By Justin Baris
This is the fourth in a series of posts by participants in NFTY in Israel’s new Shlichut Noar NFTY program.
NFTY in Israel’s Shlichut Noar NFTY program (Young NFTY Ambassadors) is a unique fellowship that trains participants to be effective communicators and advocates for Israel programming upon returning to North America. During the summer, the shlichim participated in a four-day extension of their NFTY in Israel trip, where they met with Israelis who were shlichim themselves in North America, explored the notion of transformative moments, and took part in hands-on workshops on learning styles, group dynamics, leadership, and program writing skills. Following the summer trip, shlichim have monthly follow up sessions and ongoing learning opportunities to further increase their Jewish identity and connection to Israel. Teens who complete the program will earn certification as a peer Israel educator for NFTY and the URJ, and each teen will have multiple opportunities to share their programs and stories with their NFTY Region, Regional Camp and synagogue.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…it was having to say goodbye to all of our group mates whom we had become so close with over the past 29 days. Tears were shed, laughs were to be had, and reflection on the past month’s experiences was unavoidable. As a member of an extremely close-knit Kvutza Shmone (Group 8), the airport was one of the most difficult moments of our entire trip. Being pulled away from our group mid-hug was not exactly the best experience, but well worth it once we arrived back in Jerusalem after the long return drive from Ben Gurion Airport.
As we all sat quietly in the van returning to Jerusalem, there was a somber mood in the uncirculated bus air. We had just been ripped apart from the group whom we saw all day, every day for the past month. We tried talking to each other to move past it, but this was not even an option. The damage had been done. We now realized that at this point, the rest of our Israel experience would not be the same.
There was no true indication of where we were going. As far as we knew, we were just going to our hostel to go to bed. To our surprise, the bus stopped suddenly and pulled to the side of the road. We were told to get out of the bus (still teary eyed from an hour earlier mind you) and follow Roey and Beth a short distance up a path. What we saw when we got to the top of a small hill on this path is worth every second that we spend in Israel without the rest of our full groups.
What we saw is hard for me to describe to myself in my own mind, let alone writing it in this post. The best way I can do it is straightforward. Unbeknownst to us, we were actually on the campus of the Hebrew Union College of Jerusalem. What we saw from this vantage point was a sight to see. It was the Old City, a very basic, yet intriguing view of this ancient metropolis. From where we stood, all we could see was the wall, all lit up and standing proud as a symbol of our Jewish heritage and history in this land of Israel.
Just a plain, stone wall from over 4000 years ago may not be that impressive to some people, but to me it symbolizes many things. The most important of these things is the idea that Jews aren’t going down without a fight. As much as people dislike us, try to drive us out of our homeland, and attempt to kill us, the Jews are here to stay. This stone wall stands as a testament to our will to survive adversity and whatever our enemies might throw at us.
Within a few short hours, going from the emotional tragedy of love and loss, to seeing a testament of why we are truly here, it truly brings this experience full circle. As sad as you may be to lose something, you have to understand what other people lost to fight for what you still have, and the walls of the Old City and even Israel are a true example of this simple, yet lifelong fact.
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