Atlanta's 2023 Community Journey to Israel: Jason Evans

What was your favorite place visited?
The children’s memorial at Mishmar Ha’emek Kibbutz. The Kibbutz is stunning, one of the wealthiest in all of Israel, and the Holocaust memorial they have constructed there is a work of art.

What was your favorite restaurant or menu item while in Israel?
Hot, fresh baked rugelach from Marzipan Bakery. Rabbi Levenberg led a group of us through the hustle and bustle of Mahane Yehuda market — we could barely keep up through the crowds. He suddenly stopped and told us to wait. He then emerged from the shop with hot rugelach that melted in your mouth.

What made this trip special from others?
The strangers who have now become lifetime friends. I would say I have added 20-30 new names to my list of Jewish friends in Atlanta. That is a gift that will never stop giving.

What did your trip to Israel mean to you?
I experienced a truly special event late Friday night in Jerusalem. Five of us, led by Rabbi Brad Levenberg of Temple Sinai, walked over to the Western Wall. Every other time we had been in the area it had been incredibly crowded, but this time — several hours after Shabbat sundown — we found ourselves all alone. To be in a place that is steeped in our history and to be there by yourself…well, it was magical and spiritual. I am much more of a secular versus religious Jew, but I found myself transported in those moments. If one is ever to feel a true connection to G-d, it would be in those silent moments at the Wall.

Jason Evans is a CNN journalist, board member of the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, and longtime member of Temple Sinai.