We talked about the strong relationship between our two peoples and the ways we can work together to make it even stronger.  I told him about the choices you made to pass one of the nation’s toughest laws to divest from Iran, and about the work you are doing to build our country’s #1 best public schools and to earn the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s #1 ranking for innovation and entrepreneurship.

President Peres was also familiar – and duly impressed – with your work to establish Maryland as a leader in science and technology.

Shimon Peres is the last of Israel’s original founding fathers.  He is a great man, a great friend of Maryland, and great champion of the global cause for peace.  He talked about the strong relationship between our State and the Israeli people, and said that in Israel, admiration for America is absolute.  He said that America is the only superpower in the history of the world that became great by giving and not by taking. He talked about how, in our changing world, science is the preeminent driver of economic growth.  And he talked about something else as well,…

There are only two things in this life, that we can see with our eyes closed, he said.  The first is love.  The second is peace.  Having enemies is expensive.  It is only when we make peace that we can reach our fullest potential as citizens of a shrinking and ever changing planet.

After meeting with the President, I joined our delegation in Ashdod for a visit with senior leadership at Elta – who recently opened their North American office in Howard County.  They design the radar that guide the life-saving Iron Dome (which intercepts and destroys incoming missiles before they can reach a school, hospital, shopping mall or other population center.)

After visiting Elta, I joined a team from our delegation at the Ministry of Defense, where we received a security briefing from Major General Amos Gilad, the Director of Policy and Military Affairs and Chair of Security Relations with Regional and Strategic Partners.

We opened the day with a meeting with Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor Nafatali Bennett.  He proposed an exciting new cyber security partnership between Israel and Maryland – stay tuned for more information in the weeks to come!

Layla Tov.

>> Read previous blog

>> View previous blog
>> View next blog

How do you and your family celebrate birthdays?

When you’re very young, maybe there are arts and crafts, moon bounces and games with classmates and neighbors. When you get a bit older, perhaps you see a concert, do a little shopping or enjoy wine-tasting with friends of many years.

No matter what, you celebrate the mark of another year in the books.

This year, the Baltimore Israel Coalition invites you to celebrate Israel’s 65th birthday on June 2, beginning at noon, with an extravaganza at the Owings Mills Jewish Community Center.

So why Israel? And why now? According to Baltimore Israel Coalition staff member, Chana Siff, Israel has contributed so much to the world as a whole, from democracy to innovation to understanding. It is the democratic, national, historical and biblical home of the Jewish people – a people who can now be found all over the world, but are connected to this common home. The Baltimore Israel Coalition, a consortium of organizations in the greater Baltimore area working to support Israel through education, advocacy and community building, offers this opportunity for us all to come together and celebrate 65 years of love and support for this great state.

Everyone is invited! Teens, young adults, families, seniors – if you are looking for a fun afternoon with the entire community, this is the event for you.

For kids, this day brings Israeli games, arts and crafts, face-painting, henna, an obstacle course and even a moon bounce!

For young adults, teens and music lovers, this harmonious day features Matisyahu, a Jewish-American reggae and alternative rock musician, known all over the world for his ground-breaking sound and performances. Teens even have the chance for a special meet-and-greet before the show.

The community can enjoy Israeli vendors and food, interactive hands-on exhibits, captivating speakers and most importantly, a beautiful opportunity to appreciate the positive things coming out of Israel.

For more information on Israel’s 65th birthday and to purchase tickets for the Matisyahu concert, visit http://www.baltimoreisraelcoalition.org.

We sat on logs facing a field of trees and tall grass at Neot Kedumim, a nature reserve that recreates Biblical landscapes. Two dozen young adults in their mid-20’s listened attentively as Doron, our Israeli guide, taught us the Hebrew word for responsibility - achrayut. Doron explained that achrayut is a special word. It begins with aleph, the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and ends with tav, the last letter. The first letter, aleph, is also the first letter of the word ani, meaning I. Responsibility starts with ourselves. We must take responsibility for ourselves before we can take responsibility for others. The first two letters of the word, aleph and het, spell ach – brother. Responsibility begins with ourselves and then extends to those closest to us - our family and friends. When we add the third letter, we spell acher (other). We cannot live in a bubble, caring only about those in our small circle – we must also recognize that the lives of others are connected to ours in ways that have profound effects on our communities.  When we add another letter, we spell the word, acharai (follow me).  As leaders, we must be willing to say, “Follow me.” We must be willing to take risks and try new approaches.  Doron’s list continued – add another letter, the vav, and we have acharav (after him). We must also be willing to listen and to step back. Sometimes leadership entails putting others’ needs before our own interests. Finally, we add tav, the final letter of the aleph-bet. Responsibility is the sum of all these components. Leadership is inextricably linked to responsibility. 

