Our group arrived in Israel and began our 8 days in Tiberias along the Kinneret, Sea of Galilee. This St. Paul Jewish Federation mission will be many things – connection, condolence, witness, learning, and experiencing the cultural richness of Israelis. Our Mount Zion group is nine strong, some who are coming to Israel for the first time. After our opening dinner last night, we heard from Lilach who once was on a teen exchange in St Paul. For the first time since October 7, she mustered the courage to tell of her harrowing escape from the Nova festival. Her mom was sitting a few seats away shaking the whole time her daughter described every hour, and how she escaped each situation with a car that stopped working because of the bullets and hiding in dry leaves trying not to make sounds. The survivors of the Nova festival have gathered every Monday since for support from each other.
Mount Zion in Israel 