JOURNEYS ISSUE 2019 ISSUE 10 14 ·· AUGUST JUNE 2021
THAT LAST A LIFETIME
TRIPS ARE
BACK! Learn more on page 9
BIRTHRIGHT ISRAEL
FOUNDATION
TABLE OF CONTENTS 02 Letter From Chairman of the Board & Our President 03 My Limitless Birthright Israel Experience: How Birthright Israel Made the Impossible Possible 05 Lynn & Howard Halpern: Making Accessibility Trips Accessible To All 07 Birthright Israel Ignited My Love of Judaism Even More 09 Birthright Israel Trips Are Back! 11 10 Days Forever Changed: An Experience Beyond A Free Trip To Israel 13 Birthright Israel Love Story: Loren & Alexei Brovanik
EDITOR IN CHIEF: PAMELA L. FERTEL WEINSTEIN CONTENT COORDINATOR: ANDRIA K. AYLYAROV GRAPHIC DESIGNER: PERRI A. GINSBERG
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DEAR FRIENDS, As the seasons change there is a sense of renewal and positivity around us. As we turn the page from one season to the next, we also turn to the next chapter in the Birthright Israel story. After more than a year without Birthright Israel trips, we are thrilled to share the news that our first group of participants will be arriving in Israel this May. We are hopeful there will be hundreds of trips this summer. As an organization, we have taken every precaution to keep our participants safe and postponing trips was one of the hardest decisions we’ve had to make. While the pandemic put a pause on our program, it did not stop the dedication of our supporters and the desire of our applicants to experience this life-changing gift. It is because of you that we can resume trips quickly, safely and at the highest quality. For 21 years, Birthright Israel has been a rite of passage for our children and grandchildren. When our founders created Birthright Israel, they believed strongly that it is the birthright of all Jewish young adults to experience Israel no matter their medical, developmental, or physical ability. We are proud of our growing accessibility program and invite you to get to know our accessibility participants in this issue of Journeys. Thank you again for your support. We look forward to sharing stories and photos of our summer trips with you in the coming months. Have a wonderful summer!
Warmly,
THOMAS D. STERN CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
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IZZY TAPOOHI PRESIDENT & CEO
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MY LIMITLESS BIRTHRIGHT ISRAEL EXPERIENCE:
HOW BIRTHRIGHT ISRAEL MADE THE IMPOSSIBLE PPPOOOSSSSSSIIIBBBLLLEEE I met a group of strangers at the airport, boarded the plane, and felt apprehensive and uncomfortable about my first trip abroad. Birthright Israel would also be the first time I would be in an environment where I did not speak the native language, which would become a source of discomfort in the first couple of days. I did, however, speak a common language with the others on my trip, the language of the disabled community. My Birthright Israel experience was unique in that all the participants had a physical or medical disability. While most Birthright Israel trips include about 40 people, my trip included seven of us. Each of us was accompanied by one personal companion to assist with daily needs, although one of us needed two companions. In Israel, we were joined by a few others, making our group 20 people in total. Our group was much smaller than the usual experience. However, our small group allowed each of us to foster much more intimate relationships. There were other unique aspects to our trip, called “No Limits,” but soon enough, we became known as “Limitless.” Most of us require power wheelchairs to get around and under other circumstances that might have made the trip impossible. In fact, it was anything but. Our trip included all the highlights because Birthright Israel made that possible.
Jerusalem, A Chance for Intercultural Exchanges One of the first stops on our trip was Shuk Mahane Yehuda in the Old City. Here, we were provided with an ideal opportunity for intercultural exchanges. I was lucky enough to have a music lesson from a local musician on a harp-like instrument. Although the musician and I did not speak the same language, we still had a conversation that day. In Israel, I learned that words are not always necessary to communicate with people. At the Western Wall, a site sacred to Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike, the language was again not a barrier as I was allowed to engulf myself into seemingly another dimension,
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the spiritual dimension. Within this palpably vibrant site, one can sense that something beyond the tangible is occurring. The note I placed in the Wall had three words on it “Peace for All.” At that moment, I promised myself to return as a journalist for a longer time to truly understand and cover the dynamics of Israel and its relationship with its geographic neighbors. We then made our way to Yad Vashem. The museum was the amplest proof I have ever seen that the Holocaust occurred. Although I know it did happen, as I have heard about it all my life, even from survivors during my years in Hebrew School, it was painful to see and comprehend all Yad Vashem showed us. It increased my desire to speak and write about these atrocities.