The participants in this conversation were among 400 young adults selected to take part in an intensive week of social activism and community-organizing training at the Masa Israel Leadership Summit in Israel. These emerging leaders were selected from 10,000 of their peers who have chosen to spend five months or more in Israel on a Masa Israel Journey program. I had the privilege of tagging along for some of their workshops and discussions as a participant in the first-ever Masa Israel Community Mission. I was joined by colleagues and lay leaders from Jewish Federations in Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Washington, D.C. and New York. Together we observed the myriad opportunities for young adults to spend time in Israel and spoke with the incredible participants who decide to make this commitment. From study-abroad programs to intensive dance and art practicums, internships, volunteer work, teaching and environmental fellowships, Jewish learning – the possibilities are endless for young adults who want to spend a more substantial amount of time in Israel. Many Masa participants have traveled to Israel with Taglit-Birthright Israel and want to gain a deeper understanding of the issues, culture and people. A smaller number are in Israel for the first time or have come previously with their families. Masa Israel Journey enriches their experience – providing not only financial assistance but also requiring that each program under their umbrella meet minimum standards, ensuring that participants have a serious experience with ulpan (Hebrew instruction), tiyulim (trips) to see the country and mifgashim (encounters) with Israelis.

As the group of young adults continued their conversation about responsibility, one participant raised his hand. He had been selected as the group leader in an earlier activity involving archery.  He wanted to apologize to his peers for attempting to win the game by asking them to shoot arrows at a very close range to ensure greater accuracy rather than to challenge themselves by shooting from further away. In his reflection, he noted that leadership isn’t always about winning – it’s about inspiring others to perform at their top potential. As we made our way to lunch with the sun at its peak, that potential seemed especially bright.

To learn more about Masa Israel Journey contact Rebecca Weinstock at rweinstock@associated.org or 410-843-7566.

Just a few weeks ago, my husband, David, and I traveled with the Baltimore-Ashkelon Partnership mission to Ashkelon. We had some amazing experiences: learned traditional Ethiopian dancing at an Ethiopian English class funded through the Partnership, worked with teen volunteers who address pressing social needs in Ashkelon, enjoyed home hospitality dinner with our friends in Ashkelon and participated in many other great experiences.

It is amazing to see the growth and connections developed over the past 10 years of the Baltimore-Ashkelon Partnership. When we started visiting potential Partnership communities in Israel 10 years ago, Ashkelon was the fourth city we visited. It had all the components we were looking for. There were opportunities to engage people of all ages, create personal friendships and develop volunteerism in both Ashkelon and Baltimore. The best word to describe our first time in Ashkelon was “comfortable.”

We had a goal of this Partnership to grow a long solid friendship among the two communities and strengthen Jewish peoplehood. This past mission solidified the fruition of this goal. On this most recent mission the joint Partnership committee came together to make allocations decisions face-to-face. When we visited the Ethiopian English class, we were excited to see how many students’ lives have been enriched by this program and decided to continue to support this wonderful initiative.

The delegation also visited some amazing projects supported by THE ASSOCIATED, such as the inspiring “Wings of Krembo” program, a youth movement for children with special needs, led by teen volunteers involved with the Amen program. Through this program, the Partnership has instilled a culture of civic duty, leadership and volunteering.

I can sum up this Partnership in one phrase, “K’lal Yisrael.” We are all one people. Through this Partnership, we have been able to connect Jews across the world. We have been able to exponentially grow teen volunteerism in Ashkelon, support one another through challenging times and connect individuals, families and organizations in Baltimore and Ashkelon for a lifetime of friendship and connection.

For more information on the Baltimore-Ashkelon Partnership, visit baltimoreashkelon.org.

Being Jewish was always something I appreciated because it set me apart from other people. It made me unique and even in my younger years was something that I thought made me special. From history to culture to music, Judaism has always been a strong part of the way I see myself.

