Atlanta Jewish Xperience Volunteers Return from Israel

Volunteers with Atlanta Jewish Xperience (AJX) recently returned from a trip to Israel. Group leaders Jonathan Olens and Rabbi Elazar Tendler spoke with Atlanta Jewish Times about the trip, the organization, and its future.

AJT: Please describe the Atlanta Jewish Xperience. What is the concept behind the group and its mission?

In 2016, the Atlanta Scholars Kollel placed Rabbi Yosef and Rookie Shapiro in Brookhaven to inspire Jews in the area through outreach. In just a few years, the results have been incredible: AJX consistently hosts inspiring services, lively Shabbat meals, social events both large and small, classes, and learning opportunities throughout the week.

Their expanded reach led to the hire of Rabbi Luzzy and Devorah Tendler, a talented couple who have brought their myriad skills to the tight-knit community. AJX currently services over 800 people and recently purchased a building for their operation to continue to inspire and impact!

AJT: What did your itinerary include? Did the mission include time for exploration/tourism, or did it focus more on volunteering?

Our trip was primarily a volunteer trip through Olami – Israel Leadership Missions, though it was very meaningful and loads of fun as well. We joined a larger group of about 30 young professionals from across the country, and it was really nice and meaningful to be able to meet them, create new friends, and build meaningful relationships. The days kicked off with awesome Torah study with top-notch teachers at premier Torah centers in Jerusalem, including Machon Yaakov, Aish, and Neve, after which the volunteering began. The participants studied areas of personal growth, the purpose of life, and even Talmud!

Additionally, we heard from really impactful speakers including a soldier who fended off terrorists on Oct. 7 and, later, was injured in an undercover mission near Hebron and lost almost all his vision; Tamir Goodman, aka “the Jewish Jordan,” who shared that even at risk of his basketball career he always stood for G-d, Shabbos, and the Jewish people; and a geopolitical talk by a representative from Nefesh b’Nefesh about making Aliyah.

AJT: Please detail some of the volunteering activities your group participated in.

After landing in Israel on Monday morning, the group headed to the Kotel, got a tour of the Kotel tunnels, and experienced the Kotel VR. Straight after that, they got busy with their volunteering by making tzitzit for the soldiers and baking cookies for patients and their families in the hospital. The next day, they began with the learning in Yeshiva and then headed outside of Jerusalem to a vineyard where they helped out with pruning and tending to the saplings. Wednesday started with an early bus ride down to the south of Israel. It started with a tour of Kfar Aza with the IDF spokesperson unit, making beef jerky for soldiers stationed in Gaza, the infamous burnt car lot, the Nova massacre site, and concluding with a barbeque on one of the IDF bases near the border. Thursday began with learning again, and as the group headed to pack Shabbat dinners for those in need, they pivoted for a quick ATV activity and concluded the day with an inspiring challah bake. On Friday, we volunteered in Shaarei Tzedek Hospital by going around the wards offering cookies, coffee, songs, and words of encouragement for the patients and their families, and ended with evening services at the Kotel, followed by a Shabbos dinner full of great food, fun, and inspiration.

AJT: What were some of the highlights of your volunteer mission? Any lasting memories?

The overall trip was such a great experience. For me, it had been 12 years since I last was in Israel, and I knew that I wanted to go back. Seeing everyone there going about their daily lives as if there was not a threat of attack was truly inspirational. Additionally, seeing the Israeli pride was very nice.

For me, the most impactful part of the trip was traveling south near Gaza, where we got a tour of Kfar Aza from an IDF spokesperson, visiting a car lot of burnt-out and heavily damaged vehicles of people who attended the Nova Festival, and visiting and paying our respects at the Nova Festival site. It’s one thing to see them in photos or videos; it’s a completely different thing to see them in person and to witness those areas firsthand.

For more information about the Atlanta Jewish Xperience please visit https://www.atlantajewishxperience.com/

For more information about upcoming trips through Olami – Leadership Missions, please visit https://www.israelmissions.com/