15 Indianapolis leaders traveled to Israel in February for the Partnership2Gether Western Galilee Solidarity Mission. The mission provided a wide range of Western Galilee experiences and people-to-people dialogue to understand the impact of the recent war on the region and population. Alongside Indianapolis leaders, the delegation gathered participants from Budapest, Ohio, Indiana, Iowa, and Texas – 25 people in total.

Megan Maurer, U.S. P2G Chair, and Moti Yeger, Israel P2G Chair, kicked off the mission with a warm welcome to the group. The cohort then visited a naval base in Nahariya to learn about Israel’s maritime defense strategies and to have lunch. The bunch split for the afternoon; some visited the Galilee Medical Center to tour the underground hospital, while others went to a Gesher HaZiv farm to learn about agriculture hardships during a war.

The group came back together to visit Arab ElAramshe, a Bedouin village on the Lebanese border. They visited the community center, which sustained significant damage from missiles during the war. They also heard from village representatives and IDF soldiers about their lives since the war began.

The day ended with a very emotional virtual reality experience by Shlomi’s Glasses. Shlomi Ziv was kidnapped at the Nova Festival and later freed in a military operation in June 2024. His sister and cousin started Shlomi’s glasses to show a chilling example of what it was like to be abducted and held hostage in Gaza. That emotional roller coaster was only the beginning—day two proved just as heart-wrenching.

On day two, the group was segmented to meet with bereaved families in Kfar Masarik. Half of the group met with the family of Sivan Sade, an 18-year-old who was killed by a bomb that hit the community’s broccoli field. The other half walked through a garden, which was being built for Jordan Buskila, a young adult who was murdered at the Nova Festival.

“I found the condolence call to the Sade family to be especially impactful, and also gutting,” Greg Maurer said. “It is still impossible to comprehend. It was an honor to have the opportunity to pay our respects.”

The next stop was to Akko to take part in the memorial service of Shiri Bibis and her two sons—Ariel, 4, and Kfir, 2. This was not something planned in the itinerary, but was very meaningful for the group as they stood shoulder to shoulder with the community in a sea of orange balloons and Israeli flags in memory of the deceased. The Mayor of Akko, Amichai Ben Shloosh, then spoke to the group about the challenges of running a mixed Arab/Jewish city and his plans to help local businesses affected by the war.

Uri Arnon, a local celebrity chef and restaurateur, met the delegation for lunch at Roots, a popular Mediterranean restaurant in town. Arnon came to Indianapolis in May 2024 and created the menu for the Major Donor Dinner. That afternoon, Daniel Arama, the Head of Tourism in Akko, gave a local tour of the old city and the history of its beautiful architecture. One stop was at a local business who described the ongoing challenges businesses face due to the lack of tourism since the war began. In the evening, the group was welcomed into the homes of P2G friends. Israeli hospitality is second to none and left both bellies and hearts full.

For the last full day of the solidarity mission, the group divided to complete two service projects. The first group painted the walls of a bomb shelter donated by the US Partnership communities, while the second group visited a local high school to speak with gifted students. Following, the group headed to Yanuch, a Druze Village along the Lebanon border. The Druze are a unique ethnic and religious minority who are loyal to their homeland. They serve in the IDF at rates exceeding those of Jewish Israelis. A widow of a Druze Lt. Colonel shared the tragic story of her husband’s passing during the current war. During the visit, Megan Maurer of Indianapolis received the prestigious Universal Peace Council Human Rights Leader honor for her work to support the Druze community. This—award is so distinguished that the last recipient was the current Pope, Pope Francis!

The Druze community warmly welcomed the cohort with a lunch featuring a variety of delicious, homegrown delicacies. The mission ended that evening with dinner, music, and celebration at the Partnership2Gether Center.

The cohort walked away from the experience with new friends local and abroad, a true sense of the people in the Western Galilee and their resiliency in times of war.

“It was a very deep experience for me to actually see the tie between Indianapolis and the Western Galilee,” said Ido Shuqrun. “You feel what you are actually experiencing in the missions; something you can’t truly get without visiting the region.”

The Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis and Partnership2Gether continue to strengthen their bond, hoping to inspire more people to get involved by participating in future programs and mission trips.

“It is so important to have the involvement with Partnership because the more we get involved, the more we benefit from these relationships between three countries,” said Gadi Boukai.