Today’s discussion about Israel was very interesting. I have never heard such diverse views about Israel. I have grown up in the Reform Movement in which we always talk about Israel as this amazing place and that it is this really glorified experience that one must have.
I really want to go to Israel. I am planning to go on Birthright next spring and then I am also planning to study abroad there my junior year. I know that Birthright is a very structured experience in which they want you to feel this want to make Aliyah. I already know that as much as I am hoping that I will love Israel more once I have gone on Birthright and after I will hopefully live there for at least a semester that I do not want to live in Israel.
Olin Sang Ruby Union Institute (OSRUI) is the Jewish overnight camp where I spend my summers. OSRUI has a very strong connection to Israel and instills that into the kids. We have counselors and other staff members from Israel every summer, and our Hebrew program is centered very closely around Israel as it is ran by Israelis. We have Israel Day every summer, where the kids participate in all kinds of activities and every week the kids participate in Israeli dancing.
After today’s class I really thought about Israel experiences, why they are so important, and why parents and kids push so hard to go to Israel? I think that the reason Jews especially youth want to go to Israel so badly is because it is supposed to give you this intense “Jewish” experience, one that is so different from the American Jewish experience. Israel is a very important thing to Jewish people but I think that it is more important let Israel and the things we experience their inspire us to be more connected to Judaism and to be more active Jews, rather than looking to our Israel experiences to give us more “intense” Jewish experiences.
I can’t wait to go to Israel!!!
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