The Last Post: An Airing of Grievances & A Heartfelt Thank You

Birthright Parents and Friends,

 

I never got to say goodbye or post one last blog entry.  Upon returning to the United States, I immediately returned to my family. With a 16 month old and a pregnant wife, I had a lot of work and chores to catch up on when I returned.

My daughter says hello:

Cutest. Kid. Ever. I missed her tons.

Let me first start by addressing something that was talked about a lot on the trip… a lot…

The itinerary was a challenge. We did not stay in the hotels we usually stay in. We did not have as many nights out as other trips have had in the past. We spent a LOT of time on the bus. But, overall, the itinerary was NOT as dramatically changed or flawed as some of the students implied. And as this was my third trip to Israel on Birthright, I feel very qualified to make this declaration.

The reality is that with the Pope, Justin Timberlake, and Jerusalem Day, the itinerary was different than the typical itinerary, YES. But it was not BAD and there were not the drastic changes that the students seemed to believe (we never spend a night in Tel Aviv, for instance… I don't know where they came up with that). And, as I declared to the students in our closing meeting, the worst 10 days on Birthright are still the BEST 10 days of your life… away from school, work, etc. Birthright is a gift. It is a priceless gift, regardless of the itinerary.

There is a bigger issue, though. Birthright, organizationally, has some major challenges ahead of it. Specifically, the tone of OUR trip (and many other trips for our peer schools by what I have learned from peers and Birthright administrators) was drastically changed because of the newly eligible Birthright participants and the general increase in the number of participants who have been to Israel before. Originally, Birthright's mission was intended to accommodate students who have never been to Israel before. This year, it's become abundantly clear that Birthright's future programming must also cater to more experienced students who are looking for more than just an introductory experience. Birthright must create experiences for the second-time participant and offer special opportunities for these groups of students. This is something I will advocate for moving forward and a narrative that may explain why some of our participants were underwhelmed with some of the elements of the trip.

Okay. Let's move on.

 

You have my gratitude.  Your students were WONDERFUL people and an absolute pleasure to know.  They were attentive, polite, engaged, and thoughtful.  I was so proud of the way they represented themselves.  This is a reflection on YOU, their family and friends.  These students were raised right.  They were prepared to connect with the state of Israel and explore their own Judaism.  Thank YOU for giving me the opportunity to get to share Israel and Judaism with them and trusting us with their health and safety.

 

The trip is not over, though, yet.  No doubt they have told you all about their experiences, showed you pictures, and maybe even brought you valuable souvenirs.  I would challenge you, though, to talk to your students about the trip on a deeper level.  What connections does your family have with the state of Israel?  Share how YOU felt about your student going to Israel with them.  Or, maybe you can tell them about YOUR first experience in Israel.  Become a part of the post-experience dialogue that encourages students to process the trip and reflect on their time in Israel in a deeper and more meaningful way.

 

As I told your students on the last evening if the trip, Hillel at Syracuse University is always here for them. Specifically, I am always here for them, if they need anything.  My offer extends to you, the families for the participants, as well.

Thank you,

Brian

The Last Pics

Sorry for the delay getting these online. The last few days were kinda nuts in the best possible way.

Welcome to Jerusalem; Jerusalem of Gold on Mount Scopus

When In Doubt, Go Camp!

It's Tuesday, marking one week exactly since we landed in Tel Aviv airport and came home to Israel. Let's reflect on that, because when our fearless leader Brian welcomed us home in Israel, it felt a little bit like a superficial sentiment to me. Of course, Israel was our people's home, but our real home was with our friends and families in the US. Israel is meaningful to us as the birthplace of our faith, but the challenge that our group unconsciously faced was the transformation of our feelings towards Israel. That's the real purpose of a Birthright trip: taking a biblical place that has religious meaning and welcoming it into our hearts with genuine emotion. I hope I speak for everybody when I say that Israel has taken a special place in my heart, with special memories and incredible experiences that I wouldn't trade for anything.

Every Birthright group is different: we have a group that was fairly tight in the beginning, but wasn't a bonded family. Now, seven days later, we have become very close (figuratively and literally; riding that bus for a total of three hours a day presents its own special challenges), and we have achieved that bond the only way a group of twenty year old college students and soldiers can: CAMP. I mean, down and dirty, late night chill sesh, bonfire camp experience.

Most of us have experienced camp in one form or another. There's nothing like kicking back with a couple of beers and s'mores with your best friends, running around outside playing Manhunt, or having what is essentially a massive three month sleepover. Now, we are twenty years old or so, and camp is a thing for kids, yeah? Well, we here at the Syracuse Hillel Birthright say nay! Our group dynamic has changed considerably since we've begun our trip because we've let our inner child come out. With that attitude, we've been able to appreciate the small things as well as the more spectacular adventures. We've learned to trust each other because we've been able to let our guard down in this intense, intimate, but liberating environment. By not taking ourselves and this trip extremely seriously, we've allowed bonds of genuine emotion to form, connecting us to Israel in a way that will not be easily forgotten. 

