Resilience is Part of the Jewish Tradition—For Masa, it’s in our DNA

The Jewish people are nothing if not resilient. In our 3,300-year history, from slavery in Egypt to the creation of ancient Israel, from our subsequent dispersal in the diaspora to the founding of the modern state of Israel, we have overcome every setback imaginable. Much of our strength comes from the memories and lessons of those adversities.

As the CEO of Masa Israel Journey, which brings young Jewish adults ages 16-35 from all over the world to study, work, and volunteer in Israel, I put those lessons to use every day in my work. Over the past year, from the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic to the recent attack on Israel by Hamas, Masa has used those lessons to adapt to these challenging new circumstances to continue to provide meaningful experiences for our Fellows.

As the world still fights the COVID-19 pandemic, Israel has taken a global lead in vaccinating its population, with the highest percentage of fully vaccinated citizens of any nation. Masa was no exception, vaccinating all of our Fellows at the earliest possible opportunity. Fully vaccinated, they were able to continue to give back to their communities throughout Israel. In this way, our Fellows contributed to Israel’s success—through education, innovative research, volunteer initiatives—and demonstrated Masa’s mission: to shape a promising future for young Jews from around the world by connecting them to Israel and their Jewish identities.

Even during the pandemic, when other organizations put their programs on hiatus or switched to purely virtual experiences, Masa never closed its doors. This enabled our Fellows to stay connected with Israel and other Jews from around the world at a time when such opportunities were practically nonexistent. We wanted to ensure that the pandemic would not prevent young Jews from experiencing the once-in-a-lifetime opportunities we provide.

Even during the pandemic, when other organizations put their programs on hiatus or switched to purely virtual experiences, Masa never closed its doors.

Since 2004, Masa has helped more than 170,000 young Jews from 60 ountries immerse themselves in Israel. During the pandemic, we were the first (and one of the few) to reach an agreement with the government to bring non-Israelis to Israel; we welcomed 11,000 Fellows this year alone. With registration and interest in Masa skyrocketing during the pandemic, we adjusted our curriculum to fit our new circumstances, launching new programs for remote work and study that allowed our fellows to continue to engage in productive endeavors.

Then, just as life was returning to normal, we experienced the Mount Meron tragedy during what should have been a joyous time for Jews around the world, and especially in Israel, where tens of thousands gathered to celebrate. This tragedy touched the Masa community deeply, as two of our own Fellows, Daniel “Donny” Morris z”l and Avraham Daniel Embon z”l, were tragically lost at the festivities. Ironically, in modern times, this day also represents the resilience of the Jewish spirit. But in times of trials, we gathered as we always do, lifting each other’s spirits as one united family connected by our tradition.

As we regained hope for a brighter future, Hamas launched an attack on Israel, firing thousands of rockets into our country over the course of several weeks. First and foremost, Masa ensured the safety and wellbeing of our Fellows. We evacuated them from areas vulnerable to Hamas’s rockets and provided them with mental health resources to process the attack. Our Fellows responded with grit and poise, showing their own resilience by proactively sharing their experience under fire on social media to counter the flood of misinformation and antisemitism.

These moments of hardship have only strengthened our mission, and it has never been clearer that the work we are doing together is vital in connecting the global Jewish community and Israel. According to a recent Pew Research poll of Jewish American adults, 82% responded that caring about Israel is either “essential” or “important” to what being Jewish means to them. While 58% of those surveyed said that they are at least somewhat attached to Israel, 79% of those who have been to Israel were especially likely to feel this way. This final statistic provides strong support for a fundamental belief underpinning Masa’s mission: that Jews who spend a significant amount of time in Israel are more likely to feel a strong connection to it and defend it when it comes under attack. We are proud of our Fellows and alumni for taking their lived experience and using it to create meaningful action, as they lean into the often difficult conversations that have arisen from recent attacks by sharing their stories of combating antisemitism.

There is no Hebrew equivalent for the word “resilience.” Rather, it’s in the DNA of the Jewish people, embedded so deeply in our consciousness and history that it has become second nature to us. As the last year has shown, Jews will continue to be resilient in the face of whatever hardships come our way. Whatever those hardships may be, Israel will always be the homeland of the Jewish people, and Masa will be there to help Jews from all over the world to connect with it in new, meaningful ways.

Ofer Gutman is Acting CEO of Masa Israel Journey.