Heartbreak and hope, the profound paradox of our homeland

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been to Israel, but this last trip – my first UIA mission – was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced…writes David Slade.

I was in Israel on October 7^th  and I’ve been back three times since, but nothing could have prepared me for the complexity of feelings: intensity, the heartbreak, and ultimately, the profound sense of hope I encountered on the mission from which I have just returned.

If I had to summarise the trip in one phrase, it would be “resonantly profound.” And even that doesn’t come close.

We were a group of Australians – from Melbourne, Sydney and Perth – each carrying a deep love for Israel and an eagerness to understand the impact of our support. UIA opened doors that can’t be accessed on a typical tour. Every day was powerful. Every moment, a reminder of why our commitment to the people of Israel has become, for me, my priority at this stage in my life.

We travelled from devastated kibbutzim in the South to the borders in the North. We met soldiers, bereaved families, community leaders, journalists, refugees and the dynamic young people on Gap Year Programs, building their connection to Israel through immersive programs we help fund. We stood in Sderot, where a brand-new Sderot-Is Centre showed harrowing footage of October 7 – raw, unfiltered proof of the horrors that unfolded. We took a helicopter to Mt Hermon, stared into Syria from Israel’s border, and met with Druze families whose loyalty to Israel is absolute yet incredibly fascinating.

But no moment will ever be as profound for me as being in our homeland for Yom HaZikaron – Israel’s remembrance day for fallen Israeli soldiers and victims of terror. We visited a military cemetery and stood before row after row of fresh graves. Families sobbing. Friends standing silently, clutching each other. I’ve never experienced the duality of emotion and complexity of feeling – extreme grief yet a resilience and inner strength that shone through brightly – and which became clear to me is the connected tapestry of the Israeli society. These soldiers could have been my children. They are carrying the weight of responsibility to secure the nation on their shoulders. They are heroes. We stood together in silent solidarity and strength as we listened to the national siren honouring the soldiers, hostages and victims of terror. And then, that night, it all changed as the entire country transitioned from the raw grief of Yom HaZikaron to the intense joy of Yom HaAtzmaut – celebrating Israel’s Independence as a Jewish democratic state.

Within hours, we were dancing on an army base with the same young soldiers who shoulder this nation’s pain. We lit up the grills and made them a BBQ. We laughed. We sang. We celebrated Yom HaAtzmaut in the most Israeli way possible – not in denial of the grief but in defiance of it.

Only in Israel can you carry such immense sorrow and joy at the same time. It’s not a contradiction. It’s who we are.

UIA’s work was everywhere – in conversations with new Olim building new lives in Israel, in youth villages supporting at-risk teens, in schools and community centres,. Projects that began over 100 years ago are still delivering critical support, hope and dignity where it’s needed most. The need now is greater than ever – and so is our responsibility.

Being in our ancestral homeland on a UIA mission really gave clarity to my own personal mission, the one I am most fortunate to be shouldering with so many from the Melbourne Jewish Community –  we don’t just give because we’re Jewish, we give because we’re part of one people, one mishpacha. Everywhere we visited the same phrase kept echoing through my head “Kol Yisrael Arevim Zeh Bazeh” – all of Israel is responsible for one another.

If you’ve ever considered joining a UIA mission – just do it. You’ll see with your own eyes what we’re fighting for, and what we’re fighting to preserve. The second you set foot in Israel you feel safe.  You realise life goes on despite the war and terrorism. You leave with a sense of pride, of connection, of duty. An understanding that Israel needs us as much as we need Israel. Now more than ever.

Israel is not just surviving. It’s living. It’s grieving. It’s rebuilding. It’s thriving. It’s our one and only homeland of which we all can be very proud.

Am Yisrael Chai.

David Slade is the president of UIA Victoria.