Wire

Community educational tourism program to support Israel’s north

World Mizrachi wants groups to understand the experiences of Israelis, as well as the goals for healing and rebuilding that are already underway.

World Mizrachi is hosting tours of Israel's north and south, including conversations with residents and soldiers, starting in February 2025. Credit: Courtesy.
World Mizrachi is hosting tours of Israel's north and south, including conversations with residents and soldiers, starting in February 2025. Credit: Courtesy.

In the wake of Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, World Mizrachi set its goals on bringing thousands of visitors to the affected regions in an effort they called “community educational tourism.” Hundreds of individual groups were organized and came to Israel to obtain a firsthand understanding of the breadth of the tragedy, the bravery and heroism of Israel’s soldiers and civilians, and the need for rebuilding in the south.

Now, as Israel’s northern border region works to rejuvenate and return its residents to their homes after rocket and missile attacks by Hezbollah in Lebanon starting on Oct. 8, 2023, the organization is offering a series of new tracks to the communities and villages that were ravaged by months of incessant rocket fire and attacks.

Launching this month, the program will allow groups to intimately understand the experiences of the northern residents and the goals for healing and rebuilding that are already underway. Specially designed as two-day tours, groups will visit homes and facilities that suffered direct Hezbollah rocket strikes, receive briefings from high-level security and political officials, meet with evacuees and more.

Rabbi Dr. Shimon Rapport, director of the Educational Tourism Department at World Mizrachi, noted that his team has put together original itineraries designed to emphasize positive messages, meeting inspirational speakers and key people focused on the rejuvenation of the Jewish people.

“Mizrachi’s solidarity missions are intended as both educational and inspirational experiences by directly introducing our participants to the people who demonstrate in the most powerful of ways the uniquely Jewish spirit to bounce back from tragedy and terror,” he said.

World Mizrachi CEO Rabbi Danny Mirvis added that “it has been exceptionally meaningful for our team at World Mizrachi to promote partnerships between Diaspora Jewry and the communities in the south. At this point in Jewish history—a time of both pain and resilience—we need to embrace and support the communities of the north, and we invite all those who have already been on missions or have not yet visited Israel during the war to come and do so.”

The organization is expanding its offerings to include programs for high school students.

For more information, see: missions@mizrachi.org

About & contact The Publisher
Mizrachi inspires people with a sense of commitment to the Torah, the Jewish people and the Land of Israel. Mizrachi is the global Religious Zionist movement, spreading Torat Eretz Yisrael across the world, and strengthening the bond between the international Jewish community and the State of Israel. Based in Jerusalem and with branches across the globe, Mizrachi—an acronym for merkaz ruchani (“spiritual center”)—was founded in 1902 by Rabbi Yitzchak Yaakov Reines.
Releases published on the JNS Wire are communicated and paid for by third parties. Jewish News Syndicate, and any of its distribution partners, take zero responsibility for the accuracy of any content published in any press release. All the statements, opinions, figures in text or multimedia including photos or videos included in each release are presented solely by the sponsoring organization, and in no way reflect the views or recommendation of Jewish News Syndicate or any of its partners. If you believe any of the content in a release published on JNS Wire is offensive or abusive, please report a release.