Welcome Home to Israel by Stephanie Golden “Welcome home.” When you are 6,000 miles away from home in a place you have never been before, “welcome home” is not what you expect. But after you’ve heard it over and over from strangers on the street, at Independence Hall in Tel Aviv, and everywhere in between, the words seem right.
nationwide by Money Matters: Make It Count, a BGCA financial literacy program sponsored by the Charles Schwab Foundation. The Alliance has incorporated programs like Power Hour and Project Learn, which not only reinforce the importance of homework and study outside of school, but explore fun ways to make the most of that study time. And, offerings like Smart Girls and Passport to Manhood address life skills and health and wellness. Says a program attendee, “These after-school programs keep me off the street and thinking about things that are important.”
For me, going on Taglit-Birthright Israel with JCC Maccabi Israel® was taking advantage of a free trip to visit the land where it all began—where the Jews have faced hardships (and still do) and where they fight to maintain a Jewish state, a place that all Jews in the world can feel at home every single day. I didn’t expect to come home changed. To be completely honest, I had no idea what to expect. I did know, though, that I wanted to have fun, and friends who had taken the trip told me I would have a great time. I had no idea that I would return feeling closer to 40 people I’d met ten days earlier than to others I have known for years. I never expected to meet eight Israeli soldiers who joined us for the second half of our trip and discover they are just like me. More than anything, I never anticipated feeling the connection with Israel that I feel upon returning home.
To be a charter member, The Educational Alliance pays BGCA $11,000 in annual dues and also files regular reports, including an annual CELEBRATING ISRAEL @ 60Hiking up Masada at 5 a.m. to watch the sun rise from behind Impact Assessment Report. This 29-page book the mountains was amazing, one of the most beautiful sights of checklists assesses every point of contact I have ever seen(2 inpossibilities) my life. Floating effortlessly in the Dead a client will have with the clubs, from what Sea was easily one of the strangest experiences I’ve ever had; I happens when the client walks in the door, to giggled uncontrollably because it felt so peculiar. Everyone was relationships with staff, quality of programs, and enjoying slapping mud all over themselves and posing for funny even the environment of the building and space pictures. Looking out at the mountains in the Golan Heights was in which the programs are housed.
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Ultimately, the partnership with CELEBRATING Boys & ISRAEL @ 60 Girls Clubs of America demonstrated The Educational Alliance’s commitment to blending public and private dollars to benefit the organization’s neighbors. And, it forwards The Alliance’s interpretation of its role as a Jewish organization: to be open to all opportunities to advance its efforts in caring for the community of which it is a part.
breathtaking, although it was freezing and my feet were numb within 20 minutes. I look back on these moments and realize that they were firsts for me, and to experience them with my group added so much to the intensity I felt. Not all of our stops during our ten-day tour of Israel were to admire the landscape. We visited the Old City of Jerusalem
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“It’s an obvious partnership,” says Robin Bernstein, president and CEO of The Educational Alliance. “I don’t know why every JCC doesn’t do it.” David Billotti works in the communications department at The Educational Alliance. 16 jcc circle
For more information about JCC Macccabi Israel, go to www.jccmaccabiisrael.org, or contact Adinah East at easta@jcca.org summer 2008
twice—the first and last days of our trip. I approached the Western Wall for the first time, a little nervous, folded piece of paper in hand, trying to absorb the moment. Touching the cool, smooth stones and placing my prayer in a crack was unforgettable. I’m not a particularly religious person; I never have been and don’t expect to become one. I know that the Kotel is a place of worship, but it is also a place where one can make her time her own, and in my moment in front of the Wall, I felt a strong connection to my Jewish heritage. I felt proud to stand there. We slept in Bedouin tents our second night, which was New Year’s Eve. I was a little apprehensive, especially after seeing that 40 of us would sleep all in one tent. Although it was a little chilly and definitely out of many people’s comfort zones, it turned out to be wonderful. A few people made a mock ball drop, and everyone danced around a fire and sang songs and hugged friends and strangers alike with happy wishes for the new year. Our group was also able to meet different people with stories to tell: a Bedouin woman who went against her community’s standards, never married, and started a successful skincare line; a man who left Detroit 13 years ago looking for something to define his life, found Tsfat and Kaballah and never came back; eight Israeli soldiers who shared stories of courage during their service, as well as personal likes and dislikes, which helped us realize that they are just like us—fun-loving, gossipfollowing, loudmouthed, talented young people. Meeting many different people from many areas of the country from diverse communities helped open our eyes to the real lives of
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the people who live in Israel, not just Jews, but all the different people who make up the country. The soldiers added so much to our experience. In many places, we weren’t able to interact with the people. Having young adults give us a glimpse into their lives in Israel helped us to understand so much more about the country. They were so open and honest, no matter how serious or frivolous our questions were. Many of us weren’t sure what army service was like, but hearing about the experiences that helped them grow up and mature was important for us. On the last night, we talked as a group about our “ah ha!” moment. It was hard for me to choose. I felt like the whole trip was my moment. But being in Independence Hall in Tel Aviv, listening to our tour guide who closed with words along the lines of, “This is your home, my friends. We welcome you with open arms, and I want you to know that I consider you as much of a citizen of this country as I do myself and my children. You will always have a home here in Israel. Welcome home.” Then she played “Hatikva,” and the whole group began to sing. It was a moment when I was exactly where I was supposed to be. I was a Jew in Israel, and it was the right place to be; any other place wouldn’t have felt the same. Leaving Israel was hard. I remember looking over at my friends and seeing all our faces so gloomy. But I know that’s an opportunity to go back— hopefully, within a year or so. More than anything, I look forward to hearing “welcome home.” Stephanie Golden is a junior at Hofstra University.
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