This week, several active community members from Greater Philadelphia’s Partnership2Gether (P2G) communities will be visiting our region to speak about their firsthand experiences from Israel on and since the October 7 massacre.

For over a quarter of a century, the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia has formed and nurtured a strong bond with our P2G communities of Netivot and Sdot Negev, which border Gaza and are subjected to frequent rocket attacks and constant unrest.

Featured speakers include:

Oren Cohen, a photojournalist, who accompanied elite units in Gaza to capture the reality on the ground. In May, he met a number of members from Greater Philadelphia on the Israel 75 Mission.

Ronit Bart, a resident of Kibbutz Saad, currently displaced and living in a hotel. She is an English teacher and coordinates the lone soldier program for her community.

Esther Marcus, the manager of the Sdot Negev Resilience Center clinic. She is a trauma therapist and the author of a children's book “Color Red,” a therapeutic book which helps children living on the border with Gaza cope with rocket attacks. A survivor of the October 7 massacre, Esther lives in Kibbutz Alumim – less than 2 miles from the Gaza border. 

Gal Horev, a former career IDF officer, who saved people fleeing the massacre at the Nova Music Festival on October 7. Horev recently finished serving 130 days in Gaza and is an Israeli member of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia’s P2G Joint Steering Committee.

Tali Lidar, the director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia’s Israel and Global Operations. Lidar works with the Jewish Federation’s partnership regions of Sdot Negev and Netivot, connecting them with diaspora Jewry and vetting their unique needs to provide year-round and Emergency Fund grant support. 

Edit Asor, the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia’s Partnership2Gether office manager, who survived the brutal attack in Kfar Aza on Oct. 7 by hiding in a safe room for 20 hours with her daughter and dog.

You can join us at the following events to hear these powerful stories.

March 6

• Lunch and Learn at Adath Israel, 12:30 p.m.

March 7

• Discussion at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

March 8

• After Services Discussion at Temple Sinai, 7:15 p.m.

March 9

• Services and Kiddush at Ohev Shalom, 10:00 a.m.
• After Services Discussion at Sha'arei Oreh, 12:00 p.m.
• Havdalah at Temple Sholom in Broomall, 6:30 p.m.
• Havdalah at Germantown Jewish Centre, 7:30 p.m.

March 10

• Discussion at Folkshul, 10:00 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.
• Discussion at Shaare Shamayim, 10:00 a.m.
  • Contact 215.677.1600 to register
• Discussion at the Kaiserman JCC, 11:00 a.m.
• Discussion at Beth Chaim, 12:00 p.m.
• Discussion at Har Zion Temple, 12:00 p.m.
• Discussion at Kol Emet, 4:00 p.m.
• Discussion at Kesher Israel, West Chester, 7:00 p.m.

March 11

• Discussion at Main Line Reform Temple, 2:00 p.m.
• Discussion at BZBI, 6:00 p.m.

March 12

• Discussion at Gratz College, 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 a.m.

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Find more upcoming Israel events at our community resources page.

See stories of the hostages taken by Hamas at the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History's upcoming art installation, "Their Portraits: Philadelphia Artists Honor October 7 Hostages."  Learn more here.