The Dead Sea: Free From Our Physical Limitations Another experience to which I was looking forward was a swim in the Dead Sea. Any practicing Jew who is familiar with scripture will know that the motif of water is integral to our people. The concept of water washing over me presented yet another opportunity for me to become one with my Israeli brothers and sisters and one with nature. For us, the “Limitless” group, being able to be free from our physical limitations was exceptional.
Welcome to Tel Aviv While Jerusalem takes us on a tour of the early history of Judaism, Tel Aviv is its modern-day counterpart. It is the only city in the world I know of that has ancient buildings across the street from technological innovation centers, high-rise buildings next to open-air markets, and cultural centers, too many to count. Seeing the bluer than blue Mediterranean from the safety of a sailboat during jellyfish season was an exhilarating experience, only one of several others that included bicycle riding, zip-lining, and a memorable cable-car trip to the top of Masada.
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Shabbat Shalom, Becoming One in Israel Shabbat in Israel is a unique experience. There, being Jewish is not just a religion; it is the culture. After a week of so much exposure to the country, its history, and all the extraordinary events, celebrating Shabbat allowed us to absorb and appreciate everything we had seen and done. That night I remember thinking, “how am I different from when I came one week ago?” a sentiment I shared with our group. We had a most enlightening conversation that night in which our IDF soldiers had the opportunity to explain to us how they viewed us as foreigners when we first met and then came to recognize us as part of their own. They admitted that it is not in their nature to let their guard down to foreigners easily, by nature of what they have been assigned to do. Perhaps, our vulnerability opened unusual levels of trust. This example of allowing others to see our individual weaknesses is what can bring different people closer.
Birthright Israel Transformed My Conception of Israel From a very young age, my being Jewish was ingrained in me through attending services and Hebrew School, celebrating Jewish holidays with family, and becoming a Bar Mitzvah. In Israel, my sense of being Jewish intensified by the exposure. Before my trip, I was aware of Israel as a country formed to provide a homeland for the Jewish people, but I realized I had a very rudimentary understanding. My trip completely transformed my conception of Israel as a country. In the US, one has to seek out a Jewish community actively. In Israel, one is enveloped in that community. I went on the airplane with 15 complete strangers, and when I left Israel, I had 15 new family members. This unique Birthright Israel trip afforded the seven of us an opportunity rarely presented to people with physical disabilities. When we first met, I distinctly remember one among us, who looked completely uninterested in going on the trip, with eyes shut, head down, and no smile or look of any anticipation when we left New York. At the end of the trip, this person’s entire face was shining and had a smile from ear to ear. Words could not describe the experience any better. The same could be said for all of us. 4
AVERY SCHAEFER, 2019 ALUMNUS No Limits, Wheels in Motion Accessibility
Lynne & Howard Halpern Making Birthright Israel Trips Accessible to All
Birthright Israel began 21 years ago with a bold idea: offer the gift of a life-changing trip to Israel to young Jewish adults and in doing so, transform the Jewish future. A simple yet extremely powerful idea that is continuing to transform the Jewish world. This is in large part thanks to the generosity of donors like Lynne and Howard Halpern who are active members of Birthright Israel Foundation’s Boca Raton and Atlanta communities. They, along with nearly 40,000 others, ensure this transformational gift of visiting Israel is in fact the birthright of all Jewish young adults. More so, the Halperns strongly believe in Birthright Israel because of its unique accessibility offerings that are available to participants with but not limited to medical, developmental, mental and physical disabilities. As Birthright Israel Foundation strives year after year to make this gift available to all, we are taking this special opportunity to invite our supporters everywhere to meet our endearing philanthropists Lynne and Howard Halpern.
Tell us about your connection to Judaism and Israel: Howard: In 1948 when Israel became a sovereign nation, everybody in the family, all of our friends, the community that I lived in, were excited about Israel. And from that point on, I remember my grandmother collecting clothes from us and having tzedakah boxes to collect money to send to Israel.
Lynne: That's the way Howard was raised. In my case, it was completely different. My grandfather came from Poland and later on brought my grandmother and my mother to the United States. And there was absolutely no religious upbringing for us. My grandfather, he didn't believe in G-d. He didn't believe in a lot of things. There were a lot of things that happened to him in Poland and later on, of course, during the war. He did have family in Israel but it was just not a place in anybody's heart because I didn't grow up that way. On Passover, my mother said, "You just don't eat bread." That's all there was to it. You just didn't eat bread. I didn't know why. I didn't know the story. I didn't know anything.
Howard: It all changed when she met me.
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Lynne:
Yes, it absolutely changed because Howard said to me the first year we were married, "What are we doing for Passover?" And I said, "What's Passover and what do you do for Passover?" So, anyway, I very quickly learned how wonderful it was to be a Jew and actually what it meant. I took Melton classes, went to Israel and had my Bat Mitzvah. Then I went to Cuba and I watched how the Jewish community was down to about 1,200 people, but they were so committed. And I came home, I got choked up and I said, "Howard, you know what, if those Cubans who grew up with communism could reach so hard to continue Judaism, there must be something in it." And that's when I got involved.
Why is the special needs community so important to you? Lynne:
We had belonged to the temple. We've been temple members for 53 years. And then of course along came Douglas, who's our special needs young man. And when he was nearly 13, maybe 11 or 12, he was in a boarding school in Winter Haven, Florida and he told us one day “Mom, I want to be Bar Mitzvahed.” Our temple had never had a Bar Mitzvah for a special needs young man and they did it for us. And we pulled it off with a Havdalah service, and our family and other parents came to see what it would look like. Now they do wonderful Bar and Bat Mitzvahs for special needs in our temple. So, that was a good thing for Douglas.
Howard: While we contribute very heavily to special needs throughout our Jewish giving, we also recognize and support many other Jewish needs. It's tough enough for Jews to take care of Jews, because if we don't, no one else is going to take care of us. There's even more so on our intellectually disadvantaged and mentally developed and physically developed Jews because they have no voice. So, we've always been a part of it. Lynne was a pioneer in education, in demanding education for special needs children when our child was young and she's always championing. So her caveat has always been, "You want to talk to me about charitable giving? Tell me what you're doing for special needs." And that's the way we've gone about it in our lives - and she stood fast when it came to Birthright. We had grandkids that went on Birthright but we didn't become active participants until they became aware enough to know that special needs Jewish young people need to be able to have access to Israel.
Lynne:
Especially since the mission of Birthright Israel is that it is a birthright. It doesn't say, "Not if you have special needs.” So, it was important to us, not to just be a supporter of Birthright Israel but to be a supporter in a more meaningful way; that meant a lot for us and what we knew it would mean to the special needs community.
To date, we have taken over 2,000 participants on accessibility trips. Why are these trips so wonderful? Howard:
So, special needs Jews lived a whole life of special needs. It doesn't change. Everybody matures as they go through life, but they always have special needs. And high functioning special need Jewish adults, when they associate with Israel, when they associate with their Jewish identity, it becomes probably the single most important part of their life. We see it with our son, every day and we see how connected Jewish special needs adults are. And I'm proud of Lynne for holding fast until we got the program that she wanted and that's when we made our commitment.
Lynne: I think they're all doing something together. It's a big togetherness thing. It's a lot of camaraderie and they get to meet people from other places.
Howard:
We see what Israel does with their special needs population. I mean, they have everything including being in the army. They're way ahead of us. But all the kids that we know either through their parents or grandparents that go on Birthright Israel are very much affected by going to Israel.
What are your hopes for the organization in the next twenty years? Lynne: That it continues. Howard: Continues and grows more so now than ever before. With support from friends like Lynne and Howard we know the gift of Birthright Israel will be available for generations to come. Together we can make sure each and every eligible Jewish young adult can claim their birthright. Join us in ensuring our children and grandchild form unbreakable bonds to Israel and their Jewish identities. Make your gift today at birthrightisrael.foundation/donate.
birthright israel Ignited My Love of Judaism
even more
My love for Judaism was ignited at my Bar Mitzvah and the candle has stayed aflame since that day. It was only when my sister went on Birthright Israel, I became interested in going to Israel, where all our prayers go. I have Autism and I knew that I too could have my Birthright Israel experience with peers from all walks of life. At first, I was nervous about being the only person with Autism going to the Holy Land with a bunch of others. But as soon as we were off the plane, each person opened up and we got to know each other’s history. When we met our Israeli peers, we quickly found that we had a lot in common. We shared the same Jewish holidays and culture, but at the same time the Israeli way of life is different than ours as Americans. We gained a deep respect for their culture as we learned more and they gave their personal perspectives as we toured Jerusalem. When we visited the Kotel, it was like no other wall I had ever placed my hands upon. The wall accepted everyone’s notes to God, while other walls refused. Before the trip, my Uncle gave me a note to place a prayer into the wall. The Western Wall in Jerusalem approved the prayer and sent the message directly to God. Later on Saturday night, my group experienced Israeli night life at the pub. I truly learned how close we were as my peers trusted me to stand guard in front of a broken restroom door while the ladies used the facilities. We quickly returned to dancing the night away and having the time of our lives. The following day, we prepared to visit Yad Vashem. Before entering the museum, several group members told stories about their grandparents who were Holocaust survivors. It was touching and emotional and helped me to share about my grandmother. I learned only recently that my grandmother survived Auschwitz and she was rescued by my grandfather.
