Thirty years ago, after serving as a combat soldier in the Israel Defense Forces, Nadav Roth was asked by the chief of security of his kibbutz, Magen, to join its civilian emergency team. The unit is tasked with protecting the community, which is located less than three miles from the Gaza border, during a crisis.

“Yes, of course,” Roth remembers replying. “Why not?”

At most, he envisioned fighting off a few terrorists — not 60, which is what he and his rapid response teammates did on Oct. 7, 2023.

Last month, Jewish communities across New York and Florida participated in Project 24’s Thanks4Giving Mega Mission to honor the volunteers who defended kibbutzim and moshavim in southern Israel on Oct. 7 by hosting 721 Israelis who were members of civilian emergency teams, including Roth, and their families. 

With Israel at war and antisemitism rising in America, Jews in both countries need each other, Daniel Gradus, Project 24’s co-founder and CEO told eJewishPhilanthropy. His organization pairs Diaspora Jews with Israelis to mutually heal post-Oct. 7. 

“We are trying to show that we are one, that we are brothers,” he said. “Everybody’s feeling alone. Everybody wants to do something besides post on Facebook or go to a rally. The biggest mitzvah I could do is enable other people to do mitzvahs.”

For Roth, a geography teacher by trade, the trip was a much-needed respite after a difficult year. Although Roth and the other Kibbutz Magen volunteers were able to fend off the terrorists, two members of the civilian security team were killed. Roth’s arm was broken during the fighting, and for eight months, his family was displaced and lived in a hotel by the Dead Sea.

Today, 95% of his kibbutz’s residents have returned, but every day bombs can be heard blasting in the distance. Although Roth’s arm has improved, his hand won’t fully close. He constantly frets about the hostages in Gaza, some of whom are his friends. 

Forty members of Roth’s kibbutz traveled to Port Washington, N.Y., for the trip, which allowed them to spend time together, he told eJP, which rarely happens during the normal bustle of Israeli life. “Everyone has his own job, his own family, his own business. So [in New York] we’ve been together. We spoke together. We saw each other every day.”

The trip paired 185 Israeli families from 28 kibbutzim and moshavim with 35 New York and Florida communities, allowing 12,000 American Jews to help out in what Gradus called a “ripple effect.” Aside from the host families, local businesses donated tickets to NBA games, restaurants donated food and babysitters offered time so parents could go out and bond.

Project 24 planned for the trip to be smaller, with only 300 Israelis visiting New York, but over 2,000 requests to participate flooded in, so they expanded the trip to Florida.

“The hardest part was to tell people that they’re not coming because we had to put guidelines,” Gradus said.

Even though many people helped out on Oct. 7, Project 24 focused on those who held the official position of being on a  civilian emergency team. With so many tragic stories from the attacks, that was a difficult line to draw. “[We had] to tell a person [who] told me that he defended his daughter’s body for 14 hours with a stick that he’s not coming,” Gradus said.

The trip cost $1.5 million, with $250,000 coming from the UJA-Federation of New York and over $1 million crowdfunded through Israel Gives. A portion is still being raised. Host communities banded together to collect the bulk of donations, and everything came together within four months, Gradus said.

Families and communities handled itineraries differently, with some visitors attending performances of “The Lion King” or the “Gazillion Bubble Show” and others going to pool parties, barbecues or bonding over movies.

Both the New York and Florida missions included a community gala, with food served kibbutz style and a menu of chicken schnitzel, spaghetti and Israeli salad. At the New York event on Nov. 12, held at Congregation Rodeph Sholom, one of New York’s largest Reform synagogues, Gradus spoke, along with the synagogue’s senior rabbi and members of the kibbutz. Americans wore blue shirts that said, “Todah,” and Israelis wore white shirts that said “Thanks4Giving.”

Because so many trip attendees struggle with trauma after the Oct. 7 attacks, Project 24 staffed the trip with two emotional support workers who were on call at all times. Before the trip, they met with Israeli families and had Zoom conversations with the Americans, making sure the Israelis knew what to expect and felt familiar with the families and homes they were visiting.

This trip offered Americans the opportunity to do something tangible to help, Samra Vogel, who hosted two Israelis in Hollywood, Fla., told eJP. “It was this feeling we could do something here,” she said. “Because, largely, we feel pretty helpless.”

Roth realized how much people cared. “It was very good to see that there are people far away that think about us and really want to help us,” he said.

While charity is great, the trip was about creating bonds. “Money can’t solve everything. We have to create ties,” Gradus said. “The future of Israel and American Jews lies on the two teenagers that became friends in this project.”