Holy Land Pilgrimage

From My Youth

Daniel Rogozenski, a senior studying at Rutgers University-New Brunswick, spent his spring break touring the Holy Land on a trip organized by the Orthodox Christian Fellowship, the national association of Orthodox student groups on college campuses. We asked him to describe what he witnessed in Jerusalem and his broader experiences as an Orthodox young adult.

Yeah, I go to Rutgers University in New Brunswick. I’m studying computer science.

No, they were from OCF chapters all across the country. I went with two friends from my home parish. The rest of the students, maybe a dozen, were of similar faith and background.

We flew into Tel Aviv and then boarded a bus to Jerusalem. Definitely the highlight of the trip was visiting the Holy Sepulcher. We were accompanied by a bishop, and he let us go behind the scenes to a room where we venerated an actual piece of the Cross. It's not a place that tourists are allowed to go. That was probably the closest I've ever felt to Christ in my faith.

But the most beautiful places we visited were the Monastery of the Holy Apostles and the Monastery of Saint Mary Magdalene. We also visited Jacob's Well Monastery and drank from the well. There's a staircase that takes you down beneath the monastery to a small room where the well is. So, we got to pull water up and drop it back down.

Well, we visited about a dozen churches and monasteries a day, so no. We went to about a hundred different places in a single week. But we did have one Sunday service.

We also got to see the Monastery of the Dormition, which was the burial spot of Joachim and Anna. You're not allowed to take pictures, but there were chandeliers or lights hanging from the ceiling, and you went inside this little place. You had to crawl in, and that's where they actually were. And then you said a prayer and you'd crawl out.

Also, our guide on the trip was a priest. Not only did he tell us the stories of what happened and where, but he also spoke about the differences between our religion and what some other religions believe. That's not typically something you hear about all the time.

It definitely brought me closer to Christ. It's interesting to actually see and visit the places that we've learned about and heard about our whole lives.

I've always been a strong member of the faith. I grew up in a pretty religious town— East Brunswick. It’s not just Orthodox people; the town is also very Jewish. But in my experience, not many people in my church have dropped off. When you go to college, it's harder to find time to practice your faith, but it’s still doable.