Israel and Me, Arielle Bledsoe

Israel and Me

After our senior Israel trip, we were asked to write about our connection to Israel. In spirit of Yom Ha’atzmaut, I would like to share what Israel means to me.

My Israel is home. My connection to Israel goes beyond words. It is more of a feeling, a longing to be in Israel. I love the physical landscape. The ability to wander the desert, bargain in a crowded shuk, and inhale the lush greenery of seemingly endless forests in a few hours of each other leaves me in awe. How can a country with so little land have so much to offer?

My love does not end with the physicality of the landscape. The ability to feel loved and cared for by strangers on the street is something nonexistent in other places. The ability to feel safer walking alone at night in Bat Yam than I do in Chicago draws me to return to Israel. The ability to see my faith become stronger and more clear with every visit amazes me. The warmth of Israeli culture embraces me more than the cool nature of Americans.

In my recent preparation meeting for my IDF service, the question of feeling more Israeli than American was raised. See Bledsoe, next page

Arielle Bledsoe, RZJHS 2020

Bledsoe, from previous page

Our Senior Israel Experience helped answer this question for me. When I landed at Ben Gurion, I felt a pang of sadness in my chest. I knew that I would have to leave again in a mere two weeks. At the same time, my heart raced with excitement. I was home. At the end of our trip, I was sad again because I knew I had to return to a place I do not belong. Being raised in an Israeli house definitely shaped my personality and Israeli identity.

From the dirt on the ground of Kiryat Gat to the high rise buildings of Tel Aviv, the special feeling in my chest remained. Of course, there are many more beautiful places in the world. Places with more history and awe-inspiring developments. So I ask myself: Why do I only experience this feeling when I am in Israel?

There are two parts to answering this question. First, because it is in my blood. I was mainly raised by my mother and safta, both of which were born in Israel. My heritage is important to me, something that I have always been interested in learning more about. In my family, I am the first generation to not have been born in Israel. Most of my maternal family still lives in Israel, and I am very close to them. Following the trip, I explained to my mom that if she and my safta were from Spain, I would have a connection to Spain. A large percentage of my love for Israel is by coincidence. If my father was still married to my mom, I would likely be joining the U.S. Navy like the majority of my paternal family.

Second, I love Israel. The achievements made by Israelis leave me in awe. How can a country do so much in only seventy-one years? When I studied at the Technion this past summer, I was left speechless by the high number of breakthroughs in medicine, science, and technology. When I traveled with Diller Teen Fellows in the summer before junior year, I experienced the unity of people from all different backgrounds and countries in Israel. I also explored new places that I have never seen before.

The year before, in 2017, I competed in the Maccabiah games for karate. I trained at an Israeli martial arts studio and saw first hand the amazing physical abilities and determination of Israeli athletes. During my first trip to Israel, I met over seventy members of my family who welcomed me with the most open arms I have ever encountered.

The fusion of culture, history, nature, and family is what defines my love and passion for the state of Israel. I know Israel has flaws. But these flaws add to its character. People often ask me why I am joining tzaha”l. My answer is both simple and unexplainable: I belong there.