This almost didn鈥檛 happen. It had so much going against it 鈥� the ongoing war in Gaza, rockets from Yemen, and the recent missile war with Iran. The planned Maccabiah Games 鈥� cancelled. Many teen and Birthright groups 鈥� cancelled. Everyone told me to follow suit, to cancel my Sephardic Educational Center 鈥淗amsa Israel鈥� teen program. I decided not to pull the plug. The arrival date for our group was set for July 15, so I held out on canceling.

Now I write to you on July 15, on the train bound for Ben Gurion Airport, where Peni and I will meet our bus driver, our medic/security guard, and together we will greet our Hamsa Israel 2025 teenagers (and two counselors) arriving from Los Angeles, New York and Toronto.

Yes, this will be a smaller group than usual, as many parents felt shaky about it, and I totally get that. But I proudly salute the ten sets of parents who decided to send their kids 鈥� six boys and four girls 鈥� on what will be a three-week educational, spiritual and emotional experience in Israel.

From everything I do as a rabbi, Hamsa is where it all comes together. Teaching, sharing stories, developing young leaders, creating a deep bond with Israel, transmitting Sephardic heritage, encouraging questions and discussions 鈥� all of that, plus lifelong friendships.

I have been privileged to lead many of these trips, but this one will be special for me. It鈥檚 the first time I am not accompanying the group from LA, but meeting them at the airport 鈥� as an Israeli. It鈥檚 the first time I will be showing them the country I love so much, where I have such deep roots and so many experiences, but now am a permanent resident here.

This is also unique, because this brave young group of troopers are visiting Israel at a historic moment. We will show them all of Israel鈥檚 beauty and complexity, the fun together with the serious, the tragic moments since October 7 along with all of the triumphant and inspirational stories that moved Peni and I to finally make Aliyah.

As a visual expression of the circumstances under which this trip is taking place, we have added the yellow ribbon hostage to our traditional Hamsa Israel logo.

We pray that by the end of the trip, that logo will no longer be relevant.

Update: I am now at the airport, the East Coast kids arrived, the Los Angelinos are landing in five minutes. Super cool kids, and so happy and excited to be in Israel.

The journey begins鈥�

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Daniel Bouskila is the international director of the Sephardic Educational Center.