Lessons from an Israel Trip

Even as I'm writing this piece, I'm missing my Israel trip. It was by far the best trip of my life. It was a month and a half of new experiences, opportunities, and community. At the end of the school year in 2024, I had no doubts about where I was going to spend the summer. I had been looking forward to a summer Israel trip for years, and nothing was going to stop me from attending. Not even the war in Gaza could disrupt my plans to be in Israel. We were extremely safe and taken care of throughout the trip.

I was worried about not knowing anyone. Most Yallah! trips are divided into buses by URJ summer camps, where everyone knows everyone in their group. This trip was different - around 45 participants instead of the usual 600. Instead of being divided by our camps, we were all thrown together in a mix of kids from Reform Movement camps, youth groups, and congregations; kids from the Habonim Dror youth movement; and kids who were unaffiliated.

I didn't know a single person when I started my trip at JFK airport. I was worried that I wouldn't be included, or the handful of people who came from the same camp would stick to themselves. With the benefit of hindsight, I know my worries were completely unfounded. Even at the airport on the way to Poland, I felt like I was among friends. We bonded so quickly and, less than 24 hours into the trip, I was feeling comfortable and safe. That feeling only grew when we finished the Poland part of our trip and met up with the rest of the people taking part in the Israel portion.

While I was in Israel, I learned and strengthened skills that will come in handy for the rest of my life. We volunteered with Save a Child's Heart in Jerusalem and at Kibbutz Dorot- both times working with children and leading activities with them. I still remember Gal and Tomer, the kids from Kibbutz Dorot who we gave piggyback rides to and tried to communicate with through broken bits of Hebrew and English. My time volunteering with children gave me the confidence and experience to become a counselor-in-training (CIT) at my sleepaway camp this summer, where I can help children grow to be the best version of themselves. I also learned to be more open and adventurous; I tried new food and attempted new activities. I didn't always like everything- and I definitely got sick of jachnun(a Yemenite Jewish pastry)- but I still tried it. Being surrounded by supportive friends gave me a safe space to try things, even if they didn't always work out. We climbed mountains, swam in rivers, and did everything in between.

During the past year and a half, open conversations with people who have different views about the current conflict in Israel/Gaza have been so rare. Too often, people are unwilling to have discussions with us or we're uncomfortable talking with them. This trip allowed me to have some difficult conversations. It was fascinating to hear from people with different perspectives than me- Israelis who had grown up in Israel, Jews who had never been there before, Palestinians, Bedouins, and Druze all had different, valuable insights. There were people who believed things I didn't totally agree with. But we talked and shared our experiences. I'm still in touch with some of the people on the trip who had difficult conversations with me and am proud to call them my friends.

The Yallah! Israel program was special. I know that word gets thrown around a lot- but it feels natural to use it here. Everyone talks about how their Israel trip gave them lifelong friendships and useful skills. At first, I wasn't sure whether or not I believed it; but I signed up and went on the trip anyway. I'm so glad I did.