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