10/22/2026
From Cleveland to Kissufim: A Bond Beyond Distance
Liat Ben Ari, right, meets with community members during her visit to Cleveland in September.
Read a reflection written by Liat Ben-Ari, a resident of Kibbutz Kissufim, who visited Cleveland in September 2026:
The Cleveland Federation has partnered with Beit She’an and the Valley of Springs (Emek HaMa’ayanot) for the past 30 years. After October 7, the Jewish Agency for Israel approached the Federation and asked whether it would take responsibility for supporting one of the Gaza border communities. It chose Kibbutz Kissufim.
The Partnership with Kissufim
The partnership with Kissufim was originally intended to last three years, but the Federation chose to continue it.
The Federation's leaders, staff, volunteers, and community influencers are people our age. They are remarkable individuals: inspiring people with enormous hearts who are deeply committed to both the Federation and its mission.
Gratitude and Appreciation
It was very important to my husband, Eran, the business manager of Kibbutz Kissufim, to use our time in the United States to come to Cleveland and personally express his gratitude.
I joined him because I understood how important it was to him, but it was only after we arrived that I truly grasped the significance of the visit.
On a personal level, they cared for us from the moment we landed until the moment we departed.
The schedule was planned down to the minute, and it was remarkable how smoothly everything unfolded.
The morning began with an incredibly moving presentation by Eran. He spoke about October 7, our family's personal story, the story of Kissufim, the kibbutz's vision for the future, and the Federation's role in that journey.
Eran was genuine and deeply emotional. Sixty people sat in complete silence throughout his presentation. No one touched their phones for 45 minutes, which we were told is far from common. They cried with him.
From the conversations we had afterward, it was clear that Eran's authenticity and willingness to open his heart had touched them deeply. He left a lasting impression on everyone in the room.
And That Was Only the Beginning
That presentation was only the start of the day.
From there, we met with staff members, volunteer leaders, and students at one of the local schools. One young woman had decided to donate all of her Bat Mitzvah money toward purchasing a tractor for Kissufim after learning not only about October 7, but also about the agricultural terrorism the community has faced.
We attended lunches and dinners with key community figures, among many other meetings and conversations.
It was an incredibly full day. A powerful day. An emotional day.
There were many tears and many good people.
A New Perspective
For the first time in my life, I feel that I was exposed to this side of the world.
I met people who have carried these beliefs for generations and are now passing them on to future generations: a sense of connection, shared destiny, and common purpose.
They may live far away, but they genuinely feel responsible. They see it as their role to be involved.
These are people who choose, again and again, to show up and take responsibility, even when the distance is great and the reality is difficult.
I am grateful to Eran for opening this door and giving me the opportunity, even if only for a single day, to get to know these people and appreciate who they are.
Even after writing all of this, I still feel there are no words capable of fully describing the intensity of this experience.
I'll end with what Eran said to the driver who took us to the airport when he asked whether we had family in Cleveland:
"We arrived with acquaintances. We are leaving with family."
