Tal, MJCC Community Shlicha

Let’s go Redbirds!

So much fun last night at our young adults pickleball game!

What an amazing event celebrating Israel’s 78th birthday 🇮🇱
It was really special to see everyone come together to celebrate.
Thanks to all our partners for helping make it happen 💙

Join us as we celebrate Israel Week at the J!
Link to register and learn more in bio.

Had a great time at our Young Adults event at Topgolf!! 🎉🏌️‍♂️

What an amazing Purim party!
Over 35 people came out to celebrate and get into the holiday spirit! 🎉

What an amazing four sessions of Israeli Cooking Club! 🇮🇱 From falafel to Israeli couscous and delicious Israeli desserts, we had the best time cooking together. Huge thank you to Torah MiTzion and Bat Ami for being such incredible partners 💙

So much fun at our Super Bowl watch party!

While many of us were home yesterday because of the snow, working, resting, or just getting through the day, something very significant happened, and it passed more quietly than it should have.

Yesterday, Ran Gvilil, the last body that had been held in captivity, was brought home.

Ran Gvilil was 24 years old and served as a Master Sergeant in the Israel Police’s Special Patrol Unit, Yasam. On October 7, 2023, even though he was on medical leave and recovering from a motorcycle accident, he chose to leave the hospital to help save innocent lives. He fought in the battle at Kibbutz Alumim, and his body was taken to Gaza after he was killed in the fighting.

After a complex operation involving multiple units, including over 20 dentists who worked around the clock to identify more than 250 bodies in just 24 hours, Ran was finally returned. His family can now bury him and finally have closure.

This moment also marks the first time in 12 years, since 2014, that there are no hostages being held in Gaza.

When I saw the news yesterday morning, my first reaction was relief and disbelief, and then I continued with my day. I did not fully understand the weight of it at the time.

For more than two years, an entire country carried this absence. Posters were everywhere. The hostages were part of daily life and daily conversation. It was not something you could forget or step away from.

Being far away makes it easier to hear the news, take it in, and move on. Being there, it stays with you.

Later that day, when I had time to sit with it and really think about it, I began to understand how big this moment truly is. After two years, something has shifted. We can begin to move forward, grieve properly, and process what has happened.

When I open Israeli news or social media, this moment is everywhere. In other spaces, it feels quieter, and that is okay. But it felt important to pause and name it.

This matters.
This is significant.

Welcome back home, Ran Gvilil.

So much fun in our pottery class with the amazing Michal Almalem! Participants got to create Hanukkah and Jewish-themed pieces to get into the holiday spirit. Stay tuned for more classes coming soon! 🎨