The pasuk in Tehillim states, “The rebuilt Jerusalem, like a city that attaches you to it together.” Officially Philadelphia carries the nickname “The City of Brotherly Love,” but that is just lip service and doesn’t mean anything. Philadelphia is a hotbed of hate and hostility and is known for its soaring violence and crime rates. But I noticed something very interesting about Jerusalem that stuck out to me over the past week while we were there. One’s feelings grow exponentially for people who if they had seen them back at home they might not elicit as much as a nod of acknowledgement. People are excited to encounter other people with whom they are acquainted in the slightest way.
Another interesting idea about Jerusalem along the lines of it being a connector is that you encounter people from literally all over the world. A mere stroll down the street or a short trip to the Kotel, and certainly some of Israel’s other biblical sites, will bring together people from the most diverse walks of life united under a common goal of connecting with G-d and other Jews at the holy sites of our patriarchs and matriarchs where the Shechina is most palpably felt. What is it that draws us to Jerusalem so strongly? I know the answer that I would get if I asked you directly. But I’m wondering in the context of this article and somewhat more deeply than what the outward response to that question might be.
{IMG Yochanan and Chani Gordon at the Kotel
{IMG Yochanan and Chani Gordon at Shuva Achim
{IMG YGordon – Memorial
Nobody in history longed to enter the land of Israel more than Moshe Rabbeinu and he was denied entry. The Torah in Va’eschanan says that Moshe davened 515 tefillos seeking to force G-d’s hand, so to speak, in allowing him to cross the Jordan and enter the land. But the most he could do, before being interred on the mountain of Nevo, was to scan the land as far as he could see with his own eyes.
The Gemara in Sotah on daf 14a seeks to understand why Moshe wanted to enter the land so desperately. The Gemara asks, “Did he need to taste of its produce or be satiated with its goodness? This is a rhetorical question since most certainly Moshe Rabbeinu was not seeking to enter the land for selfish reasons. However, the subsequent exchange between Moshe and Hashem as recorded in the Gemara has always fascinated me. Moshe says to Hashem, “There are a lot of mitzvos of the Torah that are only applicable in the land of Israel; I will enter in order to fulfill those mitzvos.” Hashem replies, “You want nothing more from the land of Israel than to receive reward for mitzvos that can only be done there? I will give you credit now as if you have fulfilled those mitzvos.” Meaning to say. Eretz Yisrael is only good for personal reward? That isn’t a good enough reason to change your fate and to allow you, who was not destined to enter the land, to enter.
There has clearly been something else, a spirit of selflessness, that compels Jews everywhere towards the land of Israel. There has been a historical shift in the consciousness of Eretz Yisrael from October 7 and on. It was a watershed moment in history, if you will, not dissimilar to the way history views the flood in the days of Noach in terms of before the flood or after the flood, which too was quite literally a watershed moment in history. There is nothing selfish driving twenty-year-olds to enlist in Operation Iron Swords. Young kids and newly married men and women are leaving their homes mentally prepared to pay the ultimate price in defense of Eretz Yisrael. Older members of Israeli society who have long served their military duties are reenlisting out of a desire to be there in Israel’s greatest need. The defining moment of our trip was our visit to the south, walking through the Nova festival memorial. We’ve heard the testimonies and seen the videos but when you walk on that soil that had to endure the massacre of October 7 it has a strong subconscious effect on the psyche that is hard not to tear up from. But it’s not hard to be inspired by people who paid the ultimate price or to even evoke an emotional reaction to the wreckage and the view of military people lighting candles and kneeling in deference to the heroism displayed on that fateful day in Israel’s storied history.
However, I wanted to highlight a different story of heroism and selflessness. The story of Moshav Shuvah and the selflessness of the brothers Dror, Ariel, Eliran, and Kobi Trabelsi. We had stopped at the entrance to the moshav after visiting the Nova Festival memorial, which we were told was a hospitality hub for military personnel leaving the line of duty on their way back home. The hub feeds 1,500 people a day and costs $6,000 a day to operate. To date through the generosity of visitors to the site and people the world over wanting to contribute to the war effort the Shuvah Achim organization, which is a play on words as it was founded by the Trabelsi brothers (achim) one of whom, Kobi, is from Shuvah, has raised $500,000 towards covering their expenses. Prior to October 7 Dror was involved in hotel management in Mexico as well as POS sales the world over, all of which stopped abruptly on October 7 when he knew that he had a mission to accomplish.
The youngest of the six Trabelsi brothers, Yuval, joined the army, while the area outside of their moshav due to its proximity to the affected kibbutzim was set up as a field hospital to treat those injured in battle. The brothers sprang into action, bringing tables and electrical cords to assist with the operations of the field hospital.
In time the area would be converted into a hospitality space, which it continues to operate as until today, offering food to chayalim coming out of Gaza as well as visitors to the Nova Festival memorial and passersby. We assumed that the food that was being prepared there the day we visited was reserved for chayalim, when Dror explained to us straightforwardly that the war against Gaza isn’t a war between the IDF and Hamas but one that every Jew the world over is enlisted in. As such, the food is meant for all Jews who have come to empower and strengthen the morale of their brothers and sisters fighting on the front lines of the battle. In addition to food and music in the background creating an upbeat and hopeful atmosphere, the brothers have set up a supermarket of sorts in which they provide necessities to the chayalim, all of which in the early days of the operation had cost them NIS 150,000 out of their own pockets.
Just yesterday 20 volunteers from six countries, including two non-Jews, dedicated their day to volunteering on site. While we were there, we met a young woman who said she initially came for a short visit and that short visit kept getting longer as she remains there cooking on site for the many daily visitors.
It is clearly a grassroots effort that was founded by a deep sense of responsibility on the part of the Trabelsi brothers, which has continued to spread compelling so many others to take part in this beautiful expression of brotherly love.
If you are planning a trip to Israel then I urge you to take the time to visit the Shuvah Achim headquarters and see for yourselves the great good that is coming out of there. In our short interactions with chayalim at the site of the Nova Festival memorial the knowledge that we had come just to give them a hug and an encouraging word meant the world to them.
To contribute to the selfless work of Shuva Achim initiative, visit their site to learn more and donate https://my.israelgives.org/en/fundme/ShuvaAchim
Yochanan Gordon can be reached at ygordon5t@gmail.com. Read more of Yochanan’s articles at 5TJT.com.