A group of non-Jewish community leaders recently returned from Israel — the fourth trip of this type since October 7, 2023 — to visit the country and participate in a Community Leaders Israel Study Tour, led by Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County’s Palm Beach Center to Combat Antisemitism & Hatred. These trips allow participants to learn and to bear witness in a deeply personal way. Each group brings a unique dynamic, yet the impact of these journeys and relationships remains consistently powerful.
The following highlights include insights from Josephine Gon, the center’s executive director, as well as meaningful reflections from some of the trip participants.
Alongside Palm Beach Center staff and chairs, I traveled with a diverse delegation of 13 leaders, our largest to date, representing elected officials, entrepreneurs, business and nonprofit executives, policy professionals, community strategists, and educators.
The Experience
The goal, as with each study tour, was to educate, enlighten, and connect participants to the full texture and reality of Israel today, more than two years after October 7 and the subsequent war with Hamas. Taking place just a week before the latest escalation involving Iran, the trip unfolded against a backdrop of shifting security concerns.
Unlike earlier tours, we were able to travel north to communities bordering Lebanon and to witness firsthand the physical and economic impact following two years of attacks from Hezbollah. Visits to Metula and Kiryat Shmona illustrated the effects of prolonged evacuations and ongoing instability. As events continue to evolve and rockets again fall in the north, our group now carries a personal understanding of what this reality means for the communities and individuals they met.
The events of October 7 and its aftermath remain deeply present. Visiting Sderot, Kibbutz Kfar Aza, and the Nova Festival site — and hearing directly from survivors — became some of the most powerful and meaningful moments of the journey. Once again, the group was struck by the extraordinary resilience of the Israeli people.
While war and trauma understandably loom large, they do not define Israel.
The group experienced Israel’s remarkable cultural diversity firsthand through its cuisine, home hospitality, and meaningful connections with Ethiopian Jewish, Druze, and Arab communities.
They deepened their understanding of Israel’s history and the Jewish people’s enduring connection to the land, felt the holiness of Jerusalem, and encountered the innovation of Tel Aviv, the heart of the “Startup Nation.”
As with all our study tours, a defining feature of the experience was the opportunity to engage with exceptional speakers. Participants heard from experts who offered broad perspectives on Israeli society and its complexities, along with geopolitical briefings, insights into Israel’s political system, media coverage of the war, antisemitism, and candid discussions with municipal leaders and members of Knesset about the challenges of governance in the current climate.
Reflections and Impact
The significance of this experience is best captured in the reflections of those who took part. Their words underscore the profound impact our community’s support for these trips makes:
Susy Díaz, deputy mayor of Greenacres and executive director of the Middle School of the Arts Foundation: “This study tour was exceptionally well designed, intellectually rigorous, and profoundly meaningful. It offered a powerful exploration of Israel’s history, security realities, innovation, and resilience, while also honestly and thoughtfully addressing the nation’s internal challenges and imperfections. The openness with which complex political dynamics, social tensions, and difficult policy questions were addressed reflected a clear commitment to depth, integrity, and substance, not a simplified narrative. From walking the ancient streets of Jerusalem to visiting communities impacted by October 7, and engaging with diverse voices across civic, political, and cultural sectors, every element of the program was intentional and impactful. The experience did not shy away from Israeli flaws; rather, it placed them within the context of a vibrant, self-examining democracy; one defined not by perfection, but by resilience and the continual pursuit of a stronger future.”
Charles Hagy Jr., head of Middle School, The Benjamin School: “As a lifelong learner, I am deeply honored to have participated in this extremely important field study experience. I am incredibly grateful to Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County and the Palm Beach Center to Combat Antisemitism & Hatred for providing this unforgettable, foundational [experience]. Our journey… has empowered us to engage our communities in promoting peace, kindness, compassion, and service to others, while working to eliminate antisemitism and all other forms of hatred.”
Sarah Criser Elwell, CEO, Forum Club of the Palm Beaches: “I feel incredibly grateful and honored to have been included in this experience. As a community leader, it is our responsibility to have difficult conversations and impact change, and this experience will be a catalyst to many conversations — not just about antisemitism and hate — that we can and should be talking about and addressing collectively.”
Looking Ahead
This trip adds 13 new leaders to the center’s now 60-plus-member Study Tour Alumni Network — a group whose broad community reach and trusted voices help advance education, understanding, and action against antisemitism and all forms of hatred in our community.
We are deeply grateful to the center’s many supporters who make missions like these possible. Their impact continues long after participants return home.
Josephine Gon is executive director of the Palm Beach Center to Combat Antisemitism & Hatred and Public Affairs.