Of course, in a city like Baltimore, it could be easy for someone to take her Judaism for granted. There are so many of us here. At the same time, having the resources of a large Jewish community has been one of the greatest things about growing up and living in Baltimore.

Still, I wanted to learn more about my heritage. After college, I was determined to go on Taglit-Birthright Israel, having heard about it from so many of my friends who had traveled with their college Hillel or on other Birthright “adventure” trips. I wanted to see the Holy Land and Birthright was the perfect opportunity.

I did some research and found out about Mayanot’s arts and entertainment trip. As a writer and arts reporter, it was a great chance to meet like-minded Jewish young adults from all over the country. Even the American chaperones and Israeli soldiers and guides were involved in the arts. We were accompanied by a student studying at the music conservatory in Tel Aviv, and soldiers who were in the Army Band and Theater Troupe.

Being in Israel made me feel even prouder to be Jewish and I was welcomed into Israel with cries of “welcome home.” I enjoyed Shabbos with people that soon felt like family, and I didn’t want to leave the streets of Tel Aviv or the beautiful hills of the Golan Heights. Still, I knew Baltimore was my home. I couldn’t wait to share my experiences with everyone I knew in the States.

Last winter, I found out about Beyond Birthright’s kickoff event at MICA, which held a showcase of Israeli art from the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem and a film screening of Ari Folman’s Waltz with Bashir. My sister had just recently come back from her Birthright trip and we went to the event together.

Since that first event, Beyond Birthright has been a great way to meet new people and give back to the community that I have been a part of for so long. As a member of the Beyond Birthright Leadership Council, I’ve also had the opportunity to help connect other Birthright alumni with a network of Jewish young professionals. Together, we can celebrate our Jewish heritage and bond through local experiences.

Over the past year, we’ve organized a trip to Camden Yards for a baseball game, volunteered at the Pearlstone Center Farm, celebrated Shabbat and holidays, tasted Israeli wine, baked challah and hamantaschen and engaged in many meaningful discussions and conversations. There’s plenty more to come, including our screening of “Israel Inside” later this month, which will bring together both Israeli and American Baltimoreans to discuss life in Israel and the cultural landscape of the country.

I feel privileged and lucky to have found a special place to explore my identity as a leader for the growing Jewish young adult population in Baltimore and give back to the place I call home. It has been exciting and incredibly rewarding to see our events bring people together from all backgrounds, and I look forward to continuing to learn, lead and connect others with these experiences and with our community.

To get involved in Beyond Birthright, visit associated.org/beyondbirthright. You can also follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/beyondbirthright.

1/2/2012: So much has happened in the last 48 hours and our group is thoughtful, cooperative and having a wonderful time together. Israel has experienced significant rainfall this winter which was badly needed and thankfully we have experienced none of it since our arrival.  In the north we experienced balmy weather that allowed us to put our bare feet in the water at Caesarea. Our group got to know each other with fun games and a moving quote from Ben Gurion. We met our eight soldiers and started to build lasting relationships with them.  The group was pretty exhausted by the time they got to the kibbutz, but a few lasted to midnight for the New Year’s eve celebration.

Tuesday began with a great jeep ride through the Golan Heights to learn about geography, landscape and political borders.  From there, we saw the beautiful Banyas waterfalls and learned about how water flows through them to the Sea of Galilee.  For lunch, students ate at café Aroma and had great coffee, sandwiches and salads. Muki, our guide, taught about the history of the Yom Kippur War on the way to Mt. Bental. From Mt. Bental, we could see Syria and the group grappled with Israel’s realities with her neighbors.

The group was happy to get back to the hotel after a long day.  They took showers, ate dinner and engaged in a conversation about Jewish memory. Throughout the trip, we explore four different topics on four evenings. Our Hopkins students engage in these conversations with tremendous depth and thoughtfulness. In the conversation about Jewish memory students talked about their Passover seders, Bnai Mitzvah and an Israeli soldier talked about what it means to serve in the army.