When we picked up the Israeli soldiers in Tel Aviv, we were warned that our dynamic would shift again. Yes, that happened, but that does not imply that it was a bad thing for our group: quite the opposite, in fact. We added more people who, in the end were just like us: young adults who loved to live life, learn, and make friends. I'd like to share a story of how the Israeli kids helped to cement our group today. 

We played camp games. The Israelis set up several team bonding activities to help us blow off steam and bond. (I'm sure the comedic value provided was not unappreciated either.) We had super soakers, violent musical chairs, and skits that allowed us to channel our inner comedians in a bid to satirize our experience in Israel. After two hours, a couple of broken chairs, two soaking wet gentlemen, and general hilarity, we were exhausted, hungry, and laughing our way to better abs.

Our trip in Israel comes with a lot of expectations: responsibility, insightful reflection, and appreciation of the gift we've been given. However, one lesson we've learned is the appreciation of each other as a member of our new family. Even if we get cranky or annoyed, we've come to understand that the group is valuable because everybody is here in Israel experiencing this magnificent country right alongside each other. Israel is now home to us, because we've made new friends and family that will always keep our memories of this trip alive.

With Love and Hugs,

Mary Rachel Keville

Classy Drinking at a Winery in the Golan

Muslim School Meeting With Students

Jillian Takes Selfies with Sleepers Pt. 3

#JillianSleepingSelfies

A Note From The Bat Mitzvah Girl

Growing up in a small town in Maine, there weren't many opportunities to get involved with Judaism. Despite there being three churches within five minutes' walking distance of each other in the quiet town where I've lived my whole life, the closest synagogue is more than a few highway exits away. As you can imagine, there isn't much of a Jewish community established in a town where the graduating class averages around a hundred and the traffic lights start blinking at 9pm, so for me, going to SU and going on Birthright has been an amazing opportunity to learn about my religious and cultural background. Don't get me wrong- I've always considered myself Jewish culturally and religiously - but as far as the latter goes, the emphasis has always been on the "ish". I was worried going in to Birthright without a childhood filled with Hebrew lessons and Shabbat services that I'd have a hard time fitting in with a group who mostly all grew up knowing their alef bets and parshas, but I am happy to report I couldn't have been more wrong. No one has laughed at my clumsy Hebrew or inability to sing along at prayers, but instead have been eager to answer all my questions (who is this sabbath bride? What is a tabernacle?). No one has made me feel like I don't belong, or that I don't deserve to be here. Many have told me how excited they are to share their knowledge of Judaism with me and for me to experience the things that they have always taken for granted.

 When Brian told me about the opportunity to have a bat mitzvah, there was no question in my mind that I wanted to do it. I wasn't sure if this was going to be the bat mitzvah I'd dreamt of, but it could not have been more amazing. Stripped of the commercialized party aspect that often goes hand in hand with American bar mitzvahs, in a small room in a kibbutz surrounded by people I'd just met, all dressed in bathing suit cover ups and shorts, led by another student (thank you Rabbi Dave Kimmelburg) it could have not been more perfect. It was not a traditional bat mitzvah (from what I can tell- I've only ever been to two b'nei mitzvot), but it was so fitting for me. It was meaningful, intimate, casual, and everyone was so eager to make it special for me from participating in the service to lifting me for the hora, and I could not be more grateful.

One thing I was not sure of is whether or not being bat mitzvah'd made me any more Jewish than I already was, or if Jewishness was even a quantifiable trait. Being in the desert, seeing Masada, learning Hebrew phrases, discussing Judaism, and being called to the Torah have all strengthened my connection to my Judaic background, but I don't believe I'm any more or less Jewish than when this trip began. Taglit translates to discovery, and for me, that's exactly what these past five days have been about. This experience may have helped me discover more about Judaism, but it has also helped me to realize that there are so many ways to be Jewish and celebrate Jewishness, and that however it becomes meaningful to each and every individual is the right way for them. I have always been Jewish, but through Taglit, I have never felt more connected in more ways than I do now. So please, let me take the time to publicly thank Brian, Jillian, Yishay, and all of my fellow birth righters for giving me a bat mitzvah I will always treasure, and for teaching me a lesson that I will never forget. This experience has truly been what Taglit is about.  

With love from Israel,

-AbbyLeigh, The Bat Mitzvah Girl

Good Morning Golan

Tzfat Text Study & Music

Tel Aviv. Old New.

