Virtual Israel Experience

Elissa Stransky

For the longest time, Israel meant to me only what I had learned about it on Sunday mornings in religious school. It was a faraway place full of history, and home to our people. This perspective changed completely this past summer when I spent 5 and one-half weeks in the land of Eretz Yisrael.

Joining thousands of fellow N.F.T.Y. members, I traveled to Israel with my friends from Goldman Union Camp, and together all 69 of us comprised N.F.T.Y. Exodus Group 9.

Our adventure began after landing in Athens. We drove to the port of Piraeus, where we would re-enact the exodus of Holocaust survivors in Europe in 1948. For three days, we ate inedible food and succumbed to the ceaseless rocking motion of the boat. We listened to the stories of real participants of the Exodus, and were even trailed by a British Naval ship, just as in 1948. The main difference between our voyage and the one of 1948 was that we arrived in Israel and weren't sent back.

Friends of mine who had gone on the trip in previous years tried to explain to me the feeling that overcomes you when you catch a glimpse of Israel for the first time. I never quite knew the extent of what I would feel until I saw the port of Haifa from the boat. Suddenly, tears welled up in my eyes and began streaming down my face. It's not that Haifa is the most beautiful place in Israel, but it was my first glimpse of my homeland, a place where I'd longed to visit since I began my camp career. This first sight of Israel meant everything to me. It held my hopes and expectations for the trip.

Clichéd as it might be, I found myself kneeling to kiss the ground after we got off the boat. It was at this point that I felt myself beginning to connect to the land of our people.

After boarding buses, we drove to Shuni National Park for a barbecue dinner and a concert in the outdoor amphitheater, complete with singing, dancing, and an explosion of majestic fireworks. This was our welcoming party.

Most of our first week was spent in Jerusalem, with daily excursions and nightlife on Ben Yehuda Street. We stayed at Beit Shmuel; a youth hostel attached to H.U.C. Our first full day was spent walking on the walls of the Old City and praying at the Kotel. The feeling of praying at the Kotel is inexplicable. All I can say is that it is an incredibly spiritual experience. The second day was spent in historical Jerusalem. The third day of the trip was my personal favorite. We went on an archaeological dig for a day in Tel Maresha. We actually got to do the digging ourselves, and I myself uncovered many pottery shards and bones that dated back 2200 years. That night we camped in a Bedouin tent, where we were awakened at 3:50 in the morning to begin our ascent of Massada, where King Herod's palace once stood. Climbing up took only 8 minutes. What a reward it was to see the sun rising above the distant hills! As if to keep our egos in check about how easy the ascent was, we took the Snake Path on our descent of Massada. I was so scared that my counselor, Josh, had to hold my hand the whole way down to keep me from fainting. My knees were knocking together so hard you would have thought I had invented a new dance.

Our fifth day was spent in Tipori and Tzfat. Since it was the Sabbath, both towns were deserted, so the day was a little boring. By this time, we were staying on Kibbutz Yehiam. Since we did not have to work, it was nice to be able to come back from our excursions and rest.

The first day of our second week was spent learning about Islam and Christianity. We spent part of the day in Acco, where we visited a beautiful mosque. The rest of the day was spent in a small Arab village, where we attempted to interact with the locals. The majority of our second week was spent with a host family. Our group was split between the cities of Nahariya and Carmiel, both not far from Haifa. Together, with our Israeli friends, we climbed the Arbel Cliff, visited ancient Bar'am and the Golan Heights. I found the explanation of the tension over the Heights very interesting. I now understand what all the fighting is about, and am able to take a position on the peace process. During the Sabbath with our hosts, we went to Haifa and had services, followed by a disco and a movie. It was fun to go out at night with the Israelis and their American guests (my friends) and enjoy their typical nightlife. This home-stay was also very humbling, as I learned what it is like to be a teen living in modern Israel. I felt ashamed of what a spoiled brat I can be, after noticing the lack of a dishwasher, microwave, dryer, and central air-conditioning in my host's house. The difference between what is important to them and what is important to us seemed vast. Despite their different conveniences, the hosts did a wonderful job of accommodating us and making us feel at home. Never have I met such warm, hospitable people.

