So I am back...still jet lagged and trying desperately to get some rest which, as any mother of young children will tell you, is virtually impossible.
I have been desperate to sit here to get my thoughts down about the trip. The idea was to journal while I was over there. But we were SO busy all the time and when we had down time it was either very specifically for sleep, or it was on the bus. And since I get car sick, journaling on the bus wasn't an option for me.
I have very detailed notes from my first day and nothing beyond that except for the notes I took in our meetings and workshops.
Oh, didn't I tell you where I went?
I was in Israel on a Women's Leadership mission through the UJC. The Machar Mission. 6 days and nights in the Homeland, my friends, and it was incredible.
Since this was my first time there, I spent a lot of time just trying so desperately to soak it all in and imprint in my brain the sights, the smells, the colors and the flavors of Israel.
While we had some good sightseeing time, our focus was on learning about the agencies in Israel that are supported by UJC funds. Many people have NO IDEA where the money goes after they make a donation to their local Jewish Federation. Like me, for years, I knew it was a good cause and I knew it supported local agencies here in Portland, but, much beyond that, I just trusted that the money was going where it needed to go. Well, now I KNOW where the money is going and who it's helping. I can put faces on the money trail. I know their stories, their histories, their pain, their triumphs.
I will try, in a series of entries, to sum up the trip and tell a little about each day and what we saw and experienced. I'll start with day one in a separate entry...
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