Today, the group woke up early and went straight to Sefad, a beautiful city on a hill that is the birth place of Jewish mysticism.  We explored the ancient and diverse synagogues in Sefad, the candle factory and met with an Israeli mystical artist. After lunch, we visited Kibbutz Degania. We went to the chocolate factory and tasted the best ice cream in Israel straight from their creameries. We saw Levi Eshkol ,the former Prime Minister’s house, and played soccer with Israeli kids. Our guide, Muki talked about his own experience of growing up on a kibbutz.  Our students couldn’t believe how small and modest the house of Israel’s Prime Minister was.

Students enjoyed the two hour drive from the north to Jerusalem.  Upon arriving in Jerusalem, we started on Mt. Scopus with a great overlook of the city. We took in the great view and celebrated the moment of seeing Jerusalem for the first time.

We settled into our Jerusalem hotel and had a great conversation about Judaism and choseness. Students grappled with being both special and at times singled out as Jews. Once again, our students were amazing.

Dinner was not the best meal and right now the pizza that we ordered for the group arrived!  Everyone is hanging out in the lobby enjoying pizza.  We are blessed with amazing students. Tomorrow a dynamic and popular Hebrew University professor will be speaking with us about the election and then we will spend the day in Jerusalem.  Everyone is healthy and happy and we are excited to explore Jerusalem. I will write again after Shabbat with a full report about Jerusalem.

On Sunday morning we will be going straight to Massada, so please email us your letter to your student if you haven’t done so already.

Towson, Goucher and UMBC Hillels

1/2/2012: If you read our post yesterday, you know that there was some consensus that the fresh orange juice machine at our Kibbutz Hotel at Nof Ginosar might have been the best thing since sliced Challah.  But this morning, not only was the orange juice machine back in its place, but a mere two meters away was a steaming tray of mushroom-stuffed tortellini on the buffet.  To the pasta fans among, the hotel had outdone itself!

After our lovely breakfast , we packed up the bus and then took an hour to walk around the kibbutz itself.  We saw some of the houses, plantations, some of the industrial areas, the main dining hall, and the historic children’s house (where children lived when they were raised collectively back before privatization of kibbutzim began).  We saw some beautiful artwork—mosaics and sculptures—made by children as part of a coexistence project at Ginosar for both Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel and then, at the shores of the Kinneret, learned about the life stories of two of Israel’s great poets, Naomi Shemer and Rachel.  Dean volunteered to read some poetry to us, and then we sang together the poem “Lu Yehi,” – “let it be,” both to an original Israeli melody and then to the tunes of the Beatles’ “Let It Be.”

We walked back to our bus and progressed to Tzfat (sometimes written “Safed” in English characters) to the north and to the west.  Tzfat is considered one of the four historic Jewish holy cities in the land of Israel and is particularly known for Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism.  We began with a view across the way to Mount Meron, the highest peak in pre-1967 Israel and the pilgrimage site of the grave of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, who is traditionally credited with the authorship of the Zohar, the quintessential work of Jewish mysticism.  We talked about the place of Tzfat during the War of Independence, and then walked up the hill where Lana gave our students an introduction to Jewish mysticism and some Kabbalistic ideas about creation and redemption.  Sam reminded the group that for those who are familiar with some traditional Jewish observance, there is a great deal of influence of the mystical tradition, not the least of which is imagining that the Jewish people and Shabbat—the Sabbath—are married and remarried to each other every week and greeting our beloved Shabbat around sunset on Fridays by singing “Lecha Dodi,” a poem written by Shlomo HaLevi Alkabetz in Tzfat around 450 years ago.  We sang the opening words several times over to a rousing melody.  We visited the Isaac Luria synagogue and learned about its architecture and art, its history, and its association with Jewish mysticism and seemingly miraculous events for hundreds of years.

We had some free time for shopping in Tzfat’s artist colony and for lunch.  Aaron R.  Tried shawarma on pita and Michael C. marveled at the price of turquoise.  When we reconvened back on the bus and left Tzfat, Jason spoke a bit about Tefillin, the Jewish ritual object made of scrolls of verses inside leather boxes and held to the arm and to the head with soft leather straps that several participants had seen for the first time today, demonstrated how they are worn, and spoke of their role in as ritual objects in prayer.

We stopped at Kibbutz Amiad, where there is a boutique winery and students sampled a bit of artisanal liqueur from local fruit from the region of the Galilee and the Golan Heights.  There happened to be detailed maps of the North available there too, so when we returned to the bus, we were able to map out some of the geographical details of our journey together the past two days.

