By JD Krebs – Jewish National Fund
Longtime Cincinnati resident Nina Paul has lost count of how many times she’s been to Israel.
A Jewish National Fund-USA Ohio Valley Board Member and frequent flyer for over 50 years, Paul has visited the Jewish homeland for plenty of reasons – on vacation, to visit her daughter when she lived in the country, and for her vast advocacy work supporting the land and people of Israel.
Paul also went on a volunteer mission in March 2024, but her most recent trip in December was special.
This time, Paul led a group of local Cincinnati community members on a Jewish National Fund-USA Volunteer Mission to Israel, where they took on a more personal role in making Israel whole again.
“We (the Jewish National Fund-USA Cincinnati Board) had always talked about going to Israel together, and this was the perfect opportunity,” she said.
Nina Paul and Linda Berger preparing food for soldiers
The volunteers did everything from clearing cauliflower remnants in a field in Israel’s north to making food and preparing care packages for IDF soldiers. They also visited sites that have since become hallowed ground, including the site of the Nova Festival massacre and Hostages Square. “It was very tough, but we needed to bear witness,” Paul noted.
In addition to visiting the Nova site, located in Kibbutz Re’im, the Cincy volunteers also helped rebuild parts of the Kibbutz that were ravaged by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023. Paul says being able to help rebuild this community was particularly meaningful, as the volunteers painted playground equipment, built benches, and cleaned up the area, creating a more welcoming environment for families to return to. According to Paul, the appreciation was palpable. This kibbutz turned out to be the meeting place of the returned hostages and their families!
“Every place that we went, Israelis could not thank us enough,” she said. “It was overwhelming how much Israelis appreciated us being there and especially coming during a wartime to help.”
In addition to creating change where they were needed most, Paul and a few others paid tribute to those who have served by dedicating plaques at Ammunition Hill’s Wall of Honor. An Israeli heritage site supported by Jewish National Fund-USA and the location of the pivotal Six-Day War battle that led to the reunification of Jerusalem. Ammunition Hill’s Wall of Honor serves as a tribute to the heroism and courage of Jewish soldiers who, throughout history, have fought in defense of the countries in which they lived.
Until now, every person listed on the Wall of Honor had been Jewish. However, Paul decided to honor Sergeant First Class Marcel Kheir Kfar Yassif, a Druze soldier who served in the IDF after hearing his story from his wife while Paul attended a previous Jewish National Fund-USA Mission to Israel.
“After her husband’s death while on reserve duty, this woman began cooking for IDF soldiers,” Paul shared. “She wanted to make food for his entire unit. As part of many volunteer missions, we cooked 400 schnitzel meals for the soldiers in her small restaurant. I honored her husband because he served in the Israeli army and faithfully contributed to defending the State of Israel.”
Paul also donated plaques in honor of several other service members, including her daughter, Lainey Paul Richler, and son-in-law Yair Richler, both of whom also served in the IDF.
Ammunition Hill, along with an array of community-building projects they visited, was an eye-opening experience for some of the newer attendees who only knew Jewish National Fund-USA for its tree-planting initiatives.
“It opened up a whole new world to them about what Jewish National Fund-USA is doing in Israel,” said Paul. “They all came back as ambassadors.”
“Ambassador” is a position Paul is familiar with. She recently took on a new role as Jewish National Fund-USA’s inaugural Ambassador to KKL-JNF, where she hopes to build bridges between the two independent organizations. “Over 20 years we’ve been apart, and I’m trying to build relationships so we can work together,” she said. “I believe that united, we will be even stronger.”
In the meantime, Paul is simply doing what she can for Israel – while encouraging as many people as possible to visit.
“Anyone who’s capable of traveling should not fear going to Israel,” she said. “Since 1970, I’ve been told, ‘How can you go to Israel; it’s so dangerous!’ There’s never been a more right time than now. It’s something you can’t describe in words; you just have to physically be there and experience it for yourself.”
