This past Sunday, September 14, more than 70 members of the Chabad Sola community came together to celebrate. The occasion was Sola-Darity!, an evening of live music, freshly made falafel and lots of happy people. More importantly, it was the celebration of a successful, community solidarity trip, straight into the heart of Operation Protective Edge, in the South of Israel.
As thousands of rockets were being fired at Israel, landing as far north as Tel Aviv and crippling small businesses in the south, Jews all over the world stood united to help their brothers and sisters living in Israel. Under the leadership of Rabbi Avraham Zajac of Chabad Sola, many members of the Los Angeles area donated money and gifts to help the Jews in Israel affected most by the war. Several lucky members were able to go as emissaries.
The trip began in the holy city of Hebron, where the group had a chance to spiritually energize before heading into the South. The reason for starting the trip in Hebron, according to Rabbi Zajac, is that “the city of Hebron represents and is the portal between the physical world and the higher world. Without a doubt that part of the journey added to the tremendous success that Hashem granted us with this beautiful trip.”
Eran Weiss, one of the Chabad Sola members on the trip, described the arrival into the South of Israel as one of struggling shopkeepers and big hotels, deserted in the middle of the busy season. “We came to bring them happiness, and to take them out of their routine,” said Weiss. “We came to show love and support to all the people we met, to be a part of an emotional journey into Israel.” The money the group spent in the local stores was, at times, more than the storeowners had seen since the fighting began. They even delivered toys to young children in schools situated right on the border with Gaza.
During a video presentation at the event, Sola-Darity!, a teacher from one of the schools is seen thanking the Jewish community in Los Angeles for the special gifts. She finishes by saying, “It really makes us stronger to know that you, the Jewish community in Los Angeles, are with us in these not easy moments. Thank you very much.”
The group also had the opportunity to visit the soldiers on the front line, anxious to go home and yet ready to defend, and in the hospitals’ intensive care units, badly bruised and severely burned. Many had already lost friends in the war. Omri Cohen, another member of the group said, “You could see that all of them were just happy to be alive.” According to Cohen, “It was a joy for life that you could just see in every one of those soldiers. It was very inspiring.”
While the event was both a fundraiser for Chabad Sola and the Chabad Terror Victims Project in Israel, it was also a chance for the community to come together, to celebrate life and to inspire further action. Sponsored by Aviv Vodka, Shirah Wine, Lieder’s Catering, Ataras Judaica, Maimon Music, and a number of generous community members, Sola-Darity! was another part of the movement that Rabbi Zajac has been cultivating since he came to Los Angeles.
Rabbi Zajac explained his reason for the event using the beautiful words of the Rambam, that “a person should always view oneself as being in perfect balance between ones good side and ones opposite side.” He hosted this event to reaffirm the notion that, “when we do one good deed, say one good word, or even have one good thought, we bring redemption both to ourselves, and to the entire world. How much more so when it comes to our connection to our land, to the holy land, to Eretz Yisroel.”
Chabad Sola would like to specially thank all of the event sponsors for their help and support, and all those from the community who with their time, energy and resources, helped make the trip to Israel and the Sola-Darity! event so successful and impactful. For more information about Chabad Sola’s events, classes and High Holiday scheduling, please visit www.chabadsola.com, or call 424-288-4633.