In order to avoid traffic in Tiberias, we took the long way around the Kinneret (we seem to favor the clockwise direction, the “inner loop” on a much more narrow road than a Baltimore or Washington Beltway).  After crossing the Jordan River, we head south on Route 90 on our way to Jerusalem.  As we drove through the Jordan Valley with a view of Jordan to our left, Lana taught us about Israel’s peace with Jordan and how different this border area is now than it was before the mid-90’s.  Since Route 90 is a road that is shared by Israeli and Palestinian vehicles and lies within the occupied territories, we began speaking about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Oslo accords, and what a two-state solution might look like.  We hope to return to some of these ideas and talk more about the people—Israelis and Palestinians—who have been and are most impacted by the conflict in the days ahead.

With the northwest tip of the Dead Sea very close, we rounded the corner near Jericho and began climbing up the Jericho road toward Jerusalem.  Lana told the story of how the song “Yerushalayim shel Zahav,” Jerusalem of God, was written and named in 1967 shortly before the Six-Day War, and then we played and sang the song together.  We asked the participants to close their eyes after we entered into the tunnels that lead into the City toward Mount Scopus, to take a breath and some silence before we opened our eyes again to gaze upon the city skyline of Jerusalem.

After entering the City, we stopped on Mount Scopus to take it all in with a ceremonial welcome.  Just as King David greeted his guests enthusiastically with bread and wine, so we were welcomed to Jerusalem with grape juice and challah, with song and with dance.  Isabel led us in the traditional Jewish blessing over the grape juice, and we recited “shehecheyanu,” a blessing of thankfulness for life and sustenance.  Among a couple of others, Chelsea and Lena each spoke for a couple of minutes about what this moment was feeling like and meant for them and then Jason told a midrashic story about how the Temple Mount—right in front of us—came to be where it is.  The lesson of the story is the biblical verse, Hiney ma tov u’ma na’im shevet achim gam yachad, how good and lovely it is for siblings to dwell together.

And here we are at our hotel; a few hours after “dinner number one,” we’ve ordered in some local pizza for “dinner number two.”  We are hoping people turn in early since tomorrow will be a long day and we expect to have a little more time out on the tune.

Hopkins Hillel: by Debbie Pine, Executive Director
We have arrived safely and our trip is off to a fabulous start.  We breezed through security in Newark and started our 10 hour flight to Tel Aviv.  Most of the group slept and the plane was full with four different birthright groups.  We had fun schmoozing and connecting with one another on the flight.  We landed in Tel Aviv to warm sunshine and palm trees. Everyone was exhausted and excited to finally be here.  We met our tour educator Mooky and got free Birthright t-shirts. We changed money, got cell phones, met our eight Israeli soldiers and began our trek up north. The first stop today is Caesarea to see an ancient Aqueduct and then to see the beautiful Mosaics at Zippori. Our bus will then head north to the Sea of Galilee to check into our hotel.  A low key New Year’s eve celebration is planned for our group and three other busses who will be together. It’s hard to imagine that we will last till midnight!  Tomorrow will be a great day with a broad tour of the north including a jeep ride. I’ll write more on Wednesday with our group’s reactions to the north.
 
We had great conversations on the plane about the diversity of the Jewish community. On every El Al flight there are Chasidim, American, secular Israelis and almost every type of Jew imaginable. It was exciting to see our students see and grapple with the complexity of the Jewish people and how they see themselves fitting it. I look forward to continuing these conversations especially after some sleep and showers!  Know that everyone is happy and healthy and geared up for a great adventure.  All the best to you and your families in 2013 and I’ll write more on Wednesday.  Happy New Year.
 
UMBC and Towson: Sam Konig & Rabbi Jason Klein, Towson and UMBC Hillel Directors
Shalom from Israel!

We are Sam Konig, director of Towson Hillel and Rabbi Jason Klein, director of UMBC Hillel and our plan is to reach out a few times over the next 9 days to keep you posted about Taglit-Birthright Israel: Hillel Trip’s bus 1046—mostly Goucher, Towson, and UMBC students with a few Baltimorean CCBC, College Park, and American University students as well.

This morning before 7 a.m., we arrived in Israel on an airplane with three other groups of students going on trips. 