Before coming on birthright, I was told that Israel is a mix of old and new; the history of Israeli independence intertwined with high-tech startups equivalent to those located in San Francisco's Silicon Valley. During the past few days, our group has trekked through the Negev desert and tried to experience life like our ancestors did in the Bedouin tents, while constantly searching for wifi at every pit stop or bus ride. Living in this high-tech age, it's hard to disconnect and stick to religious rules, but everything finally clicked for me when we made it to Tel Aviv this morning - the city where old meets new.

The morning started off with a beautiful view and what felt like a Discovery Channel special while exploring the nooks and crannies in Jaffa, the old city of Tel Aviv. From the entry gate to Jaffa, you could see two sights; Ruins and cobblestone to the left, symbolizing the heart of the old, and the beach of Tel Aviv to the right, the heart of the new. The scene was serene, almost like two different worlds coexisting together. It was standing under this archway that I finally understood how such polar opposites could live in harmony - integration.

For the remainder of our time in Tel Aviv, I took more appreciation for the old and new. I wanted to capture every moment and be apart of the ever-changing culture that the city is known for. Our generation is know for their usage of technology and social media, and from being in Tel Aviv, it's become a goal of mine to help share the old, through the new. Upon the end of our journey through Israel, I hope to help everyone reminisce and learn about our experiences through a video. That way everyone can understand the beauty of Tel Aviv - Old New.

Post by Jamie Weiss. Jamie is a Broadcast and Digital Journalism major and a rising sophomore currently serving as Hillel Jewish Student Union's Communications Vice President.

Jillian Takes Selfies with Sleepers Pt. 2

 

#JillianSleepingSelfies

Jillian Takes Selfies with Sleepers Pt. 1

#JillianSleepingSelfies

Independence Hall Birthday for Perry & Olivia

Shabbos at the Kibbutz

Israel does Shabbos right. The world we live in is constantly in motion but out here in the desert, specifically the kibbutz, it stands still. After resting and eating, I attended the most special and meaningful bat mitzvah of my lifetime. I have been to my fair share but this was by far the best. It was just our group in a simple white room with an ark and some folding chairs. One of the boys took the position as rabbi and we did our best to have a mostly kosher Torah service. We took turns in groups doing the Aliyah's and then it was time for the final one. The bat mitzvah girl is 20 and this was her second time at a Torah service. She was beaming the whole time. All of us there, together in Israel, it couldn't have been more beautiful. The service was followed by a round of the horah and a pool party. All in all it was a phenomenal Shabbos day full of "I cans" instead of the usual "but I can'ts". 

Sam Winkelmann

It's After Shabbat and Your Kids are Still Alive

I'm happy to report, after a restful day, your students are all still alive and well. There have been some food complaints, but that should be rectified tomorrow afternoon with lunch in tel aviv.

Everything is going well and according to plan. We are all having a great time and look forward to our trip up north.

More updates coming soon from the students.

Brian

Ps - Jillian sends her best… she's been doing a great job as co-staff. But I just caught her sleeping on the job!

Hot Sulfur Springs

Abby's Bat Mitzvah

Feeling At Home

The air is so sweet here in the Kibbutz. After two straight days of dirt, sweat, sunscreen, and other unpleasant smells, it is absolutely incredible to sit with friends, stuffed with warm chicken and rice, and enjoy my first incredible Shabbat evening here in Israel amongst the cool grass and colorful flowers. It's the perfect environment to reflect upon my Birthright experience thus far.

I can't believe I just confidently wrote the word "friends." I am not a Syracuse student. I actually go to a tiny music school, Eastman, at the University of Rochester. With 500 undergrads and no major sports teams, it's a completely different universe from the massive, sports-crazed, Greek-infested giant that is Syracuse. After randomly being assigned to this group two weeks before the departure date, I was terrified. Terrified that no one would understand me; that we would be too different; that the Syracuse students would be too resistant to new blood. Brian assured me that I would be fine, but I didn't believe him.

But here I am, and after 72 hours of plane rides and bus rides, hikes, camels, Masada, the Dead Sea, and all of the things that I'm forgetting but have loved so much on this trip, I can honestly say Brian was right. The Syracuse students have welcomed me with open arms. They've shown a genuine interest in my background, begging me to sing whenever they get the chance and sharing their own stories and interests as well. I truly feel that I have made life long friends. Over the past few days, I have grown increasingly proud of being Jewish. It's been so cool to see how so many strangers can come together and make powerful bonds through our shared heritage. I can't believe that such a short time ago I was dreading coming here, and now I already know that I never want to leave. And don't worry guys, I'll be a staple at Syracuse Hillel in the fall.