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Entering the museum and seeing historical items helped me to imagine traveling to the 1940s and connecting with the past. It was very hard to walk through the children’s memorial while their candles were lit. It was like walking in space with stars all around us. That night, our group visited and camped out in a Bedouin tent. Our group walked out into the vast desert with cover from the stars. We were led into our own area of the desert to feel the air as it lives and breathes with us. There I opened my heart to God, and I felt closer to everyone in my group. When we came back together as a group, knowing there were no secrets among us, I shared with the group how my father had died two years before. We ended that program in a huge group hug. The very next morning, we woke at ten minutes past four to hike Masada. It was a hot and sweaty trek, even under the cover of darkness. Lo and behold, the sun rose from the mountains and the sun showed the sign of God was waking from his slumber. Watching the sunrise was unlike anything I had ever seen before. Israel made me see God. Most importantly, we opened our hearts to God. We were all strangers before this trip, but together with my group in the end, we became a family with such a strong collective experience. The Birthright Israel peer experience deepened my passion for Judaism. And it made me a better person. Thank you!
Billy Steinberg, 2018 Alumnus 7
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SAVE ME A SEAT 9 9
BIRTHRIGHT ISRAEL TRIPS TAKE OFF! Over 37,000 young Jews had their trips postponed and together, we kept our promise! After over a year of waiting, Birthright Israel is excited to announce trips are resuming this summer.
YOUNG JEWISH ADULTS ARE READY Results from a recent survey by the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis University Surveyed trip applicants said that attending a Birthright Israel trip is actually a higher priority for them than participating in any other type of travel. 68% of applicants that answered the new COVID-19 section on their application are either fully vaccinated or in the process of being vaccinated. Many respondents replied that they feel starved of social interaction and more than 1 in 4 expressed that they frequently feel lonely.
ISRAEL IS READY Nearly 90% of Israel’s population has received one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and the rest are not far behind. 85% of Israelis are vaccinated as of April 2021. In April 2021, Israel lifted its outdoor mask mandate.
BIRTHRIGHT ISRAEL IS READY Every young Jewish adult who joins a Birthright Israel trip will be fully vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19 and required to provide a negative PCR test before boarding the flight to Israel. To ensure the safety of participants, each trip will include social distancing, outdoor activities and a limited number of participants on each bus. Most flights booked for Birthright Israel participants will be direct flights. To learn more about Birthright Israel trips resuming and all requirements visit: birthrightisrael.foundation/back
HELP GIVE THE GIFT OF BIRTHRIGHT ISRAEL TODAY! DONATE NOW: Thank you for believing in Birthright Israel and helping us make the magic happen again! Together, we are securing the Jewish future for generations to come! brif.gift/journeys14
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10 DAYS, FOREVER CHANGED: AN EXPERIENCE BEYOND A FREE TRIP TO ISRAEL
Twenty years ago, 9,000 Jewish young adults embarked on the first round of Birthright Israel trips. They were pioneering travelers who signed up for the free trip without any point of reference, like the wealth of alumni testimonials and Brandeis University studies available to prospective participants today. “I left the United States with no preconceived notions or expectations of what Israel was going to do to me,” said KC Yasmer, a June 2000 alumnus. “Now I truly understand that it was my birthright to go to the land of Israel.” Like the next 750,000-plus Birthright Israel participants, Yasmer’s life was forever changed in his homeland. It wasn’t just a free trip to Israel, but a gift; a gift to Yasmer and a gift to the Jewish people. “My life would be very different if I hadn’t attended Birthright Israel,” said Yasmer. “My trip to Israel with Birthright [Israel] is still one of the fondest and most impactful memories of my life.” Founded in 1999 to bridge the growing disconnect between the Jewish Diaspora and Israel, the first Birthright Israel trips JOURNEYS • ISSUE 14 JOURNEYS • ISSUE 13
were funded by a dedicated group of Jewish philanthropists. Today, the trip is still a gift thanks to charitable financial support, including that of nearly 40,000 individual donors in the U.S. every year. A lot has developed in our alumni’s lives over the past two decades. Birthright Israel trips have grown and evolved, but the mission of Birthright Israel Foundation remains the same. We won’t rest until every eligible Jewish young adult in the world, including those less connected to their faith and their heritage, is gifted with an inspirational, transformative, and educational pilgrimage to the Jewish homeland.
