Lewisburg man traveling to Israel to volunteer on farms

Feb. 2—LEWISBURG — David Jacobson's personal connections to Israel led to his decision to travel from Lewisburg to the Middle East to volunteer his time working on a farm for 10 days.

While Jacobson was born in New Jersey, he called the country home as a teenager and still has friends and family living in Israel. His parents were in the country for a wedding when war between Israel and Hamas broke out on Oct. 7, and a 24-year-old cousin of the bride — a friend of the Jacobson family — died by gunfire while at a concert.

Jacobson, a 53-year-old Jewish man, said the subject occupied much of his time and he felt compelled to help a country and people with whom he feels connected. He leaves Feb. 8 with 165 people from across the United States through the Jewish National Fund, an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

"I wanted to help out and this seemed like something I could do to help out," said Jacobson, a technology consultant and software developer through his own business, American Technology Partners. "I wanted to send a message to people there that people in the U.S. care about them. It's a small country, so with everything going on, people can feel isolated. I wanted to show support and hopefully encourage other people to help as well."

The Associated Press reported that 85 percent of the territory's 2.3 million people have been displaced since Israel launched its war in response to Hamas' Oct. 7 cross-border attack that left some 1,200 dead. More than 25,000 people in Gaza have died in the war, according to the territory's Health Ministry last week, which does not differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths, while another 62,681 have been wounded.

News agencies have reported that an estimated 10,000 farmworkers have left since Oct. 7.

The Jewish National Fund is a philanthropic organization that supports "critical environmental and nation-building activities in Israel's north and south as it develops new communities in the Negev and Galilee, connects the next generation to Israel, and creates infrastructure and programs that support ecology, people with disabilities, and heritage site preservation, all while running a fully accredited study abroad experience through its Alexander Muss High School in Israel."

"Israel was dependent on workers from other countries to work on farms," said Jacobson. "A lot of people left when the war started and went back to their home countries. They need help on the farms."

Jacobson, who has been training his body by exercising, leaves Feb. 8 on a 12-hour flight and will spend nine days either in the area of Tel Aviv or Sde Boker. Tel Aviv is approximately 45 miles north of the Gaza Strip and Sde Boker is approximately 50 miles southeast.

Jacobson has one day to visit cousins and friends while there, but will spend the rest of the time working. He returns on Feb. 18.

Jacobson said he is "a little nervous," but he said his discomfort is brief compared to those who must live in fear every day in Israel.

"It's not clear what will happen," he said. "It's a war zone. You have to be aware and conscious. There are no bomb shelters in the fields. There are bomb shelters all over the country, but not on the fields. We'll get training on what to do if there's an attack. Hamas' missiles can reach anywhere in Israel. You can be one mile away, a half-mile away or you can be 10 miles away, and you're not necessarily safer."

He added, "What I will be doing is nothing compared to what a lot of Israelis are going through."

When Jacobson was in eighth grade, his father took a job working in Israel in a suburb of Tel Aviv and they lived there several years until Jacobson's sophomore year. He and his family have made several trips back since, the last being approximately 10 years ago.

Jacobson moved to the Valley when his wife Shari Jacobson took a job at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove and they moved to a home outside Lewisburg approximately 18 years ago. His son Nick Jacobson is seeking the Democratic nomination in the race for the 85th Legislative District in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

"There's a risk, but they're totally supportive of it," said David Jacobson. "I feel strongly about it. I feel very strongly about supporting Israel. I hope I'm not killed. I hope that I'm safe. I feel very strongly that I want to support Israel and I want to help."

Nick Jacobson said he is proud of his father.

"I'm glad he's going over there, to see our family and to help out," said Nick Jacobson. "I love him very much and I hope he has a safe trip."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.