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Hillel Sends 850 to Israel
January 14, 2003Comments (0) | Add | E-mail this to a friend  Students Visit Despite Unrest
(Washington, D.C. -- January 13) Visiting Israel would be a strong show of solidarity for most people. But for some Hillel students, touring the Jewish state wasn't enough. Motivated by a double suicide bombing the day before, 200 students rolled up their sleeves and participated in a drive to help relieve the country's blood shortage.
"I have never given blood before in my life," said Matt Ratz of the University of Maryland, College Park. "But being here, doing what I've been doing and seeing what I've seen, I thought this was a wonderful way to give something back for the gift of this birthright israel trip."
Ratz is one of 800 students who recently visited Israel through a variety of Hillel programs. Several local Hillel Foundations conducted their own trips, while 650 students from different campuses and communities participated in Hillel's birthright israel program. Ranging from volunteering on an army base to participating in a leadership training program, each trip offered its own unique approach to Israel.
Hillels from the Detroit and Philadelphia areas organized programs for students who had already been to Israel and wanted to show their support for the country. These groups participated in the Volunteers for Israel program where students performed various tasks on an army base.
Hillel students from throughout the Toronto area attended a leadership training program called Hadracha. Through a mix of seminars and lectures, students met with activists, political experts, and newsmakers to learn more about Israel.
Hillel's birthright israel program this year offered several innovative approaches to seeing Israel, including a group for recent college graduates and a photography-based trip. The Peace and Politics Trip, organized with the Anti-Defamation League and the New Israel Fund, allowed students to meet with experts and officials involved with Israel's continuing effort to make peace with its neighbors. Participant Andrew Klein from University of North Carolina said, "This program particularly appealed to me because of the current crisis in the Middle East. I thought this would be the best opportunity to learn about the situation. I now have a much better understanding of Israel's history and why it is essential for the Jewish people."
The Explore Israel Campus Trip group from Los Angeles also performed a tzedek (social justice) project in Jerusalem. "We had an awesome time on the project packing boxes of food for needy families. We had fun and we were doing something good at the same time," said Jill Kronick from the University of California, Berkeley. Yossi Martel from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas added, "It was a great opportunity to bond with the group and give back to fellow Jews in the community."
Hillel's birthright israel students were touring Jerusalem when two suicide bombers struck Tel Aviv. "I never felt a moment of danger," said Jennifer Trotter of Texas A&M. "Israeli cities feel like cities back in the States."
The students were pleased that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon took time from his schedule on the day of the bombing to address thousands of birthright israel participants at a Mega Event in Jerusalem. University of Pennsylvania student Keren Friede said, "It just stunned me not only that he came to speak to us, but that we were 4,000 Jewish young people from around the world joining together in Jerusalem singing and dancing. We all sang 'Am Yisrael Chai' (the people of Israel lives). I've never been prouder to be Jewish."
Learn more about the adventures of Hillel's birthright israel Trip in Notes from the Road.
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