A delegation of Passages donors, alumni and staff on Thursday wrapped up an intense weeklong solidarity mission, including traveling to the Gaza border region to express their friendship and provide a donation of $500,000 to communities in the area.
The delegation visited Netiv Ha'asara and Kfar Aza, two of the hardest-hit communities during the October 7th massacre. Passages have brought their delegations to this area several times a year for many years. The Thursday delegation gave each community a donation of $250,000 and a plaque that expressed love and solidarity and assistance to rebuild their communities.
The funds will go specifically for psychological counseling for some of the younger members of the communities and to help them try and deal with the horrors of the day of the Hamas attack. Passages will make further donations to help with memorial projects, and will continue to bring their student delegations to both communities as they have in the past.
“These are two places where we have taken over 11,000 college students on Passages trips in the last eight years,” said Scott Phillips, CEO of Passages, a Christian organization that brings students to Israel to experience the roots of their faith and to build bridges of allyship and friendship with the Jewish people and the State of Israel. “In these communities live our friends, people we know, people we work with, people our students and alumni have interacted with.”
“As an organization that seeks to build bridges of friendship with Israel and the Jewish community, Passages will show up and continue to show up to stand in solidarity with Israel. And we’ll continue to introduce more and more young Christian leaders in America to Israel’s story.”
In Netiv Ha'asara, the Passages delegation visited the cemetery, where they were told the stories of all those who were murdered that day. They also visited the moshav itself, where they were shown how Hamas terrorists infiltrated and attacked the community.
“I would like to thank Passages because you are the only Christian organization that has donated to our moshav, showing care for our community, and we more than appreciate that,” said Benny Ledom, the head of the security committee and a community leader of Netiv Ha'asara.
Many soldiers who were part of the rescue efforts of the southern communities and those fighting in Gaza came to speak with and thank the Passages delegation for their solidarity, and told them it is vital that more people come to witness what took place there.
“After October 7th, the Jewish community looked around for friends and allies. The Christian community showed up and they keep showing up, not just in word, but deed,” said Rivka Kidron, Co-Founder and Board Member of Passages. “These are communities which Passages students visit on every trip. They lifted up and supported our students and now we must stand up and support them. Our students will continue coming here to bear witness to this tragedy and stand alongside the State of Israel and the Jewish People, especially in the most difficult times.”
The group was shown around Kfar Aza, visited the hardest-hit areas, and was told to please spread the word about what happened there by the residents, especially of those who were kidnapped and are still held in Gaza.
“It’s been a heavy honor visiting Kfar Aza and Netiv Ha'asara today, talking with residents who walked us through the horrors of 10/7,” said Daniel Anger, a Passages alum. “We share the grief. We earnestly pray for the return of the hostages and for the comfort of many, many people who are suffering such unthinkable loss.”
The delegation also visited the memorial to the victims of the Nova Festival and met with those evacuated from the south in Tel Aviv and Shefayim. The delegation also met with Yami and Naomi Weiser, whose son, Staff Sergeant Roey Weiser was killed while saving 12 of his fellow soldiers on the Erez Crossing base on October 7th.
They also visited the Knesset and met with members of Knesset from across the political spectrum. Wearing their distinctive “Christians Stand with Israel” shirts, they were constantly stopped and thanked for their friendship and solidarity by passersby, soldiers, and even Knesset staff.