Jodi Green, Advocacy and Interfaith Relations Specialist at the Jewish Federation of Ottawa, recently returned from an adult Birthright Volunteer trip with her husband, Cantor Jason Green. What she found was a country transformed — not just by time, but by the deep scars and quiet strength that have emerged since October 7.
There’s something both timeless and ever-changing about Israel. The land feels familiar, steeped in history, faith, and connection, yet each visit reveals something new, shaped by the pressures of the moment.
When I returned this summer, 19 years after my first trip, I expected to see change. And I did: new transit lines, endless real estate developments, and not an internet café in sight. But these were just surface-level shifts. What struck me most was something harder to define — a mood, a weight, a heightened awareness that lingered in the air.
October 7 changed everything.
Cantor Jason Green of Kehillat Beth Israel and I had the privilege of joining an eight-day Birthright Volunteer trip. It was an incredible experience, rooted in giving back, building connection, and witnessing firsthand the many faces of Israeli resilience.
At every volunteering stop, we were briefed about why we were needed, what their farm or business looked like pre-October 7, and where we would seek shelter should a siren go off. 
As part of the trip requirements, we needed to download the “Homefront Command” app that would alert us of impending danger. It was a constant reminder of the precariousness of the situation.
One organization we visited was the Israel Support Bridge. Founded by a group of volunteers in the wake of October 7, “the organization operates as a service provider (SP) in procurement, logistics, and transport (via air, land, and sea) from the US, South America, and Europe, including assistance with customs, securing approvals, and distribution. Israel Support Bridge’s unique advantage is in its ability to precisely pinpoint the exact requirements of any institution or organization, whether in Israel or abroad, and to activate its network to procure and deliver what's needed.”
Currently, they support over 120 municipalities with daily arrival of donations and trucks of supplies being dispatched.
Following the civilian evacuations from the South and the North, individuals and families found themselves without clothes and basic supplies to meet their daily needs throughout the changing seasons and with growing children. Israel Support Bridge provides these needed supplies.
Despite the never-ending need, the volunteers are happy and upbeat and know that they are providing a much-needed service to the country. They are motivated by it and show up everyday to make sure that the citizens of Israel are cared for.
On a much simpler scale, we also helped pomegranate and tomato farmers, as well as a vintner tend to their plants and ensure their livelihoods were maintained as people who work the land. Following October 7, these farmers lost their foreign labourers. The migrant work force sees Israel as too dangerous and no longer a desirable location for seasonal employment. 
Many farms employed workers from Thailand, but after so many were taken hostage in Gaza, they no longer want to come. Farmers are working overtime to tend the plants and are now relying on foreign volunteers to maintain productivity.
However, we saw happy, empowered, and energized farmers, who love the land and love the work they do. The atrocities of October 7 have not sent them away from their farms (two of which were very near to the Gaza Strip) but instead has reminded them why they need to stay and continue to work the land. They had a strength and commitment that was admirable and inspiring.
This resilience can also show itself in unexpected ways.
While with our cousins for Shabbat, the sirens went off. As we were at the table eating, we did not hear the early warnings that came to our phones. We quickly made our way to their Mamad, or protected space, and waited the requisite 10 minutes.
During this time, our cousins were checking in to make sure that we were feeling okay. We had emotionally prepared ourselves for this possibility, so we were fine, but it was comforting to be with family. We felt safe.
One of their teenage sons picked up on the fact that this may have been the first time we had experienced a siren.
He asked, “Is this your first siren?”
“Yes.”
“You should make Shehecheyanu!”
This is a prayer one says upon doing something for the first time and is generally made in happy times when one is thankful for G-d’s blessings. I’m not sure that a siren fits the bill. We declined.
However, this was his coping mechanism. After nearly two years of sirens, there is a need to find humour and make the uncomfortable more bearable. It helped. We felt better and had a good laugh.
We saw this throughout the country. Be prepared and then get on with life. Make everyday count and take advantage of the blessings given by G-d. It was an amazing trip for connection with the people, the land, the past, and the present, and I can’t wait to return again soon!
