I boarded the plane with my boots tied tight and my backpack filled to capacity. I was on my way to a mind expanding soul-searching journey. When I settled into my seat and put on my headphones I began to recall the specific events that led me to this particular moment in time.
It started off with a seemingly innocuous newspaper article in the Jewish Star advertising a three week long trip to volunteer in Israel. The article enticed me and I applied. I then resumed with my life as normal. To make a long story short, two interviews later, and I'm on the plane on my way to "The Land of Milk and Honey".
The program advertised was Kefiada, a three-week camp that teaches and reinforces English in Israeli children. It is run through Partnership 2000, a program that bridges communities in Israel with communities in the United States. I went under the auspices of Jewish Federation of Middlesex County along with 9 others from the NJ cluster of Federations.
Our trip began with a three-day orientation at Givat Haviva a settlement just outside of Haifa. The program gave us time to meet with kids from across the country who are participating in the same program in different communities in Israel. We also spent a great deal of time planning and preparing for the camp experience that was soon to follow.
From Givat Haviva our group split in two and we traveled to a Jewish identity seminar. Half of the group went to Tzfat and the other half (my half) went to Jerusalem. We stayed at a place called Livnot-U-Lehibanot that gives Jewish Identity seminars.
We were bombarded with classes on Jewish Identity and saw the sights of the old city. However I think the most spiritually stimulating experience for me was being a part of a traditional Shabbat. It awoke feelings in me that I never knew I had. I felt a oneness with the people around me, and a bond with my religion. The experience included cooking the traditional meal, Friday night services on the roof of Livnot with the sun setting over the city and an Oneg and Havdallah. We sang Ninguns and had the third meal together over a discussion of the week's torah portions.
This was amazing, and laying tfillin at the wall, made me weep, my mind filled with a montage of my own Jewish heritage. The numbers on my Grandpa's arm, my Bar-Mitzvah, Rosh HaShonah in the Cat Skills, and the horah at my aunt's wedding. While all this was awe inspiring, I don't think any of this prepared me for what was to come next. In the next three weeks we did not only see Israel as outsiders or tourists, we literally became a part of it. We lived and worked in a community, and we taught the children. We ate with our host families and learned of the subtle but distinct cultural differences amongst us. The feeling of gratification I felt when my campers began to slowly understand the basics of English was indescribable.
In each camp group we had two American counselors and one Israeli counselor. This was not only invaluable in the sense that the Israeli counselors helped bridge the language barrier, but also gave us insight into how people around our own age lived in Israel.
We found out about their fear of joining the army coupled with their immense national pride. We learned they were not any more or less religious than us and we learned that they to like to watch MTV.
Overall the last month has been about introspection, about examining myself and my religion, about questions and answers. Its has also been about understanding and acceptance. Acceptance is what Israel really means to me. No matter how religious one is, or how secular; whether you speak Hebrew, English or Arabic; whether you like MTV or not. In Israel you are a Jew, and you belong. You belong not only to a religion, but a culture, and a not only a culture, a nation.