Women heard firsthand accounts from survivors, volunteered with local communities, and witnessed both trauma and resilience among Israeli families.
Twenty-one Jewish mothers from Cape Town traveled to Israel last month as part of an international mission bringing together nearly 280 women from 15 countries for an eight-day journey focused on Jewish identity and connection to Israel.
Originally called the Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project, the Momentum Journey of Growth project included participants from India, Venezuela, France, Canada, the United States, and Spain.
During their visit, the group traveled to southern Israel near the Re’eim Nova site, where they met families still rebuilding after the October 7th attacks.
Women heard firsthand accounts from survivors, volunteered with local communities, and witnessed both trauma and resilience among Israeli families.
Their itinerary also included Mount Herzl, where many Israeli dignitaries are buried, tours through Jerusalem’s Jewish Quarter, and prayer and dancing at the Western Wall.
For many in the South African delegation, the trip represented a profound return to their roots.
“I’d participated in a Momentum in 2014, and it left such an impact on me. It’s an inspiring trip. But I was much younger then, and I’m now going in with more of a sense of purpose,” one participant told South Africa’s Jewish Report.
“My goal is to get as many people in our community to connect to Judaism, not necessarily to become more religious, but to be proud of their Jewish identity and tap into what connects us all.”
Momentum was founded by Lori Palatnik and seven other Jewish mother leaders known as the Utah 8, who noticed communities struggling to connect women with Jewish values and Israel.
Working with eight women from Washington, D.C., they developed subsidized Israel trips for Jewish mothers as transformative investments in Jewish families.
The organization now works closely with Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism to bring Jewish parents from around the world to Israel, empowering them as change agents within their communities.
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