“Are you crazy?” That was just one of the many responses I heard from my friends and family when I told them I would be traveling to Israel during winter break. The other question I was asked a number of times was “Are you sure you want to go to Israel?” Yes, I was sure. Despite the responses I received from friends and family, I embarked on a 10-day trip to Israel with friends and peers from GW. The trip was made possible by Hillel’s Birthright Israel program. It provides students from college campuses throughout the nation, and even outside the United States, with a chance to visit Israel for the first time and for free. I knew it was the right time, the right place and with the right group of people. I knew I had to be a part of this.
The trip had layer upon layer of security built into it. Once I arrived I felt very comfortable. The security considerations are second nature to everyone living there. But once we grew accustomed to traveling “smart,” security became second nature to us, too. I could not have felt safer traveling with El Al airlines. We were questioned by their security personnel prior to stepping foot on the plane. I did not worry about eating lunch in a pizza place on a busy street. We were checked with metal detectors before entering. I felt safe and secure. The trip relieved many of my fears I had prior to arriving in Israel, which were primarily about security. However, as soon as we arrived my main concern quickly became making sure I absorbed everything Israel had to offer. Whether it was the sun, the mountains, the culture or the music, I tried to take in every aspect of Israel to which I had been introduced.
Imagine spending winter break not on a hot beach in Puerto Rico but in Jerusalem, the epicenter of Christianity, Islam and Judaism; home of the Western Wall, the Dome of the Rock and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Among other things, we rode camels in the desert, we ushered in the New Year dancing underneath the stars in the Negev Desert, we floated in the salty Dead Sea, we climbed Mount Masada on New Year’s Day, we found broken pieces of pottery during an archeological dig, we ate lunch in the Druze village of Usafiya, and we visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum. This one trip afforded me the opportunity to participate firsthand in political discussions, religious observations, archeological digs, nature hikes and major cultural experiences. A country so small geographically had so much to offer, regardless of one’s background or interests. It didn’t matter who you were or what your expectations were; everyone’s expectations were met.
I knew that this trip would be different from anything else I had ever experienced. I was so fortunate to travel throughout the land and experience all the country has to offer. When I chose to embark on this trip, I knew I would be taking part in an incredible experience. However, this trip surpassed all of my expectations. Choosing to be a part of the Birthright Israel experience was one of the best decisions I ever made. It isn’t every day that you get a free trip to Israel. Not only did Birthright provide me with one of the best gifts I have ever received, but it allowed me to experience the most meaningful trip I could possibly imagine.
-The writer is a sophomore majoring in American studies.
