Historic Jewish–Latter-day Saint Humanitarian Mission Brings Hope

In a groundbreaking act of interfaith co-operation, Rabbi Jarrod Grover of Beth Tikvah Synagogue in Toronto led a nine-day humanitarian mission to Israel that brought together Jewish participants and 10 young adults from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Beth Tikvah Synagogue is located down the street from a local Church meetinghouse in Toronto. Over the years, the two communities have become close.

“You could say that their church is right across the street from our synagogue on Bayview Avenue in Toronto. I’m even friends with the bishop! I see the missionaries all the time and talk to them often. I’ve attended church many times on Sunday, and they’ve attended synagogue many times, too. We have a wonderful relationship,” shared Rabbi Grover.

The friendships Rabbi Grover developed with missionaries in the area led him to invite 10 recently returned missionaries to join him on the volunteer experience in Israel.

The humanitarian mission was part of Birthright Israel Foundation’s Birthright Volunteer program and marked the first time it formally included non-Jewish participants.

“We’ve never had a mission of Jewish and Latter-day Saint participants doing the same program, as one group,” Rabbi Grover said. “This was truly historic.”

Service, Stories and Walking Where Jesus Walked

The trip took place during a period of renewal following months of conflict. Many communities remained largely empty, and the group provided hands-on support through cleanup, basic repairs, sorting food for families in need and agricultural work.

"The most important thing we did was show up,” Rabbi Grover said.

One Latter-day Saint participant, Brent Kimball, recalled how in one town, “[Volunteers] came onto our bus with tears in their eyes just to thank us for being there.”

The group visited locations throughout Israel and met and read stories of people affected by the recent conflicts. They heard from survivors, including a young man rescued by a Bedouin Muslim family.

“There wasn’t a dry eye,” Rabbi Grover said. “These are human stories — stories of courage that change how you see this land and its people.”

For the Latter-day Saint volunteers, the trip also included visits to Christian holy sites, such as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Garden Tomb and the BYU Jerusalem Center. “We were walking where the Saviour walked,” Kimball said. “It deepened everything we felt.”

Breaking Down Barriers Between Faiths

Participants spent long bus rides exchanging questions about their beliefs, often discovering surprising common ground. Rabbi Grover said many Jewish participants had never met Latter-day Saints before: “People kept saying, ‘These young men are amazing.’ It changed perceptions on both sides.”

Kimball summed up the feeling shared by many: “These were days I’ll never forget.”

Rabbi Grover hopes this will be the first of many interfaith humanitarian missions. “I’m never going to do a trip again without interfaith,” he said. “It enriched the experience for all of us.”

Seth Hunter, a Latter-day Saint participant, spoke at a synagogue during a Sabbath meeting near the end of the trip. Reflecting on the trip, he noted, “It was an absolutely wonderful trip, and I’m so grateful that I had a chance to be able to go. I wanted to go … because I felt a deep pull to visit all the Christian sites that I had learned about all my life, [a chance to visit] the places where foundational moments of my faith have unfolded ... and strengthen my understanding of the traditions that have shaped me.” He concluded, “I feel grateful not only for what I saw, but what I now carry with me — a clearer sense of connection, a deeper sense of responsibility and a renewed commitment to promote and preserve peace."