By Heidi Gantwerk in San Diego
I have often written about the centrality of community to the Jewish people. It is baked into our DNA, written into our laws, and at the heart of who we are. But community takes work – a commitment from individuals to seek out and participate, and from the community to make sure people feel seen, heard, and valued. That work is especially critical now in the US and in San Diego, at a time when many Jews feel isolated and politically homeless, and are searching for deeper Jewish connection.
Just a few days ago, Moy Arbitman, our Director of Israel & Global Peoplehood, and I returned from several whirlwind days in our sister region of Sha’ar HaNegev. They welcomed us like family, and I was struck that the conversation – whether we were meeting with the mayor, kibbutz leaders, or residents – kept returning to one word: belonging. In spite of their trauma and uncertainty, we are having the same conversation.
After years of war, extended evacuation, separation, and profound grief, there is a new energy in Sha’ar HaNegev focused on rebuilding and reconnecting its 10,000 residents. I came away moved, inspired, and immensely proud that San Diego has been such a critical partner in this work.
We visited Beit Melacha, the new therapeutic arts center that so many San Diegans helped make possible. It is a place where residents will create, heal, gather, and reconnect. We saw the pride the staff and residents take in the studios, as well as the therapeutic kitchen and open spaces, and felt the community’s powerful anticipation for its opening this fall.
We sang karaoke (not very well – and yes, there is video) and watched World Cup games in beautiful, volunteer-built community pubs in Yachini, Erez, Nir Am, Or HaNer, Gevim, and more. Each carries the unique flavor of its kibbutz or moshav. Since residents returned, these spaces have become central and welcoming gathering spaces.
We visited Kfar Aza, where construction is everywhere to ready the kibbutz for the community to return home. When there, we spent time with Roni Steinbrecher, father of former hostage Doron Steinbrecher. Even while Doron was still in captivity, Roni championed the creation of a state-of-the-art community fitness center. As he walked us through it, he proudly showed us each piece of equipment he personally selected, explaining why it simply had to be the best.
Most of the residents have also returned to Nachal Oz, and we met with the leadership who are focused on rebranding the kibbutz, not as a place of danger but one of possibility and beauty. Nachal Oz once again is blooming with colorful flowers and the sounds of children playing.
We met with young men struggling with PTSD in the “Home Field” soccer program – one part soccer, two parts deep emotional connection – where many have found a safe space to share and process all they have been through.
We visited music rooms, community gardens, volunteer-run kibbutz shops, youth clubs, and food trucks. Each project was imagined and created by residents determined to strengthen connection after October 7, and all made possible by the generosity of our San Diego community. We were late to nearly every meeting because people wanted us to understand every detail they had poured their hearts into.
Make no mistake: they have a long way to go, and everywhere you look there are painful reminders of all they have lost. But for the first time since October 7, I saw something new. People were holding both the “oys” and the “joys” at once. The grief remains, but side by side now with laughter, music, creativity, and hope.
Every day at Federation, we work to bring Jewish (and Jewish-adjacent!) people together, meet them wherever they are on their journey, and connect them to one another and to Jewish life. Our partnership with Sha’ar HaNegev reminds us that belonging doesn’t happen by accident. It is built intentionally, one relationship at a time.
If there is one thing this visit reaffirmed for me, it is that there is no substitute for experiencing Israel alongside the people who are living this story every day. The Community Trip in May 2027 is an opportunity to deepen our connection to Israel, to one another, and to our family in Sha’ar HaNegev. Together with our partners there, we are planning an unforgettable day. For those who wish to keep traveling afterward, there will also be the opportunity to continue the journey in Budapest. I cannot think of a more meaningful time to visit Israel, and I hope you’ll join us.
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Heidi Gantwerk is the President and CEO of the Jewish Federation of San Diego.