Watching the war in Israel unfold has been difficult for all of us and our hearts go out to so many who have been suffering the losses and devastation. Understandably, we have a lot of uncertainty about taking our community to Israel next summer. The situation is changing constantly, with no clear resolution or end to the violence in sight.
As a result, the Jewish Federation and The Jewish Foundation believe it is not the right time to move forward with our Community Mission to Israel in July ’24 as planned. We’ve also shared this sentiment with our trip leaders. With a diverse mix of veterans, first-timers, young adults, and families who have expressed interest, it would be too difficult to accomplish our original programmatic goals and have the experience we envisioned. It is evident that Israel experiences in 2024 will require a much narrower focus on supporting Israel through this traumatic crisis, and that, in turn, requires a different programmatic focus.
With that in mind, we have made the decision to postpone the Community Mission until sometime in 2025.
For those registered, we are offering the following options due to the postponed 2024 Cincinnati Community Mission to Israel:
- Request a full deposit refund
- Forfeit your deposit to support Israel’s economy
We know it may be difficult to make a decision at this time, so please stay tuned for instructions from the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati on how to select from these options. Please do not contact J2 Adventures, as they are currently inundated with the planning of numerous solidarity trips.
Itinerary and further details for our next Community Mission will be shared as soon as possible. In the meantime, please feel free to reach out to Jan Evans, with questions. Thank you for your patience as we work through next steps, and for your support and concern for Israel.
Danielle V. Minson, CEO, The Jewish Federation of Cincinnati
Brian Jaffee, CEO, The Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati