CHARLOTTE, N.C. — What was supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime spiritual journey has turned into a waiting game for one North Carolina man, after escalating violence in the Middle East put his travel plans on pause.

Dave Scaglione had packed his suitcase. His passport was ready. His destination: Tel Aviv.

What You Need To Know

  •  Dave Scaglione was signed up for a volunteer opportunity in Israel to assist following the Oct. 7 attacks

  •  Scaglione has ties in both Israel and Iran

  •  Birthright Israel Volunteer has postponed all trips with the ongoing violence in the Middle East

  •  Birthright officials say they hope to resume trips as soon as conditions allow

“So we were on our way to Tel Aviv as part of the Birthright trip,” Scaglione said.

The trip, organized through Birthright Israel Volunteer, part of Taglit — a volunteer program that puts on visits to Israel for Jewish adults — was abruptly postponed just days before departure. Security concerns tied to rising tensions in the region forced the change.

Scaglione, a recent Jewish convert, said he may be staying in Charlotte, but his heart is still in the Middle East — with friends spread across Israel and Iran.

“You know, I’ve been texting with them every day, just checking in on to make sure they’re OK,” he said. “You know, they all have bum bum rooms and bomb shelters. So they’ve said that, you know, business is pretty much as usual. They’re still able to go to work every day. But, you know, they get sirens pretty much on the hour.”

He describes moments of concern, watching from afar as missiles are exchanged, and checking in with loved ones overseas as they take cover.

“All we saw was, hey, we just struck Iran,” Scaglione said. “And so instantly my thought was, OK, you know, have we have friends and family over there? Let’s get on WhatsApp. Let’s text everybody. And so thankfully know everybody was safe, but they were saying, you know, we’re really scared. We’re all in our bomb shelters. Sadly, this is a common occurrence for them. And as one of my former coworkers jokes, it’s just another Tuesday.”

While some find ways to make light of the situation, Scaglione said the fear is very real for those on the ground.

“It’s one thing to hear on the news, oh, so-and-so is at war. You just kind of pass it off,” he said. “But then when you know people — everyday people — and you see what they go through… I mean, I remember being on conference calls and people would say, ‘Hey, I’ll be back in 10 minutes. There’s a siren. I got to go to the bomb shelter.’ And then they would show up on Zoom with a helmet on, and they’re in a bomb shelter with their family.”

For Scaglione, this trip was more than a vacation, it was a promise, a chance to connect with his faith and heritage.

“When you become Jewish, you recognize that there’s this place in the world that is as a Jew, it’s a safe place,” he said, tearing up. “You get to a point where you realize that no matter what happens in the world, there’s a safe place for us. And that is a huge thing. And at first, I didn’t really understand this whole preoccupation with every Jewish person I met with, like Israel, Israel, Israel. I was like, what is so special about this place? And then you realize that centuries of antisemitism, we’ve had to hide who we are. And there’s a place on this earth. It’s just made for us. And I saw. That’s really special. Yeah.”

Birthright officials say they hope to resume trips as soon as conditions allow. In the meantime, Scaglione said he’ll keep checking in on friends overseas — and holding onto hope that, come next year, he’ll be in Jerusalem.