Meeting real-life heroes on the Queen of Sheba mission to Israel

Myra (left) and JNF First Lady Lauren Lizerbram on the mission.

By Myra Chack Fleischer

It was a beautiful sunny morning in Jerusalem as 36 participants of the Queen of Sheba Mission of the Women for Israel Campaign departed our hotel on Veterans Day headed for the 9/11 Memorial. It's the only memorial for the worst terrorist attack on US soil outside of the United States. We knew it would be an emotional morning, but we were not prepared for how much so.

When we arrived, another group was there. It was Heroes to Heroes, an organization that provides healing and support for American veterans who have PTSD or are on a path to self-destruction due to their service in countries such as Iraq and/or Afghanistan. With funding help from Jewish National Fund, the Heroes to Heroes program embraces them, brings them to Israel and helps them on a road to healing the moral injury suffered.

The Heroes to Heroes JNF journey: Planting a tree in Israel helps traumatized U.S. veteran heal

In honor of Memorial Day, we share a post from our friends at Heroes to Heroes, an amazing organization that provides spiritual healing, suicide prevention, and peer support for veterans who suffer from moral injury and PTSD. Recently, a group of these veterans traveled to Israel with Jewish National Fund.

By Judy Schaffer, founder and president, Heroes to Heroes

Twenty-two American veterans take their own lives in the United States each day, statistics show. We lose more soldiers at home than we do on the battlefield. Veterans' medical care has challenges, and our veterans are feeling more isolated than ever. Israel too is more isolated by the day. Its people feel that isolation on a daily basis. Making connections between Israel and "everyday people" around the world is crucial to Israel’s survival. Making connections between our veterans and others who care is crucial to our veterans' survival. Heroes to Heroes exists to make that healing connection. Our partnership with JNF helps fulfill our mission.