Today's class discussion got me thinking a lot about my experience in Israel.
I went to Israel in the summer of 2005 with 98 people from my camp, URJ Camp Harlam, on NFTY's L'dor V'dor/Exodus Trip (almost the same trip as the NFTY Safari that was discussed in the ethnography we read) and upwards of 570 participants overall. The trip consisted of three parts: First we flew to the Czech Republic and spent four days in Prague where we learned about the Jewish community there and visited Terezin (A deportation camp from the Holocaust, and camp where the poem "The Last Butterfly" was written). Then we flew to Cyprus where we boarded a boat and spent three days traveling across the Mediterranean. During our "cruise" (if you can call it that) we re-enacted the Exodus mission and got to learn a lot about the first pioneers and Zionists to land in Israel. And the third part was four weeks in the actual country of Israel. During the month spent in Israel, I had the opportunity to travel the country according to the historical chronology. I hiked Masada at sunrise, floated in the dead sea, hiked 50+ miles from the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) to the Mediterranean, spent a night in a Bedouin tent, experienced Jersualem, and much more.
I think that my Israel trip was the perfect way that I could have experienced Israel for the first as a 16 year old with a strong connection to Judaism. Despite what was said in class, I believe that these Israel programs do provide the participants with great experiences. I can understand why some may see these programs as being very "cookie cutter" and "idealistic" views of life in Israel, but I am not sure that is the point of these trips. I certainly did not expect to go to Israel for a month and come out of my trip understanding what life in Israel was like. I was expecting to experience the country for what it has to offer, even if that means doing it in your typical "tourist" ways. I don't think my trip would have been as meaningful, or left me dreaming of the day that I can return to Israel, if I had been living the day to day life of an Israeli citizen as my first experience with the country. Unlike the group in the ethnography we read... I went, I saw, and I remember almost everything. Sure, a few details may be fuzzy- I cannot tell you what I did all day every day- but I can tell you that I came out of my trip feeling more connected to my Jewish life than ever before, and I still have that feeling.
Well, that was my two cents. Take it or leave it, I just needed to get my thoughts out there.
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Thank you for this post. I needed someone to tell me that their Israel trip was all it was hyped up to be because i am going there this summer and not for a very long time. I am happy that you had a great time and I hope it will impact me as much as it did yourself. I only wish you had said more in class. Is there anything that you recommend I must do because I do not want to miss out on a must see event. Why do you think so many disagree with the intentions of these trips and try to stress more to go longer and truly immerse yourself into the State of Israel? I feel like the reason for such a quick planned trip is to keep the idea of Israel as this amazing and inspiring place alive. I am in such a desperate search for answers to everything in life and especially in Judaism and that is why I love talking about these different subjects, and I hope that the Israel continues to bring more answers. Thanks again for your post.
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