Public Officials Mission returns with new perspectives

May 29, 2025 | Article, JCRC, Newsletter

In May, JEWISHcolorado’s Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) led its long-anticipated Public Officials Mission to Israel. The previous three attempts were cancelled due to COVID and challenges created by Hamas’s attack on Israel. The Mission brought 11 state legislators from both sides of the aisle and more than 20 community leaders to Israel for a nine-day tour of the country. The delegation heard from Israeli leaders like Benny Gantz, experienced the diversity of Israel and its citizenry, visited the holiest sites for three of the world’s major religions, and felt the deep connections between Colorado and Israel firsthand.

Included in the group were Rep. Anthony Hartsook, a Republican from Parker and Rep. Meghan Lukens, a Democrat from Steamboat Springs. When they returned, JEWISHcolorado talked to them about their experiences in Israel.

Just one week before your arrival, a Houthi rocket struck near Ben Gurion Airport. The entire delegation had to rebook their flights at the last minute. Why was it important for you to find a way to visit Israel despite these challenges?

Rep. Meghan Lukens: As a high school history and government teacher, I have taught students about Israel and the Middle East for nearly a decade. I identify as a Christian, but I have always been interested in Judaism, and I have always wanted to go to Israel. Going on this trip with JEWISHcolorado meant I could learn about Judaism from members of the Colorado Jewish community. It was also a chance to travel with a group of people dedicated to bipartisanship who are open-minded about the Middle East.

Rep. Anthony Hartsook: I spent 26 years in the U.S. Army and served multiple combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. I had even worked with members of the IDF. But I had never been to Israel, and I wanted to see the country to understand more about its relevance to America and to the Western way of life from a geopolitical perspective. It is the center of major religions with thousands of years of incredible history, and I wanted to experience that firsthand. And because the trip is bipartisan in nature, it offers the opportunity to build deeper relationships that go beyond everyday encounters at the Capitol.

What was the value of this trip for you?

Rep. Anthony Hartsook: It’s one thing to advocate for Israel from reading or studying the country. It’s a huge benefit to have traveled there. Whenever we are debating a point, I can speak from a position of expertise and authority because I have firsthand knowledge, not just information from a textbook.

Anthony Hartsook on POM 2025

Brandon Rattiner, Rep. Anthony Hartsook, Miri Eisen, Byron Pelton

Rep. Meghan Lukens: I believe this trip grows your understanding of Judaism and supports peace in the region while bringing Colorado leaders together in a bipartisan way to discuss our diversity of perspectives—and in some cases, to open people’s eyes. I really want to thank JEWISHcolorado and the JCRC for inviting us. It’s a trip I will remember my whole life.

What was your very first impression of Israel when you arrived?

Rep. Anthony Hartsook: As we were leaving the airport, we could see where the Houthi rocket had landed in the week before we arrived. I thought to myself, “This feels like being back in the Mideast in combat.” But when we got into Tel Aviv, I walked along the beach, and I was amazed to see how life kept going despite the country being at war. One thing I learned on this trip—no one wants to be at war. The Israeli people want to live in peace and hope.

Rep. Meghan Lukens: Israel has been in the news so much recently, so I have seen many pictures of Israel. But when I got to my room in my hotel, I stood on the balcony, and I could see all across Tel Aviv and the Mediterranean Sea with my own eyes. It was breathtaking. At that moment, I realized how beautiful Israel is, and I could not wait to start exploring.

Your trip included so many significant experiences and people. Can you talk a little about the experiences that will stay with you for many years in the future?

Rep. Hartsook: I was one of three members of the trip who were baptized in the Sea of Galilee. You can learn about Jesus and his disciples from the Bible or in theology classes, but to walk the same roads he walked was awe-inspiring. We had just finished Easter and Passover, so to renew my baptismal vows following ancient customs was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Meghan Lukens on 2025 POM

Rep. Meghan Lukens (right)

Rep. Lukens: Going to the old city of Jerusalem and seeing the four quarters—Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and Armenian—and standing next to a pillar that was 2,700 years old—the history nerd in me just loved that! Jerusalem is so small, so it was impressive to see that people could live in harmony in such tight quarters and protect and preserve the history of three major religions living side by side.

Did the trip give you new perspective on the events of October 7?

Rep Hartsook: At the Nova Music Festival memorial, I could imagine what that morning was like. It was 6:29 a.m., and the people suddenly realized they were watching thousands of inbound rockets in the sky. They started running and kept on running even as they were being shot at. Those young people were not military targets. They were innocent civilians who were slaughtered by Hamas terrorists in acts of atrocity.

Rep. Lukens: What happened on October 7th was horrifying and gut-wrenching, and seeing these sites with my own eyes was a deeply sobering experience that underscored the unimaginable pain and loss endured by so many. As I walked through the Nova Festival memorial, which has large photos of every person who died that day along with information about them, I noticed that almost every person had been born after 2000. They were just so young. In the background, I could hear artillery fire in Gaza. That was unlike anything I had ever experienced in my life.

Rep. Hartsook: During my time in the army, I saw dozens of people killed. But to see this kind of mass murder, the gunning down of sheer innocents, really hits you. I could picture civilians huddling together in the concrete shelters and terrorists with AK-47s walking up and gunning down men, women, and children. That is absolute evil.

Any other experiences from the trip that will remain vivid in your memory?

Rep. Lukens: Every Christmas, I read the story of Mary and Joseph’s journey in church. When we drove throughout Israel, we followed a similar path, from Nazareth to the Sea of Galilee and then to Jerusalem. Retracing these steps, it hit me how small Israel is. It is only one-twelfth the size of Colorado, and yet the problems are so much bigger than what we face. I also loved experiencing Shabbat, especially at the Western Wall. Everything shuts down on Friday night, and then on Saturday, when the sun sets, the whole city comes alive.

POM 2025

Rep. Hartsook: We had an excellent briefing at the Kibbutz Misgav Am near the Lebanon border with Retired IDF Col. Sarit Zahavi. She is recognized worldwide as an expert authority on security issues facing Israel today. I was surprised at how close the kibbutz was to the border. They live within grenade distance from Hezbollah, which wants to kill them. And yet, they farm and get on with their lives. It takes idealism plus faith and trust in the IDF to live there. The IDF reminds me of one of the core army values—selfless service. It doesn’t have to be in the military—it can be in government, the community, or in a church. But I like the idea of a period of service, so people understand what it means to serve others.

Now that you have returned, what will you use from this trip as you interact with your constituents in Colorado and your fellow legislators at the Capitol?

Rep. Hartsook: I have always defended Israel, but my support of Israel has been reinforced by walking the land. It’s important to consistently remind people—especially people who have never even been outside the state of Colorado or get their news from social media—that when you talk about Hamas, you are not talking about a political entity. You are talking about a terrorist organization that forces people into line by intimidation, brutalization, even death. We need to fight terrorist organizations—whether it’s Hamas, the Taliban, Hezbollah, or Al-Qaeda—it doesn’t matter who it is.

Rep. Lukens: I have taught about the Holocaust and combatting hate and antisemitism in my classroom, and I thought a lot about those themes on this trip. The reality is that there are terrorist organizations that want to eradicate Israel and annihilate the Jewish population. That is creating increased antisemitism around the world. We need to lead with compassion, kindness, respect, and dignity to solve problems and make our world better. I will be working to combat antisemitism when I return. This trip has empowered me to talk about this issue with greater confidence, understanding, and credibility.