A group of 100 women from eight American cities visited Israel from Nov. 4-11 as part of an eight-day trip organized by the global Jewish organization Momentum, which aims to inspire Jewish women to lead a Jewish future by becoming more connected to their identity, heritage and Israel.
The trip was part of the year-long program known as the “Journey of Growth,” an initiative that provides women with the opportunity to delve into the spirit of Jewish unity that defines their homeland.
Momentum, which works closely with the Israeli Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, brings Jewish parents from around the world, the majority of whom are mothers, to Israel and empowers them to be change agents in their respective Jewish communities.
Many stops on their itinerary paid tribute to the victims and heroes of Oct. 7, like a tour of the ANU–Museum of the Jewish People and its new exhibition, “October Seventh,” which examines how Israeli culture reacted to the war; a visit to Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square, where participants expressed their solidarity with the families of the kidnapped victims; and a day where they traveled to Israel’s south, which included a stop at Kibbutz Kfar Aza and the Nova music festival memorial site.
The women also heard from Zohar Raviv, Momentum scholar-in-residence and international vice president of education and strategy at Taglit-Birthright Israel, who discussed how each woman can make a difference in advocating for Israel. They also listened to remarks from Lt. Col. (Res.) Yaron Buskila, who confronted more than a dozen terrorists on Oct. 7, 2023.
Participants hailed from seven cities, including Cooper City, Fla.; Orlando, Fla.; northern New Jersey; Toronto; Washington, D.C.; Los Angeles; New York City; and Minneapolis. Israelis also took part, sharing accounts of their life experiences since the war broke out, enabling them to act as a living bridge between the Jewish state and the Diaspora.
The educational programming mirrored the trip’s overall theme of acknowledging loss but also underscoring the Jewish people’s longstanding tradition of living a prideful and joyful life. Among topics discussed during group sessions were learning, growth, prayer and delving into the power of memory.
The volunteer activities and emotional meetings are meant to inspire and prepare these women and men to engage in meaningful dialogue so those in their home communities understand why the land of Israel is so integral to the story of the Jewish people. The trip is also a powerful display of Jewish parental leadership in action. The tools and experience that they will take away from this trip will encourage these parents to work together to help change the world.
“While the events of Oct. 7 have influenced our ‘Journey of Growth’ and we want our participants to bear witness to the atrocities of that day, we’re also passionate about showing these women the incredible resilience of the Jewish and Israeli spirit,” said Orit Mizner, chief operating officer at Momentum. “Israel existed before Oct. 7 and will continue much after. As an educational organization, we have a responsibility to foster Jewish identity, reclaim the Jewish and Israeli narrative, and celebrate it. We also hope that the Israeli motivation to push forward inspires our community of women as they go back home and find ways in which they can be positive agents of change.”
As such, the trip is just one aspect of the organization’s comprehensive Momentum Action Network. The multi-pronged initiative was spearheaded in the early days of the war to create a connection to what’s happening in Israel through the lens of the organization, deliver support through educational initiatives and inspire action through opportunities to do something positive for Israel in their own Jewish communities.
This comes in addition to the organization’s campaign called “This Year I Will, This Year We Will,” which encourages all Momentum participants to take on the responsibility of finding ways to come together and give back to their Jewish community either individually or as a collective.
Trip participant Samantha Schepps of Washington, D.C., said, “I wanted to continue to grow spiritually, and this is a great way to do that. The trip has been amazing, and I also appreciated the opportunity to visit the site of Oct. 7 victims. That experience helped me understand what happened that horrible day. I have young boys and have avoided watching the news, but now I feel confident in sharing what I saw when I get back home and letting everyone know Israelis are resilient and the country is safe.”
Since Oct. 7, the organization has brought some 800 participants from 15 countries to bear witness to Israel’s story and share what they heard with their own communities when they return home.
Formerly the Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project, Momentum has seen tremendous success in its mission of inspiring women to not only discover but become enchanted with Israel.