We cleared passport control, picked up our luggage, and then met our tour educator Lana.  Lana is originally from Moscow, came to Israel as an eight-year-old, where she lived in Netanya, moved to Jerusalem to study at the Hebrew University, and has been in the Nachla’ot neighborhood (near the Shuk if you know the area) for the past five years.  We also met our bus driver Uri and our guard Dor.

Our 39 Baltimore students were joined by seven peers from our sister city—the other half of THE ASSOCIATED’s Baltimore-Ashkelon Partnership: Ashkelon, of course!  Their names are Shelly, Dor, Dudi, Hadar (who used to work in Baltimore during her year of national service), Daria, Nir, and Karin.  We picked up our cell phones, changed money, drank lots of water, and boarded our bus to catch our first glimpses of Israel on the way to Caesarea.

We stopped for an hour on the shores of the Mediterranean next to the Roman aqueduct that is still there, dipped our feet in the water, and the stood in a circle and told stories about each of our names in order to break the ice.  Speaking of the ice, it was a balmy 70 degrees with bright sun on this New Year’s eve on the Sea.  But what’s even brighter is the high energy and positive vibe that we feel among the group so far.  People are chatting with one another and watching out for another, and we could not be happier!

After Caesaria, We headed north, and then inland toward Tzipori.  We learned about different cultural traditions for Jews and for Arabs about house-building in Israel; Jewish homes tend to have sloped permanent roofs, while Arab homes tend to have more temporary flat roofs so that new layers can be built for children and their families.

After a stop for lunch at a local mall, we entered the national park in Tzipori, the site of two thousand year-old synagogues amidst a Roman City.  Sitting around the mosaics of the ancient synagogue, our tour educator Lana led us in a short text study of various passages from Pirkey Avot, ethics of the fathers, from the Mishnah, to connect that text—codified in 220 of the Common Era, with the place at which it coalesced.  We also viewed an ancient Roman style home and an extraordinary watersystem that directed water from the hills of Nazareth to Tzipori.

We headed toward Tiberias and preceded clockwise a bit around the Kineret—the Sea of Galilee—and checked into our hotel at Kibbutz Ginosar, where we will join together for dinner in a bit, get to know each other a more, and say good night.  After a long flight and a long day, I am not sure how many people expect to be awake to celebrate the secular new year, but we send you our best for a happy and healthy and hope you are doing wonderfully!

Our Mitzvah Day’s had one objective - to collect as much hair as possible. Organized in collaboration with Zichron Menachem - The Israeli Association for the Support of Children with Cancer and their Families, each donor came prepared to donate a portion of their hair after receiving a professional haircut by Il Makiage. Every donation raised money (and hair) to provide wigs for children and teenagers suffering from cancer. During the six-hour event,  71 braids were collected. The youngest donor was five years old and the oldest was 53 years old.The longest braid was half a meter long. We definitely met our goals - to increase awareness of the good work the Association of Zichron Menchem does and to collect large amounts of braids to weave quality wigs for children.

Check out photos here>> (https://plus.google.com/u/0/106135873119708478692/posts/MZeyhUAegFY#106135873119708478692/posts/MZeyhUAegFY)

I came here as a Kolker Fellow, a professional exchange program funded by the Kolker-Saxon-Hallock Foundation. The purpose of this exchange was so that I could increase my knowledge of JDC and THE ASSOCIATED.

A little background about myself. In Israel, I manage program development for children at risk between the ages of six to 12, including literacy, transition to school, after school and therapeutic community-based programs for children. I develop programs for those children placed in out-of-home care and their families.

While in Baltimore, I visited several agencies and attended several events. I was impressed to see how the lay leadership and volunteers were able to engage constituents at the grass-roots level. Much of what I learned will benefit the programs I do with the children.

Even more inspiring, was how you incorporate Israel and your overseas partners in a lot of what you do. What is so impressive is the way you stand with us—not only through financial support—but also as full partners. Now I truly understand that together we have one goal – to build a strong, solid and sustainable Jewish society for the next generation.

Ultimately, my time not only deepened my knowledge about Baltimore, but also about the global Jewish community we live in.I’m going back to Israel with a feeling of togetherness and new found knowledge that I will share with my community. I feel that I have made new friends that will last a lifetime as well as important professional connections.