Israel Birthright day 1

Before I write about the cultural experiences I have been afforded by the Israel Birthright trip, I want to take a moment to talk about something rather serious and very important. Going abroad, even through a certified organization, is a tremendous undertaking. Visitors, especially women, need to travel together and always be with at least one companion. I advise to keep your head on a swivel and pay attention to the environment. Anything can happen. Don’t let your instinct to be polite sacrifice your safety and well- being. Trust your instincts. It is ok to say “no.” Your health and safety is more important than any object or amount of money. Be careful and stay together. Fun is better when it is shared anyway.

For the last several months I have been doing a lot of inquiry into my identity in search of discovering my passions. I have been forced to make a series of personal and professional changes that really rocked my world and made me wonder what my purpose might be. I have always felt like an outsider, not really fitting in with anything. I didn’t subscribe to a standard social clique, I studied a myriad of interdisciplinary subjects in school, and I appreciate the itinerant lifestyle void of plans and filled with adventure and new people. When birthright approached me for the final time before I aged out of the program I decided to go for it. A free trip anywhere sounded good and for once my dad was totally on board. Dad can be very stubborn and to be honest, I could have used a break from my life for a little while. Ten days without having to think or plan or do anything but soak in the experience. Sign me up.

Sign up I did and to my surprise, my sister would be joining the group. We hadn’t seen very much of each other for the last few years and I knew this would be the last opportunity to do anything of this magnitude with her before we started our lives as full- fledged adults.

The night I got in to New York, my sister greeted me outside her apartment in pajamas and fuzzy slippers. Clearly she needed help packing. We chatted as we sorted her things and honestly, I was shocked we weren’t fighting or pushing each other’s buttons. I figure we were both feeling the same anxiety about the next day. We got up around 6 and met everyone at the airport around 9. The four hours before the flight passed surprisingly quickly. We had a series of interviews and security protocol in order to get near the gate. Even after being assigned seats people were moved around at random.  I met one of the nicest people in my group while waiting to board and lucky me, we were going to sit next to each other! Before I could feel much elation there was an orthodox woman waiting to switch with him so she didn’t have to sit next to a man. Poop.

On the positive side, the orthodox woman taught me a lot on route to Israel. She was an American who moved to Israel to live in a kibbutz in her early twenties. I was lucky to be getting an inside look into Israeli history before the trip even started.

My first “wow” moment occurred when I stepped off the plane and looked out at the verdant hillside. I was in Israel.  Sweet gumdrops I was in Israel! I didn’t see military at every door or tanks casually rolling down the streets. This was a normal, albeit ancient and rocky mound of land. The energy felt different from my expectations. It was soft and calm and I instantly felt more connected to my surroundings and the people around me. We were in this together for the next ten days. We were mishpucha now.

The first cultural destination was Tsfat, a place bubbling with Judaic history and spirituality. The views of the mountains in the distance were as stunning as the artwork fashioned beside them. I was particularly intrigued by the families and children wearing modest clothing accented with symbolic adornments, walking rather than driving throughout the city. There is nothing like it in the states and nothing quite like this place in the rest of Israel other than Jerusalem, easily one of my favorite destinations. The people in this community were the best part of the experience. They were so vibrant and full of passion for their ancestry and the land. I wish I could believe in something as powerfully as they do.