imperative to meet with Yasmin and engage in difficult  conversation. The residents of Ein Rafa have been citizens of Israel since the founding of the State of Israel.

Finally, some of us donated blood via Magen David Edom. There is perhaps no greater Mitzvah than providing this life source for the needs of others.