The Last Birthright Blog Post

Birthright Parents and Friends,

 

I never got to say goodbye or post one last blog entry.  Upon returning to the United States, I immediately went to DC for a Hillel Leadership conference that kept me tied up for the better part of the next week.  This is literally the first minute I have had to breath since our wheels touched the JFK tarmac and I wanted to share some thoughts with all of you.

 

You have my gratitude.  Your students were WONDERFUL people and an absolute pleasure to know.  They were attentive, polite, engaged, and thoughtful.  I was so proud of the way they represented themselves.  This is a reflection on YOU, their family and friends.  These students were raised right.  They were prepared to connect with the state of Israel and explore their own Judaism.  Thank YOU for giving me the opportunity to get to share Israel and Judaism with them and trusting us with their health and safety.

 

The trip is not over, though, yet.  No doubt they have told you all about their experiences, showed you pictures, and maybe even brought you valuable souvenirs.  I would challenge you, though, to talk to your students about the trip on a deeper level.  What connections does your family have with the state of Israel?  Share how YOU felt about your student going to Israel with them.  Or, maybe you can tell them about YOUR first experience in Israel.  Become a part of the post-experience dialogue that encourages students to process the trip and reflect on their time in Israel in a deeper and more meaningful way.

 

Also, please consider partnering with Hillel at Syracuse University.  Without your generous support, we cannot afford to offer quality immersion experience, like Birthright, to your students.  If you are interested in making a contribution to Hillel that will sustain our Birthright recruiting and engagement efforts and retain our amazing staff, please contact me via the information below, or go to our website, http://www.suhillel.org/Giving_to_Hillel.aspx.  Remember, over 90% of our funding comes from the support of Hillel friends and family like you.

 

As I told your students on the last evening if the trip, Hillel at Syracuse University is always here for them.  Specifically, I am always here for them, if they need anything.  My offer extends to you, the families for the participants, as well.

Thank you,

Brian

One last night in Jerusalem

Our Bnai Mitzvah celebration - Mazal Tov!

This morning we listened to Avram Infeld speak about the importance of finding and retaining our Jewish identity. He emphasized that JEWISH IS NOT A RELIGION. It is more of a way of life, a home, something that is chaotic and always changing, and whatever you can make of it. He described the Jewish people as being a family all around the world that holds unconditional love for one another, no matter how "good" of a Jew you may be. He talked of the five legs of Judaism, which include memory, family, Mount Sinai, the land and state of Israel, and the Hebrew language. He suggested that to in some way feel connected to three of these things would lead to everyone that is Jewish to feel connected. To me this meant you don't need to be a pro at all things Jewish to be a good Jew. But if you can find a few things about Judaism that sit well with you, that is great in and of itself. I have never felt more connected to the Jewish people than I did this morning listening to Avram speak. 

We then walked over to Yad Vashem and spent about four hours there listening to personal testimonies of the Holocaust, touring the museum with an awesome tour guide, and walking through the children's memorial. The children's memorial surprised me in its simplicity yet vastness. It was as if we were walking into a cave as we sloped a bit downwards into darkness before reaching a room surrounded with mirrors and lit with an indefinite amount of tiny lights. Names, ages, and places of origin of kids that were murdered in the Holocaust were slowly recited from somewhere above us. It was a painful, beautiful, enlightening reflection.

We then headed over to the Shuk at Machaneh Yehuda. It was packed with tons of souvenirs and an unlimited amount of food. We are now back at the hotel waiting for the start of our last Shabbat together. 

Dori

Learning with our Yad Vashem tour guide, Natalie

Starting our day with Avram Infeld

Just another Thursday on Birthright....

Today we visited the Israel Sport Center for the Disabled.  We had the opportunity to play a few rounds of basketball while sitting in wheelchairs, which was a lot of fun.  Reuben spoke to us about the organization's mission and gave us a tour of the facilities, describing how the Center Is not meant to create ghetto of people with disabilities, but rather cultivate confidence and strength.  He was very specific to describe that the facility was created to provide an opportunity for children of all abilities to play and grow.  We also heard from Simi, whose legs are paralyzed.  He currently works at the Center and had previously in sports at the Center for years as a child.  Playing basketball while in wheelchairs and hearing Simi's story certainly made us all think about how lucky we are and about how much in our lives to take for granted.  I think we all left with a great deal of respect and admiration for the commitment to inclusivity of everyone at the Center.

Later in the day we visited Independence Hall in Tel Aviv. We saw the portrait of Theodore Hertzel on the wall and learned about the sequence of events on May 14th 1948.  I found this is experience extremely powerful especially considering out experience the other day at Har Hertzel visiting many graves, including Hertzel's.  To hear snippets of the declaration of Israel as a state, and to understand that the declaration was pronounced in the midst of the War of Independence helped all of us understand just a little bit better how important the State of Israel is to everyone who lives here and how important it is to us as Jews.

We also spent some time shopping in the Old City and at the beach in Tel Aviv.  Unfortunately, at the end of the day, we had to say goodbye to the soldiers who joined our trip for the last few days.  We have really enjoyed spending time with each and every one of them - the rest of our trip won't be the same without them.  We'll just have to come back and visit!

- Hannah

Swimming in the Mediterranean Sea

Israel's Independence Hall

Taking a tour of the Ilon Israel Sport Center for the Disabled...and showing some Orange skills!

Are we on Marshall Street or Yaffo?

Friends of Lampe: Ben Yehuda style

A Visit to Ma'aleh Film School

Syracuse at the Wall

The Kotel - Western Wall

The Ramparts of the Old City of Jerusalem

Climbing the walls...Syracuse invades the Old City!

Views of "New" Jerusalem from the walls of the Old City

Doron explains the layers of Jerusalem history and it's residents/controllers with a little help from Robert and all of our hats!

Perhaps he should not have picked the tallest student for this exercise!  Luckily our soldiers were there to help.