Directly from the home-stay, we departed for Chavaya. Chavaya is the week where we were able to choose from 4 adventures: an archaeological dig; Gadna (the Israeli Army); working on a kibbutz; and hiking from the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) to the Mediterranean on Sea to Sea. I chose Sea to Sea, and it was challenging! I found that I often had to force myself to continue, even though I had no energy left. We began Sea to Sea with a short hike through the tributaries of the Jordan River. The next few days were the hardest, when we hiked anywhere from 12 to 17 kilometers each day. We were split into groups of 11 and 12, and had to learn how to cooperate and work together in order to prepare breakfast and lunch, as well as find our way. We were given a map and a meeting point and let loose. Throughout these 3 days, we traversed through the second highest mountain in Israel, Mount Meron, as well as through dried riverbeds. This wasn't just your average trail hiking, either. This was your knee-skinning rock climbing. The fourth and final day, we biked for 15 kilometers. Although a good portion of this ride was downhill, much of it was also over unpaved, rocky surfaces. We were all very sore by the time we reached the Mediterranean, but we were also extremely proud of what we had accomplished and how hard we pushed ourselves in the past few days. Forty miles (56 kilometers) in 4 days is nothing to thumb your nose at.

Directly from Chavaya, we went to Tel Aviv where we actually got to stay in a hotel. This was a treat after sleeping on the hard ground for 4 nights. While in Tel Aviv, we visited Rabin Square, the sight of Yitzchak Rabin's last speech and his assassination. We also went to the Diaspora Museum, which visually explained the dispersion of Jews in the world after events such as the destruction of the Temples and the Holocaust. Shabbat brought the opportunity to stay with friends and relatives for the weekend, or just lay around the hotel.

Part of the fourth week was spent hiking and camping in the Negev Desert. Since I had gone on Sea to Sea, I was used to sleeping on the hard ground and eating the less-than-gourmet food. I was also used to sweating and not being able to shower. Since I was better prepared than those who didn't participate in Sea to Sea, I think I enjoyed the experience more than they did! Our first night in the desert we rode camels and camped in a Bedouin tent. The camel ride was fun, but also scary, as the camel lifted itself while you were on its back. My camel was a little feisty, as it bit the Bedouin who was trying to help me off. Yet another camel threw my friend Rachel off as she was trying to get down. They don't seem to be the friendliest of animals. During our Negev experience, we went to Eilat one afternoon, where we had the opportunity to swim in the Red Sea and shop at the mall. We also snorkeled on a coral reef.

We returned to Jerusalem to spend our final week. Our final Shabbat and Havdallah together were both spiritual and emotional. We visited Yad V' Shem, the Holocaust Museum/Memorial. This was an emotional experience for all of us, as feelings of anger, disgust, and sadness were evoked at the gruesome sights in the photographs on display. We also visited Latrun, the Armored Corps Museum/Memorial. Here, we saw tanks from Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Israel. As neat as it was, it made me sick that these killing machines are still in constant use today. I would have much preferred it if they had been on display as obsolete relics. Ammunition Hill was another place we visited. It was a major battle site in the War of 1967. Following that visit, we went to Har Herzl, the military cemetery, where Theodore Herzl, the founder of Zionism, Yitzchak Rabin, and Golda Meir, the only woman Prime Minister, are all buried. I was chosen to read at Rabin's grave the eulogy that his granddaughter gave at his funeral. It was very powerful to read it and be standing next to where he is buried. Our second-to-last day was spent at the Dead Sea. It was really fun to just fall right in and float right back up to the surface. Of course, if you had open sores or got it in your eyes, it wasn't so fun; it only burned. Our final day was well spent planting trees in the J.N.F. Forest. This ritual is symbolic of taking back the land that was promised to us by God. We were given one last opportunity to go to the Kotel before we had to check our baggage and head to Tel Aviv. We had our final banquet at a nice restaurant in Tel Aviv, and spent our final hours relishing each other's company. Nobody got much sleep, and we were all sluggish as we made our way through the airport. No one wanted to leave the land we had grown to know and love.

Now that I am home, I can honestly say that I enjoyed the summer of a lifetime. I realize how blessed I am to have had this opportunity to visit the land of my people, and can only hope to return there soon. It is amazing how comfortable I felt in Israel, not only as a Jew, but as a visitor. I really felt at home. Though there were trying times with my peers (living so closely together for so long will do that), there is no other group of people that I would have rather shared this experience of a lifetime with than the members of Exodus Group 9. We all grew a little in Israel. Not only did we learn about the land, the culture, and the history, we learned about ourselves and our love of Judaism. This trip strengthened our Jewish identity and made us proud to call ourselves the Chosen People.

Elissa is a junior at Milford High School. She is a member of Temple Sholom and a student at the Cincinnati Reform Jewish High School. She was a camper at G.U.C.I. from 1996 until 1999. She is a member of N.F.T.Y.

Copyright 2010 The American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise