By Melissa Beiser, KESHER Taglit-Birthright Israel alum (Winter 2011-2012)
After returning home from Israel and her KESHER Birthright experience, Melissa Beiser, took the time to send us this letter and accompanying short essay. Melissa has already applied to return to Israel to teach English in elementary schools on the Israel Teaching Fellows program, run by Masa Israel Journeys.
By Sara Aisnberg, KESHER Taglit-Birthright Israel alum
In early January, I had the opportunity of a lifetime to travel throughout Israel for ten days with a popular program for Jewish young adults.
As an American, middle-class, recent college graduate who has lead a moderately-privileged (and moderately–sheltered) life, I expected to have nothing in common with a group of soldiers who have faced war, death and destruction, but haven’t yet set foot inside a college classroom.
I am relieved and so happy to admit that I have never been more wrong.
Lisa Greenberg, a recent alum of a KESHER Taglit-Birthright Israel trip, shared these poetic words with us following her return from Israel.
By Pamela Schuller
Until two weeks ago, I was a Jewish Youth Worker who had never been to Israel. It’s not that I didn’t want to go – between college, jobs over college vacations and working at camp in the summers, finding 10 days to cut myself off from the world and head to Israel just felt impossible. I also wasn’t sure that I needed a trip to Israel. I already felt connected to Judaism and Israel and quite frankly, I don’t love traveling. A discussion was started in a URJ Youth staff meeting about going to Israel and I, almost like revealing a dark secret, admitted that I had never been. I realized how ridiculous that sounded coming from a Jewish youth worker.
Follow along as members of the NFTY staff participate in a Kesher Birthright trip to Israel! Leslie Bass, Logan Zinman, Pam Schuller and staff member Wes Peskin will be checking in, Tweeting and Facebooking every step of the way.
Follow a group of NFTY staff as they travel to Israel for the first time on a KESHER Taglit-Birthright Israel trip! Here, Leslie Bass, Web Associate for the URJ Camp & Israel Programs and NFTY, shares her thoughts on her upcoming journey the night before she departs for Israel.
Jessica James was a participant on a KESHER Taglit-Birthright Israel trip in January 2011. She is currently a student at the University of Minnesota, and is an alumna of NFTY’s Northern Region and the URJ Kutz Camp. In a recent interview, she talks about the lasting experience she had on her Birthright trip.
NFTY President, Forrest Yesnes has been invited to the Jewish American Heritage Month reception at the White House! http://t.co/5kRvyUmb
NFTY President, Forrest Yesnes has been invited to the Jewish American Heritage Month reception at the White House! http://t.co/U6YqzVN7 URJ Chairman Stephen Sacks shares the words of one of EIE's alumni - Elise Oshlag - in his article in this... http://t.co/O5myJmoZ Are you following our participants' blogs? They're writing amazing stories about their time in Israel! Check out... http://t.co/9tHgu0p0