An Investment That Echoes for Generations Our annual goal to send 50,000 Jewish young adults to Israel changes tens of thousands of lives every year and hopes to guarantee a vibrant future for Jews everywhere. “It is an experience that does not end after 10 days,” said 2000 alumna Rachel Gerrol, “and it has echoes for generations and generations.”
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Gerrol didn’t have any connection to the Jewish community prior to Birthright Israel. She came from an interfaith family and sang in her church choir most of her life. Ultimately, she signed up for the inaugural Birthright Israel trip in 2000 because a free trip to Israel sounded way more fun than summer babysitting duties. But when Gerrol told her Birthright Israel story at the 18th Anniversary Gala in 2018, she explained she was forever transformed by Birthright Israel. “18 years later, Birthright [Israel], you have changed every day.” On her trip, she learned about: “A people, and a culture, and a religion, and a language, and a heritage and, oh my gosh, the Israeli soldiers. I learned about a true democracy in the middle of the Middle East.” She made a pledge, while at the Kotel, to not let the trip be wasted on her. And it wasn’t. Gerrol is now a highly-respected Jewish leader whose innovative work in the field of philanthropy has touched lives around the world. She has formally converted to Judaism, married a Birthright Israel alumni, and been back to Israel 13 times, twice as a Birthright Israel trip leader. Birthright Israel Foundation is beyond fortunate to count her among our Board of Directors.
An Investment That Connects All Jews Interfaith families, like Gerrol’s, aren’t the only ones who benefit from a Birthright Israel trip. Our prospective participants often feel disconnected from the Jewish community for a variety of reasons, ranging from a private struggle with mental illness to a fear of being targeted by anti-Semites. As Gerrol explains,: “Birthright [Israel] is a calling card to all Jews everywhere that you are accepted just as you are… exactly as you are.” Our niche trips make it easier for Jewish young adults to take a leap of faith on Birthright Israel. These trips connect eligible Jews from all walks of life, including people with disabilities, the LGBTQ+ community, foodies, yogis, adrenaline junkies, and much more. As it turns out, one out of every five participants chooses to go on a Birthright Israel niche trip. An avid food blogger and host of the Food Network’s Girl Meets Farm, alumna Molly Yeh chose the culinary niche trip. “I joined a bus full of fellow bloggers, chefs, [and] foodies on a journey for the mind, soul, and stomach,” she said. “When I returned home, Israel was on my mind. I focused my time on learning and reading more about Israel as well as adding its flavor to my menu.”
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Alumnus Daniel Cohen struggled with addiction for many years, but when he was 26 he honed in on the niche trip for recovering addicts. “I had no idea niche trips like this existed, but once I found out, I am so glad they do,” he said. “I would not have gone on any other trip!” In spite of these trip differences, one of the key takeaways from all Birthright Israel trips, niche or not, is how we are all connected. Participants gain this insight in a country packed with cultural diversity where they are allowed to be completely themselves—all part of the same dynamic community. “The day I decided to go to the Orthodox men’s side of The Wall was so empowering for my identity as a trans man, a member of the LGBTQ community, and a member of the Jewish community,” said alumnus Samuel B. “Without the amazing friends I made, I never would have been able to accomplish what I did that day.”
An Investment in You “Superheroes.” That’s what Gerrol calls the philanthropists who started Birthright Israel more than two decades ago. “[They] chose to invest in me, to bring me to Israel on the wild chance that I could find a piece of myself, a connection to my Jewish identity that I hadn’t ever gone looking for,” she said. “Their choice influenced the trajectory of… my life.” The many donors who carry the torch for Birthright Israel’s founding philanthropists have their own reasons for choosing to support Birthright Israel Foundation. Perhaps they’re parents or grandparents who are inspired by their child’s transformation, or they’re worried about growing anti-Israel sentiment on college campuses. Maybe it’s an alumnus who just wants to pay it forward. Donor Barbara Silverman of Chicago, IL, and her husband, Rick, support Birthright Israel Foundation because of its educational benefits. “When donors like myself support Birthright Israel, we are making a crucial decision to keep the existence of the Jewish community alive and vibrant,” she said. “This trip is our chance to engage young people at the beginning of adulthood when they face negativity about Israel and are unaware of the facts. The gift of Birthright Israel provides our younger generations the tools to build a body of knowledge about Israel, Judaism, and our collective heritage.” Ultimately, whatever the impetus, a donation to Birthright Israel Foundation is a win for the Jewish culture worldwide. It’s an investment in yourself, your children, your grandchildren, your great grandchildren, and beyond.
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BIRTHRIGHT ISRAEL LOVE STORY:
Loren & Alexei Brovarnik 13
Are you a fan of the hit reality TV show 90 Day Fiancé? Well, if you are, then you’re probably familiar with the most famous Birthright Israel love story ever – Loren and Alexei Brovarnik. In 2013, when Loren (Goldstone) Brovarnik, a Birthright Israel alumna, volunteered to be a madricha (trip staff) and boarded a plane bound for Israel, she never imagined she’d meet her future husband. Alexei Brovarnik was assigned as a medic to her trip, and the two slowly began to fall for each other. After their Birthright Israel trip, the couple spent a year in a long-distance relationship. Then, as seen in Season 3 of 90 Day Fiancé, Alexei popped the question and asked Loren to marry him. It’s been over seven years since the couple met, and they now have a son, Shai. More so, the couple continues to take reality TV by storm and have become household names. They even have their own spin-off of 90 Day Fiancé, called Pillow Talk. It’s also common to find the two on social media chatting about their Birthright Israel trip or their connection to Israel. JOURNEYS • ISSUE 14
Loren, what made you want to sign up for Birthright Israel? My [oldest] friend Justin actually signed me up. Truthfully, I had not even heard of Birthright and had no desire to go to Israel. I can honestly say going as a participant impacted my life in ways I didn’t even think possible. I became a Bat Mitzvah on my trip, I met my maid of honor on my trip (we were participants together) and I became more aware and involved with Judaism because of my trip.
Did you think you’d meet your future partner on Birthright Israel? Hahaha, never in a million years did I think I’d meet my husband when I was a staff leader on Birthright Israel! Honestly, after my trip as a participant in 2011, I never saw myself coming back to Israel, and fast forward two years later, I am staffing a trip and unknowingly meeting my future husband.
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Can you pinpoint the one moment on the trip when you both knew you’d fallen in love?
What do you think is the most important aspect of a Birthright Israel trip for young Jewish adults in the Diaspora?
It was not love at first sight for both of us, I can assure you that. It was supposed to be a good time and go our own ways, little did we know what would be. I actually remember the exact moment I knew “ok, so this could actually be something”… it was towards the end of our trip and we were in Mitzpe Ramon and the two of us went to sit on the rocks and look at the stars and we sat there for like two hours, not saying anything, yet having the best time ever. I also knew because I couldn’t explain this feeling and I still can’t to this day.
I think Birthright gives Jewish adults who have no desire to see Israel and those who aren’t as involved with Judaism an opportunity to change that. They then come home and share it with other people. It’s like a web… it affects you, and you share that, and it affects other people, for good.
What was it like to be with Israelis? Had you met Israelis before? What did you learn from them? I knew nothing about Israelis and nothing about Israel before my Birthright Israel trips. I’d also never met an Israeli either. I’ve learned that they are tough people. They have thick skin but are also incredibly loyal and will always be there if you need anything.
What lessons from your Birthright Israel experience will you pass on to your son? Do you hope that your son can travel to Israel with Birthright Israel? We now do Shabbat every Friday night. We say the prayers, light candles, Kiddush… something we both didn’t grow up with. And we do it with a smile. It’s part of who we are. We reflect, we laugh, we relax. And pre-COVID, we welcomed anyone to join with us… and we cannot wait to do that again! We also love hosting the holidays at our house now, something we want our son and future children to see and hopefully pass onto their kids when that time comes.
If you could meet the generous donor who made your trip possible, what would you say to them? Besides thanking them for introducing me to the love of my life, I would thank you for helping me become the person I am today. Because of you, I am open-minded, I have a bigger respect and love for myself, Israel, my family’s history, our traditions, and you’ve made me proud to say, “I am a Jew.”
Do you think Birthright Israel is an important experience for young Jews? Birthright Israel is very important! It creates a once-in-alifetime opportunity for people [like myself even] who don’t understand a lot about Judaism, the religious aspect, and the traditions, to really explore it. Aside from that, you make lifelong friends, connections and come back with an openness in your heart and mind that cannot be explained unless you’ve experienced it. You come back with gratitude and understanding and perhaps more appreciation. I know I did and it’s helped mold me into the adult that I am today. 14
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