Sometimes it takes a remarkable trip to feel inspired. For me, that journey began with Birthright. My trip to Israel freshman year inspired me to return to Israel time and time again.
They say that once you have an amazing experience in an incredible place, you won’t want to go back because the second time may not be as good. One’s standards could be so high that nothing can compare, and returning would be a letdown. For me, Israel is not the case. I feel a sense of belonging, a connection to my heritage, an indescribable feeling deep inside me that I only feel there.
Three years ago, I was a mere freshman who unknowingly took advantage of the best opportunity I ever could have. Thinking back with lots of nostalgia, I know I made impulsive decisions just because I knew they would be good for me. Why not try something new, right? I joined organizations on campus without a second thought. I knew I had to keep busy and make the most of my college experience. After all, according to Erin Massoni in Positive Effects of Extra Curricular Activities on Student, “In a study done by the USDE, ‘It was revealed that students who participate in extracurricular activities are three times more likely to have a grade point average of a 3.0 or higher.’”
One of the better decisions I made was in early September 2011 when I registered for Birthright. Taglit, better known as Birthright, is a free trip to Israel for Jewish young adults ages 18 to 26. It began in order to send Jewish young adults from all over the world to Israel to strengthen individuals within the Jewish community, their identity and their connection to their religion and the Jewish people.
Their goal doesn’t always work; there are always the people, who sign up just to get a free vacation. There are also the people who think this is the case, but then experience the feeling of the Holy Land and come back a changed person. Additionally, there are students like me who are active in the Jewish community, but come back thinking about life on a different level.
The group tours the most famous parts of Israel. There is so much to see in ten days, and that isn’t even close to everything. My group went to many of the main cities in Israel, including Jerusalem, Akko and Tel Aviv. We hiked Masada, floated in the Dead Sea, and went to a “Mega Event” in Jerusalem, an event which every Birthright group that was in Israel at that time attended.
There were groups from all over the world, from the United Kingdom to Brazil. Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, spoke, and there were numerous musical acts. I have never been in one room with so many Jews before. We live thousands of miles away from each other and will likely never see each other again, but we all connected to one another in the same spot.
This connection is a feeling that I hope everyone can experience, no matter where or for what reason. It’s like that feeling you get when you meet someone from UMass who doesn’t attend UMass, or meeting a UMass alumnus. You have that common bond and automatically have a thousand things to talk about. It’s like that, but stronger. Being able to connect with people without even needing to have a conversation, just sitting together, singing together and knowing we are all there for the same purpose, was one of the things that inspired me to go back. Just like how alumni return to UMass because it’s always their home. And it’s always nice to go home once in a while.
I found a way to go home. Twice, actually. And this winter I will be going again. After Birthright, most trips do have a cost, but there are many subsidies to encourage students to go back. Now that I have found these, I want to take advantage of as many as I can before I have a real life, a real job and am a “real person” as it’s been referred to lately in our society. I also feel the need to encourage other people to do this too. Even if it is not through a Jewish lens, it’s important for students to connect to their roots.
There are many reasons to connect with a cultural heritage. It is the background of your identity. Yes, you can say who you are and your hobbies, but people talk about “finding yourself” in college. What does this even mean? Does anyone actually figure out who they really are? I was skeptical, but I can say with more certainty that I know who I am. I know what I want.
The article ‘The Importance of Cultural Heritage’ presents it perfectly: “Culture can give people a connection to certain social values, beliefs, religions and customs. It allows them to identify with others of similar mindsets and backgrounds. Cultural heritage can provide an automatic sense of unity and belonging within a group and allows us to better understand previous generations and the history of where we come from.”
This connection is possible to have right at UMass. There are numerous cultural organizations. It is interesting to me that the students in these organizations are diverse in their ideas, interests and career paths, but have a deeper connection that brings them together.
I felt a different connection each time I went back to Israel, but also deeper. My trips progressed to service learning, Torah and Judaic learning, traveling and, this winter, studying in Jerusalem.
Without having gone to Israel for the first time on Birthright, I wouldn’t know what I was missing. I feel lucky for this opportunity in that not only was it great at the time, but it set me on track for finding other great ways to go back.
If I could register for Birthright again, I would, but since I can’t, I encourage other students to register. Registration for the winter and summer 2015 trips is still open. Contact UMass Hillel staff for more information, or specifically the Israel Fellow Lior Shalev at [email protected].
Karen Podorefsky is a Collegian columnist and can be reached at [email protected].
