First organized delegation of American-Jewish leadership to arrive in May

RZA-Mizrachi hopes that this trip will send a message that when American Jews are comfortable traveling again, Israel should be their first destination.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
The Dome of the Rock and the Western Wall, Jerusalem. (photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
The Dome of the Rock and the Western Wall, Jerusalem.
(photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
The Religious Zionists of America-Mizrachi will be leading a delegation to Israel in May, in what will be the first organized group of American-Jewish communal leadership to visit Israel since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
RZA-Mizrachi hopes that this trip will send a message that when American Jews are comfortable traveling again, Israel should be their first destination.
“As more Americans are getting vaccinated and contemplating travel, we wanted to send a strong message to the Jewish community that instead of visiting Dubai, the Caribbean or some other exotic place, your priority should be to get back to Israel,” said RZA executive vice president Rabbi Ari Rockoff. “The start-up nation has now also become the vaccination nation! As Israel relaxes its travel restrictions, we wanted to be the first organized trip back home.”
The leaders will be here for the Remembrance Day weekend from the United States.
There will be 50 participants, who will be briefed by Israel’s political and rabbinical leadership, speak with Israel's health professionals who worked on the frontlines of the pandemic, talk to some of Israel's entrepreneurs and innovators who leveraged the pandemic to reach new heights as well as speak to NGOs on how they are helping alleviate the economic and social stresses of the pandemic.
The aforementioned activities will be in addition to touring Religious Zionist communities, eating with Israeli soldiers stationed along the border and visiting religious sites.
The group will also have Shabbat with Mizrachi’s worldwide leadership as well as delegates from the Orthodox Israel Coalition currently leading Israeli national institutions, RZA-Mizrachi said. It will end with a musical performance and a chance for attendees to socialize after a year on lockdown.