-Alexandra Cohen

Masada, It's Hot Up Here

Bedouin Tents with Ellie

Today we went to the Bedouin tents. This has been such a unique experience because the people ride camels they live in tents and they eat on the floor. It has been so cool to see how our ancestors way back in the bible lived. We got to ride camels, see an amazing sun set, and eat the most amazing food!! My favorite part of today was when we went out to the desert at night. We all sat by ourselves reflecting and thinking about our trips individually and looked at the stars. No matter where you are in the world everyone looks at the same night sky. No matter where you are, you're home:)

Ellie Winkelmann

Leave a Message

Send a message to the students. We are checking the blog regularly. Leave a comment and we will read it to the students on the bus.

Brian

First Day… A Message From Evan

Hello from Israel. We have finally arrived in the holy land after a long 10 hour flight. We just had our first stop at the Salad Trail. The fruits and vegetables were delicious. Our tour guides and trip leaders are showing us the beautiful places Israel has to offer. Unfortunately we will not be able to watch the Ranger game tonight but we will be rooting in spirit. LETS GO RANGERS. 

-Evan J.

The Salad Trail and a Giant Radish

Homing Pigeons Near the Gaza Strip

The Real JZ

Hi everyone!

I wanted to take a minute to introduce myself now that we've landed in Israel. My name is Jillian Zarem and I am a co-staff on the Taglit Birthright-Israel: Syracuse Campus Trip this year. I am so excited to be here in Israel with 40 delegates and cannot wait to explore the land, learn about our heritage and make memories that will last a lifetime.

I graduated from Syracuse in 2010 with a degree in public relations. I currently live in Chicago where I work in digital marketing and advertising. 

I absolutely love Syracuse and am thrilled to be able to staff this trip on behalf of the university.

Stay tuned for more of our adventures!

JZ

Day One Important Info

Somehow, your students, have the energy to sit by the pool, in the beautiful Askelon evening, and drink. Jillian and I, however, have decided to retire to our respective rooms for the evening. Before I went to bed, though, I wanted to make sure you had some important information:

My number in Israel is 0525167677. This is confirmed.

I am also checking my email regularly. Try emailing brsmall@suhillel.org if you need anything.

I'm a big fan of iChat. You can reach me using the Hillel account by sending a text message to hillel@sihillel.org.

Your kids are all doing great. We had one student have a bag that's been delayed. But she got to go to a mall today and shop. This lifted her spirits.

Tomorrow we head to the desert for the Bedouin tents and Masada the following day. I'll make sure that we post our first blog entry by a student some time soon.

Lyla tov,

Brian

We Are Here!

The plane landed and we are all safely on the bus. We are on the way to our first hotel.

Where I am at in the Airport

Meet me at level 2 door 2, terminal C. We are outside the door.

See you soon!

Brian's Phone Number(s?)

Because I am getting a SIM card for the Hillel iPad, It looks like I was assigned two phone numbers.  I am not sure which one will reach my phone and I will let you know as soon as I get to Israel, which is the right number.


Brian

Brian Joshua Small

T-BI 30 Hillel Staff Summer 2014

The number/s of the cellphone/SIM card which you will be receiving is:
(052) 516-7677	To reach from United States dial: 011-972-52-516-7677
(052) 580-6896	To reach from United States dial: 011-972-52-580-6896

Even the Staff Struggles with Packing

I feel really bad calling out my co-staff...  BUT, we all have problems packing:

Throw-Back Post from 2013's Pre-Trip that Still Applies

There are just a few days before we depart for Birthright.  It's at this point that I start getting really anxious.  I worry about packing and passports and all sorts of stupid details.  But, somehow, it always seems to work out just fine.

As you and your families are working this week to get ready, remember to use the packing list we provided and the helpful tips we gave you at the orientation meetings.

Remember to get some sort of passport holder.  It's a life saver, I promise, no matter how dumb you look wearing it.  Oh, and remember the $80 that you need to pay when we get on the bus in Israel for tips, etc.  Have you ordered your phone yet?

The most important thing to remember to pack, though, is a great attitude.  Coming into this trip with a great attitude, and a sense of wonder and appreciation for the experience, is the best way to make sure that you make memories that last a lifetime.

More pre-trip departure updates to come.

Brian

What to Expect...?

It's hard to know what to expect on a trip like this.  There are so many factors, plans, agenda items, etc.  So, in the spirit of showing you what you SHOULD expect, it only makes sense to look back at what we DID last year.

Check out the 2013 blog of our summer trip.

I hope you are as excited as I am.

Brian

Handouts from Earlier

Need materials before the trip?  Here is everything I sent over the last few weeks...

Itinerary
Emergency Contact and Pledge
Additional Handouts

Questions?  Let me know.

Brian