Gail and Doug Stanger, ADL Board members and residents of Atlantic County, recently decided to head toward Israel for their “vacation” week. This was not the vacation they planned. They did not even plan to go to Israel. This was going to be a week to unplug and simply relax. Instead just 10 days before their scheduled vacation, they changed plans. Their brethren in Israel were under fire, so they switched plans and booked a flight and hotel in Israel. Gail and Doug indicated that “what followed was one of the most meaningful weeks of their life.” Following is a short synopsis of the highlights of their trip. What a week!
The day before a wedding with local Philadelphia/Jersey Shore connections, which took place in Rishon L’tzioin, near Tel Aviv, the guests were subjected to two alarms, hustling into the stair wells with Iron Dome shooting down two rockets. Certain invitees to the wedding elected not to come. Doug stated, “Amidst the war, life went on! There had to be room for dancing and celebration in this fantastically vibrant country.”
On the way back from a visit to Sderot, a town that borders on Gaza, they learned that in just a few hours a cease fire would occur. Then came the barrage of rockets. They heard the siren, had to exit their bus and lie on the ground as practiced and instructed. Gail said “the experience was surreal. How can people live like this? They obviously can’t. Hamas must be stopped and the situation resolved, hopefully by diplomatic means.”
Meeting with staff of the Anti Defamation League in Israel was important to the Stangers. Doug is on the Executive Committee for the Philadelphia Regional Office and they are long time supporters. Aside from talking about issues of Global anti-Semitism, Doug indicated the discussions dealt with all the work the office does gathering information on anti-Semitism in the Middle East and current programs between Arab and Jewish Israelis. As Doug indicated: “Anyone who has been to the ADL website or read one of their reports sees the rhetoric and anti-Semitic cartoons on a daily basis emanating from the Middle East. Monitoring this information is critical to understanding and exposing it. In addition, their programs working with Jewish and Arab students, building bridges and confronting issues of prejudice is critical in building a country where we can live in peace.” Doug was exceptionally impressed with the staff, information gathering and programming.
The overriding message that Doug and Gail wanted to convey was succinctly stated by Doug. “We must support Israel through charitable giving… That support is needed and appreciated. We must also continue to visit Israel regularly. The future of Israel and the Jewish people are at stake here. If you were thinking of going, sign up for a trip!”
The Anti-Defamation League is one of the nation’s premier civil rights/human relations agencies fighting anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry, defending democratic ideals and protecting civil rights for all. Click to learn how to Get Involved.