Amid recent violence in the region, Chabad at Binghamton led and organized the “One People; One Body” mission trip of support and solidarity to Israel.

The 24-hour solidarity and support trip to Israel on Wednesday included several Binghamton University students, alumni and parents. According to Rabbi Levi Slonim, the director of development at the Rohr Chabad Center for Jewish Student Life at Binghamton University and the primary organizer of the trip, participants visited multiple army bases and provided soldiers with spiritual protection, as well as bringing both practical and morale-boosting items. They also visited impacted families that were sitting Shiva — part of the mourning process in Jewish tradition.

The death toll in Israel has reached 1,400 — mainly civilians who were killed in the initial Hamas attack on Oct. 7.

Slonim expanded on the importance of the solidarity trip, saying that “when a sibling is in trouble, you drop everything and you show up to support.”

“The Rebbe — described by many as the most influential Rabbi in modern history and the founder of Chabad here in Binghamton — would always stress the importance of remembering that we are really part of one body,” Slonim wrote. “When one part of the body is hurt, it is felt throughout. The trip was about standing firm with our brothers and sisters in Israel and extending support on multiple levels.”

Sam Weingard, Chabad’s president and a senior majoring in philosophy, politics and law, said that the trip was a positive expression of Jewish unity.

“Jews on our campus were so passionate and feeling for our friends and family in Israel that they had to go and help,” Weingard wrote. “The trip had a real positive impact for Jews on campus and garnered a lot of positivity online. Even though we don’t live in Israel, we still care very deeply for everyone there and are showing our support in any way we can.”

The group visited Assuta Hospital in Ashdod, where they visited and heard the story of Ofir Dahari, who was shot three times in battle. The mission also visited three bomb shelters in Ashkelon — which people had been living in for the past couple of weeks — to hear their stories and bring the children games to play. In an area where Engineering Corps soldiers had been sent, they distributed requested items and sang and danced with them.

Ari Weingarten, an undeclared freshman who attended the trip, acknowledged that both Israelis and Palestinians have suffered losses since the start of the war.

“Hamas’ [Oct.] 7th attacks resulted in the single most deadly day for Jewish people since the Holocaust,” Weingarten wrote. “Since then, Israelis have been living in constant fear. My heart also aches for the Palestinian people, as they have also endured much hardship. Thousands of innocent people have been caught in the crossfire, resulting in only more death and pain.”

Slonim added that their group was met with tremendous emotion. Visiting families whose homes had been destroyed or who had lost loved ones allowed them to express unity, and he emphasized the strength of the connection between the Jewish communities, despite the ocean between them.

Mia Raskin, a first-year graduate student studying business administration, credited an organization called Athletes for Israel as vital in making the trip possible. The organization uses the reach of professional and collegiate athletes who represent universities to promote education about Israel. Raskin coordinated a packing event on Oct. 22 that allowed other BU students to donate supplies to Israelis and pack them together.

“I think right now the Jewish people are more united and are coming together in ways that we’ve never seen before,” Raskin said. “There’s all sorts of subsets of responsibility because we are not in a physical war zone, although there are anti-Semitic war zones on campuses across America right now. We owe it to our brothers and sisters who are fighting in Israel to do whatever we can.”

Slonim added that It was inspiring to see the dedication of students at the University, both those who participated in the trip and those who didn’t. He emphasized that the group did not make any leisure stops, spending every minute supporting Israelis on the ground.

Jenna Nemetski, an undecided freshman who went on the trip, called for an end to the ongoing violence between Israel and Palestine.

“The situation is a tragedy with significant suffering on both sides,” Nemetski wrote. “We call upon Hamas to release all of the hostages and disavow violence and aggression — both against Israel and the Palestinians — so that we can see an end to this conflict and peace for freedom for both Palestinians and Israelis.”