Jewish Community News

News: September 2008

Kehillah graduates travel to Israel

On May 19, seventeen seniors from Kehillah Jewish High School departed on a three-week-long class trip to Israel. The purpose of the trip was “to allow them to experience firsthand the history, people, and culture they have been learning about for years,” says Mike Friedman, Kehillah’s director of guidance and the coordinator of the trip. “By going to Israel,” he adds, “students get an incredible experiential education that cannot be found in the classroom.” The trip, led by Israel’s Nesiya Institute, had a profound impact on the students. At one point Friedman “took a group of students to a Carlebach service in Tzvat on Erev Shabbat. The service involved a lot of singing and dancing,” and to Mr. Friedman’s surprise, “even the shy students who often watched from the sidelines grabbed hands with the Orthodox men and danced in circles and clapped their hands as they sang out in praise.” Afterwards, he asked one of the students about the experience. The student replied, “To me, I just experienced a ‘joyous celebration.’ Prayer has never been that for me before.”   Seven of the students on the trip were asked to share their thoughts on paper.

Jeffrey Cohn
    “In Tzfat, going to the traditional Shabbat service with the Orthodox Jewish [community] was really cool. You could sense the history… the place is 600 years old.
   “Being Jewish, I’ve heard all my life that we have some sort of responsibility to go to Israel. People say that because there is so much Jewish history there. People walk around ancient ruins next to sidewalks and parking lots. I always thought of myself as a Jew in America, but in Israel there is a tangible sense of history. Everything connects you to your past… It feels different to be a Jew in Israel. I never felt that [my religion] was part of something much greater until I went to Israel.”

Justin Goss
     “We were going to the Kotel. At first it was kind of underwhelming because I was expecting to see something much bigger, but when I tried to really think about it I had an experience that was the closest thing to G-d that I’ve [ever] seen or felt.
   “Israel is a place where spiritual belief meets the material world, and that explains why people are so willing to live and die for the [country].”

Tom Albert
   “My goal was to create a relationship with Israel that didn’t have to do with my family. Every step I take I see something new that relates to history. Now I feel like Israel is another home to me. Before [I thought of] Israel [only] as the place where my family was, while now I also see it in a historical context.
      “[I learned to] let go of what I expected it to be – you need to go in open-minded. People had a lot of different expectations and enjoyed what they saw [in different ways]…  Also, in Israel everything around you has historical relevance. A 2,000-year-old wall is still there, and it is still important.”

Aaron Murphy
     “Hiking through the Negev was almost surreal because there was nothing living. It was beautiful and so different from what I grew up with.
   “[After going to Israel] I feel more independent. Before I wasn’t sure how I felt about the security fence and now I have pretty firmly decided that it is a good thing. We went out to see the fence itself. My views were colored by many people at home who hadn’t even been to Israel, so I was given second-hand information. When I saw it for myself my views changed and solidified.
    “Going to Israel helped me experience my heritage, where I come from, and [I can use] that to help figure out who I am.”

Chantal Page
     “We celebrated Shabbat in Tzfat, where I chose to go to this really awesome women’s service that was different than any other service I’ve been to. We mostly chanted lines from psalms. It was a very nice, comforting experience.
     “Now I have a stronger interest in Israeli politics and a stronger connection with Israel in general. It’s compelling to be in a place with so much history, where such a progressive people live in an ancient city. Going on the trip made me decide to apply for a scholarship to go on Young Judea next year. I look forward to studying in Israel for a year, experiencing more of the culture, and coming to a better understanding of my Jewish identity.”

Jeffrey Singer
     “The most memorable moment was the early morning hike to the Western Wall on Shavuot. It was amazing to watch the sun rise over the Western Wall and to see more Jews in one place than I had ever seen in my life.
   “[Israel is] fun because lots of places accommodate tourists. There’s something for everyone. If you like nature there’s the Golan. If you like cities, there is Tel-Aviv, if you’re religious, there is the Western Wall, if you’re not religious, there are downtown areas like Ben-Yehuda Street and Shanken Street.”

Rachel Toth
  “Hiking through the desert was the first thing we did when we got there and we bonded, walking the same [paths] our ancestors did. Walking through the Old City was amazing because you don’t really get to experience [the feel of a place] through pictures.
    “Now I understand what Israel had to go through to become a state. [Visiting] made me want to be more patriotic because so many there have a purpose – fighting for their country. I’d like to have a purpose like that.