I’m a Woman for Israel Because...
“I am a Woman for Israel because I’m a part of a strong sisterhood of JNF-USA women who are proud, loud and bold, achieving great success with our projects to benefit the land and people of Israel.”
Phyllis Solomon, a WFI Sapphire Society and President’s Society member and board member of Jewish National Fund-USA’s Central New Jersey chapter, traveled to Israel this past June with her 34-year-old granddaughter Carly Salemme on a JNF-USA volunteer mission. During the flight, Carly wondered, “How is it possible to board the plane and already feel like you are home with a group of strangers? Suddenly, the hostage dog tags and yellow ribbons are everywhere—a symbol of our unity. We are in mourning, we are not okay, but we are healing together as we embark on this journey back home to Israel.”
Having inherited a strong foundation in Zionism from her grandmother and even her great grandmother, Carly has also become involved in JNF-USA’s work. She’s a member of the JNFuture Root Society (adults less than 41 years old) and is working with her JNF-USA professional in Tampa to create awareness of JNF-USA and its many significant initiatives that benefit Israel. “My attachment to Israel took on a whole new meaning after October 7, 2023,” said Carly. Motivated by the tragic events of that day, the college professor and mother of two, wanted to do something special to help Israel. At Carly’s instigation, her five-year-old son began making and decorating solidarity stars out of popsicle sticks and selling them, eventually raising $6,000 for the JNF-USA emergency campaign to rebuild. Tzedakah and a love for Israel clearly run deep in this family! To learn more about JNF-USA’s Rebuild Campaign, CLICK HERE.
Carly’s grandmother’s involvement in helping Israel began long before the horrors of October 7th. Phyllis went on her first JNF-USA solidarity mission to Israel during the Israel Defense Force’s 2014 Operation Protective Edge. Like many others, at that time Phyllis’ knowledge of JNF- USA went no further than trees and blue boxes. She called the 2014 mission an “eye opener” and said she decided to become a major donor “after seeing first-hand the significant role JNF-USA played in helping to build communities in the northern and southern regions of Israel”, and because she “witnessed the strong respect the people throughout the land had for the work and leadership of JNF-USA.” In short, Phyllis was “blown away” by the impact of JNF-USA in Israel. “We saw JNF-USA’s name everywhere we went in the country!”
Combining her love of Israel with her affinity for music, Phyllis decided that the best way she could help Israel is through music. As a pianist herself, she understands how music can be used for healing. Phyllis, who believes that music is more powerful than words, was instrumental (pun intended!) in helping JNF-USA establish the Tri Region Music Consortium, a project that led to the opening of schools in Eshkol, Sha’ar Hanegev, and Sderot. “Our hope was for music to drown out the sound of the rockets that continued to rain down in this region over many years,” she said. Even after October 7th, the music school at Sha’ar Hanegev, which is an extension of the local public school, is still vibrant. “Now we need to bring the melodies back to the Negev,” Phyllis emphasized.
In May 2023, while visiting Israel, Phyllis played piano duets with an Israeli man named Yuval Skopinsky. Yuval and his family were forced to evacuate from their Nahal Oz home near Gaza on October 7th. When Phyllis returned to Israel this past June with her granddaughter, she was reunited with Yuval who performed his new repertoire for her and Carly at the Sha’ar Hanegev school. “Music carried him through the evacuation and upheaval,” Phyllis said. This was just one example of the resilience of the Israeli people that she and Carly found so admirable during their visit.
Phyllis’s deep commitment to the work of JNF-USA continues. She currently serves on the JNF-USA Rebuild Israel Envelope Task Force. One of the many projects they’ve undertaken is the building and expansion of resilience centers in the regions hardest hit on October 7th and since then. These centers provide much needed mental health support, and offer art, drama, movement and pet therapy to those traumatized by the recent attacks and the ongoing war.
“It has been a glorious ride for the past ten years. It has been an honor for me to sit and plan and hope and pray and sometimes cry, but always know that JNF-USA will do everything in their power to be there before, during and after,” said Phyllis.
Written by Betsy R. Rosenthal, Sapphire Society member and WFI newsletter committee member