Category: Children + Youth

The following day took us through the West Bank toward the Jordan River, to the site traditionally believed to be where Jesus was baptized. Over these days, we learned a great deal about Jesus, which felt fitting given that he is such a prominent and famous Jew. Approaching the river involved passing through minefields, and at the water itself, we stood directly across from the Jordanian side, able to wave to guards and exchange warm greetings, another surreal reminder of how complex and interconnected this region is. 

We continued to a winery in the West Bank, enjoying both the wine and a deep conversation around the three non-negotiables often discussed when talking about the region’s future: Jewish identity, democracy, and safety. The conversation underscored how difficult it is to find solutions that honor all three simultaneously, even when the desire for resolution feels strong. 

From there, we went to an incredible, meat-focused restaurant where we began with a drum and instrument circle. Once again, the diversity and openness of our cohort added immeasurable value to the experience. The family-style meal that followed did not disappoint, and the family-style format had become a staple of the trip. 

The next morning began with a session led by a Holocaust scholar, setting the tone for our visit to Yad Vashem. During a warm-up exercise, I had the opportunity to create a character who had survived the Holocaust and was now sitting in a displaced persons camp, deciding where to go next. I was given the outline of a metropolitan, less-religious Jewish attorney, while the other side in the discussion was Matan, who played a more traditional Orthodox character. The exercise revealed deep insights into identity, values, and how Jewish people at the time viewed their own victimhood and responsibility around the Holocaust. It taught me things about myself I hadn’t fully articulated before, and things about Jewish people I had not previously grasped. 

Yad Vashem is a place that should never have to exist. It is gut-wrenching. Sitting in front of the Nazi racial laws defining who was considered Jewish, I couldn’t stop thinking about my three nieces and my nephew, children who currently have little connection to their Jewish heritage, yet under those laws would have been sentenced to death, along with their future children, based solely on having one Jewish grandparent. 

After a long lunch to reset, we visited Krembo Wings, a youth movement focused on inclusion and leadership for youth with and without disabilities. As JCC professionals, this felt like familiar ground, and connecting with the teen leaders and participants was both heartwarming and inspiring. Amid war and chaos, here was an organization devoted to uplifting those often overlooked. 

On our final day, we visited a film school known for producing acclaimed work that captures many layers of Israeli society. It felt like the perfect way to end the trip, encouraging us to think about memory, storytelling, and how we might bring the essence of this journey back to our own communities. 

I wanted to walk through the trip day by day, but even this still feels like a version that doesn’t fully encapsulate the smaller moments of learning and connection. I walked away from this experience feeling tremendously grateful for a profession that provides work I am deeply passionate about and colleagues I have come to cherish.  

When I think about how to connect Israel to our local community and teens, it was both inspiring and refreshing to learn how deeply Israel is rooted in teenagers and young adults— the same age group that helped found the nation, and in a camp culture that so strongly resonates with the life and values of our JCCs. My goal moving forward is to bring back our shared sense of belonging through both Judaism and community, and to help convey the intrinsic connection I feel to Israel so that others in my community can feel some piece of that as well.