Last week, I had the extraordinary privilege of traveling across Israel with Naomi Eisenberger, five members of the Good People Fund’s Board of Trustees, and other supporters and friends for our first group trip to Israel. Our Journey of Good was filled with powerful conversations, emotional reunions, and countless reminders of the visionary work of Israeli changemakers — our beloved grantees.
In a country facing enormous challenges, our grantees are responding to grief, trauma, and uncertainty with compassion, creativity, and an unwavering commitment to helping others. What has struck me most is how many of our changemakers are walking a tightrope between hope and despair. They see suffering up close. They carry the weight of enormous needs, limited resources, and an uncertain future. Their work is difficult and often exhausting. And still, they show up every day, determined to make life better for others.
I’ve also been reminded of something profoundly important: Our presence matters.
When our changemakers see us, when they know we care enough to come, to listen, and to stand alongside them, something shifts. Our support helps move them along that tightrope, away from despair and toward hope. That’s what made this Journey of Good so meaningful. We’re witnessing the remarkable work of our grantees and, at the same time, reminding them that they are not alone. As one of our trip participants shared, “What this trip has offered me is the opportunity to immerse myself within the soul of this country.”
One of the most powerful themes of our journey was captured in three simple words shared by Nir Lahav, founder of Ruca’s Farm: “Purpose, meaning, community.” At Ruca’s Farm, Nir and his kibbutz “brother,” Marc Bernstein, are helping veterans living with PTSD find their footing through working the land, professional support, and meaningful relationships. Named in memory of Nir’s mother, the farm reflects his deep belief in the restorative power of nature and community. As Nir reminded us, healing is not simply about addressing trauma. It’s about rediscovering confidence, connection, and a reason to get up in the morning.
Each of our encounters reinforced something I have come to believe even more deeply: Hope is something we create through our actions and our relationships with one another.
Our changemakers are not waiting for circumstances to improve. They are doing the hard, often unglamorous work of making things better, one person, one family, and one community at a time. They are creating places of refuge, restoring dignity, challenging injustice, and helping people rediscover their own strength.
And while we traveled to Israel to learn from them and offer our support, they have given us something invaluable in return: a renewed sense of purpose and a deeper understanding of what it means to be part of a community of caring.
I’ve returned from Israel feeling both the heaviness of the challenges our changemakers face and the extraordinary possibility that emerges when good people refuse to give up on one another.
To everyone who supports the Good People Fund, you are part of this journey, too. Your generosity makes this ongoing work possible. Your belief in these changemakers sustains them. And your partnership helps ensure that, even in the most difficult moments, hope has somewhere to take root.
If you’d like to read more stories about our visit and see some great photos:
https://www.goodpeoplefund.
With gratitude,
Julie Fisher, Executive Director
