Though I have a lot of family in Israel, I had only visited once. After I took the bar exam in 2009, I took a trip known as Birthright–a program that provides young Jews a free trip to Israel. For much of the past fifteen years, I kept telling myself I should visit Israel again, but the logistics never worked out. Indeed, during the summer of 2023, several of my cousins visited New York. I wanted to take my family to see them, but we had already committed to other travels and couldn't make it work. I told my kids that we would go to Israel the following year.
Little did I know what would happen on October 7. In the immediate aftermath of that horrific date, I could not have fathomed when it would be safe to return to Israel. I was in close contact with many of my cousins, and feared for their safety. Still, a trip to Israel seemed out of reach.
In March 2023, the World Jewish Congress sponsored a delegation of American judges to visit Israel. The mission made some headlines. Since then, WJC has sponsored other similar delegations. In April, I received an invitation to attend a mission with other law professors. The timing was inauspicious. Only a few days later, Iran sent a massive barrage of drones and missiles to Israel. Thankfully, American and other allies helped Israel shoot down virtually all of the projectiles, and the damage was minimal. Still, a potential war with Iran loomed in the horizon. Moreover, United and other airlines cancelled all flights to Israel through June.
