Israel is a very small country. Its length is 290 miles, the same distance between St. Louis and Chicago. At its widest point, it is 85 miles, the same distance between St. Louis and Bowling Green. It is only 10,762 square miles.
Justin Baris, sophomore, is going on a four-week trip to Israel this year through his youth group, the North American Federation of Temple Youth (NFTY) called NFTY Adventure.
“A visit to Israel seems to flip a switch for so many Jews,” said Rabbi Brigitte Rosenberg, Rabbi at United Hebrew Congregation, where Justin attends. “There is an instant connection, an immediate sense of belonging, a sense that this place is for you.”
According to the NFTY Israel website, “the NFTY Adventure program is a unique and challenging four week summer experience created especially for teens who seek a meaningful and exciting journey to Israel filled with amazing memories and friendships which will last a lifetime.”
“I think I will have lots of opportunities, even to meet new people because I’m going with a bunch of kids from around the country that I’ve never met before,” Baris said.
The group will be going everywhere from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea, Jerusalem to Tel Aviv, and will even be able to choose whether to do activities like participating in an archaeological dig to learning what it is like to be in the Israeli Defense Force, the Israeli Army.
“When I went it made me feel more connected to the Jewish people,” Abbey Rosenblum, senior, said.
Rosenblum went on a trip called Israel Bound, a three-week trip to Israel sponsored by the Jewish Agency Partnership 2000. That partnership is attempting to link cities in the United States with cities in Israel. St. Louis’ “sister city” is Yokneam-Meggido, a city about 20 minutes south of the city of Haifa, Israel.
Rosenblum spent a night with Jewish teens on the Yokneam kibbutz also.
“It was an eye-opening experience and I think every Jew should visit and every Jew could definitely benefit from going,” Rosenblum said.
After a bombing on Israeli soil in many years on Wednesday, March 23, the Israel-Arab Conflict has again come into world news.
Another recent incident was on Sunday, March 24, when one Israeli was murdered and four more were wounded as they were traveling to the holy site of Joseph’s Tomb, a place in Palestinian controlled Nablus in the West Bank.
“I’m more scared of being in a foreign country with people I don’t know; I’m not too concerned about the violence,” Baris said.
Baris’ trip goes from Wednesday, June 29, to Thursday, July 28.
“I’m excited because I’m going to have some very life-changing experiences,” Baris said.