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are right at our doorstep. Last week, we had the privilege of being with a group
of very special Canadians on a day of the OneFamily Fund hike. This organization helps families who are victims of terror.
The organization was founded in 2000 during the height ofthe Intifada, when a young girl from Jerusalem decided to donate her bat
mitzvah money to those affected by terror attacks in Israel. One Family Fund is now funded
entirely by private contributions and sustained by field workers, counselors
and hundreds of volunteers who help the families and injured victims function.
Unfortunately, more Israelis have been murdered and injured by acts of terror
than in all of Israel’s wars.
hikes the land. And on each visit, they focus their footsteps on a different
part of Israel. On the last hike, they trekked across the Mitzpe Ramon crater.
This year, 50 participants came to explore the trails of the Judean Hills just
outside Jerusalem. They stayed at a zimmer near the trail and after breakfast
each morning, they put on their hiking boots, packed a hearty lunch and headed
to off to the trail with a guide and medic.
the Nahal Sorek trail, crossing over two mountain ridges. It was a fresh
October morning and everyone was friendly, eager and energized. Autumn, with
its deep blue skies and refreshing breeze, is an ideal time to hike in Israel.
his bag. On it was a color photo, a name and a story. Looking around, I saw
every hiker had a tag, yet each bore a different name and face.
guide explained that six million trees had been planted on these slopes and in
the valleys in memory of the six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust. I
looked up at the lush hills covered in pines and realized that these very
slopes were once rocky and barren. So many trees; so many lives lost.
depicted twisted barbed wire, consuming flames and the deep agony of a
persecuted people. Yet the other half showed proud soldiers carrying a menorah,
and people dancing amidst the Jewish flag of a nation rebuilt.
There are two stories to the Jewish people, and agony and
despair are still a daily reality in this fledgling nation.
of the hikers to read the tag on his backpack. We all sat silently on this
verdant green hilltop, in the shadow of this sculpture and heard of a young
girl who was meeting her friend in Netanya when a pipe bomb exploded outside a
fast food restaurant, killing her. She was vibrant, social and had her whole
life ahead of her. She was just doing what every child loves to do–have fun
with her friends. Her crime? Being a Jew and living in the land of Israel.
words of the hiker were lost in a sob. We all sat in silence. Nothing can heal
such a loss.
young man on his bag. A high school student from Haifa was riding the bus home.
He sat and talked happily with his girlfriend. She kissed him goodbye, and he
waved to her as she stepped off the bus. A few blocks later, the bus was blown
into bits by a suicide bomber, taking his life and murdering many others. He
too was popular and smart and had a full, beautiful life ahead of him that was
snatched away too soon.
views that stretched all the way to the glistening Mediterranean.
and spouses of Israelis who have lost loved ones to terror and directly from
rehabilitated victims themselves.
medical, legal and psychological assistance, workshops and retreats, children’s
camps, as well as warmth and compassion.
This year, the Canadians raised over $100,000. Hiking this beautiful country one step at a time, and connecting to the Israeli victims with greatcompassion, they proved that we are all one family.
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