I took my first Birthright trip in the winter of 2007, and I was last in Israel three summers ago visiting family. But this December, I was given the opportunity to return to Israel with Birthright on an alumni trip. As soon as they contacted me, I immediately said yes. The trip was supposed to happen in the summer 2025. However, the war with Iran caused a delay, and it was separated into smaller trips this winter. I just returned on Monday, December 15.
Birthright
has now opened its doors to older people as well as to those who have taken previous
trips. There has been renewed interest among the Jewish people, Post-October 7th,
in discovering (or rediscovering) our land. People want to support the tourism
industry. They want to volunteer on the land. And with much of the world
against us, they want to see for themselves what we are fighting for, even as
our enemies creep into our birth countries and make us feel unwelcome. As one
Birthright participant stated, “I am glad I went on this volunteer trip because
it allowed me to view Israel from a different perspective and grow as a
person.”
People
have criticized Birthright since its inception for not expanding the program
beyond the 18 to 26 crowd, for not following up enough, or for making the
program eligibility so rigid. (For example, you cannot have gone on an
organized trip to Israel before, and you cannot have been in Israel for a
certain length of time, etc.) Birthright’s expanded programming now provides a
free or inexpensive way for people to tour Israel. I had to pay just $600 plus
a $50 deposit. Most people on these trips are looking for volunteer
opportunities and to educate themselves about our homeland. It is for these
reasons that I said yes as well. I was also excited for the opportunity to be “poh,”
“here,” the place where the miracle of Chanukah occurred for at least part of
the holiday.
Notably,
many shul groups have joined Birthright. People who volunteered to lead such
groups have come back as well, and some were allowed to welcome their Israeli
friends to join. Of course, each trip is different, and if you are interested
in going, you need to speak to your group leader about whether you qualify and what
the requirements are.
We
landed in Israel early Monday afternoon, December 8, after flying the new
budget airline, Israeli startup Arkia. I was very satisfied with the airline,
its crew, and equipment. I met the members our group at the airport. A
Birthright guide was very instrumental in helping us check in. There was also a
WhatsApp group for our trip. After an obligatory late lunch at Aroma in Ben
Gurion, we immediately proceeded to a hostel in the north, close to the
Lebanese border. At the hostel, we bonded with soldiers over dinner and played
ice-breaker games. Our guide,Yael, then went over the tentative schedule as
well as rules and expectations. We would find out the next morning that Israel had
carried out a series of airstrikes overnight hitting a terrorist training camp,
a rocket launcher, as well as other sites used by Hezbollah.
On
Tuesday, we proceeded to Yir’on, a town near the Lebanese border, to assist in planting
a garden next to a school. We were greeted by a local volunteer who served as
the town’s nurse until the war. She explained that the town was evacuated after
October 7th, and the people were displaced for months. The
townspeople only realized the full extent of the war when they returned to
buildings damaged by rocket fire.
Our
job as Birthright volunteers was to bring them moral support, assist with planting
therapeutic gardens, and learn about how Venatata, a non-governmental
organization, is helping care for the elderly, Holocaust survivors,
youth-at-risk, new immigrants, soldiers with PTSD, and people with
disabilities. As someone who assists people with special needs, I was delighted
to learn that this NGO also recruits volunteers from special education
organizations to assist with gardening.
After
we cleaned up our gardening work and said our good-byes to the thankful
schoolchildren, we proceeded to a winery, where we were served samples. The
winemaker explained the process behind each wine with humor and flair.
As
it was still early in the day, our guide treated us to a detour in the holy
city of Tzfat, where we toured an ancient shul, art galleries, and the wax
museum/shop. I appreciated the artistry, energy, and friendliness of Tzfat. We
had lunch at a combination smoothie/sandwich shop where the owner wore “two
hats,” quickly switching between both stations, which were across an alley from
each other. A grand piano in the middle of town contrasted with the central
police station, which still had bullet marks from the War of Independence.
Tzfat, with its high vantage point, was a strategic location during the war. It
was especially nice to visit a hesder yeshiva and learn about how
yeshiva guys are serving in the army.
We
finally settled into beautiful apartments in Tel Aviv where we could drop off
our things and explore. I took the opportunity to work out at a local gym,
where I was surprised and warmed to see a cat resting on one of the workout
benches. A similar story occurred outside a café where we ate. Like clockwork,
a group of cats appeared and were happily fed by our group.
On
Wednesday, our group volunteered with Latet at their new warehouse in Beit
Shemesh. Latet provides food and clothing to those suffering from financial
insecurity. As we learned during a moving presentation, hard-working families
can sometimes find a leg kicked out from their financial table when a
breadwinner is out of work. Additionally, elderly people who went through the
Holocaust, served in the army, or worked for decades now find themselves having
to choose between medicine and food. Through Latet and its volunteers,
thousands of packages of food, clothing, and personal care items go to affected
households. Our job that day was to take the tags off brand new clothing that had
been generously donated by a local clothing chain. We also worked on an
assembly line packing basic provisions for needy families.
The
group got to see more of Tel Aviv, a city that is smaller than you might think
but bursting with innovation; a monorail line is in the process of being built.
We got to tour the Carmel shuk, where Yael led the way in showing us mehadrin
food options. We enjoyed samples and comedic demonstrations by friendly
shopkeepers who were happy to perform. Everyone, from clothiers to jewelers to
food vendors, hawked their wares. We enjoyed bourekas, soup, and smoothies, a
well-earned lunch after a long morning of volunteering. We also saw the
apartment buildings that were hit by Iranian missiles last summer.
Miraculously, no one was killed; however, there were injuries. Today, the rebuilding
effort is going strong.
Leket
is another organization we were introduced to. It assigns volunteers to various
farms throughout Israel to assist with getting produce to market. Since October
7th, Israeli farmers have been plagued by worker shortages, boycotts,
and economic loss due to a lack of tourism. Thankfully, many groups such as
ours have stepped up to help. Our Birthright group went to a farm in Raanana,
where we peeled leeks for boxing. This farm is a small, wholesale operation.
The owner explained to us how, before the war, day laborers from the West Bank would
come in daily. These Muslim workers would drive for him, handle sharp tools,
and work heavy machinery. In no way did he feel threatened by them. Then, Hamas
committed its Simchas Torah atrocities. The owner found himself going from 35
workers to no workers.
The
Israeli government’s reasoning in bringing West Bank residents in for work was
that “with a full belly comes peace.” Armed with jobs, these workers would not
arm themselves with guns. The wool was pulled over Israel’s eyes when October 7th
happened. Now, even if Israel allowed the Arab laborers to come in, this owner
wouldn’t take them back. Instead, he’s relying on Thai workers, volunteers, and
Israelis who are returning to work.
He
explained to us that a friend who saved him from drugs nearly 30 years ago
introduced him to farming. This friend, along with his wife and children, were
murdered by Hamas. The owner thanked us for the assistance, explaining that
farming cannot stop (except during Shemita). We were rewarded with lunch,
T-shirts, and the knowledge that our land is being preserved.
In
the evening, we listened to guest lecturer Neil Lazarus, a lecturer on Israeli
politics. He combined humor, interesting PowerPoints and a question-and-answer
session to explain geopolitics in the Middle East. The lecture provided an
in-depth analysis of the news out of the region: U.S. policy; the threat from
Iran, the Palestinians, Hamas, and Hezbollah; the growing threat from Turkey, Saudi
Arabia, and Qatar; the future of the West Bank and Gaza; and the tensions
within the Israeli government. Mr. Lazarus is available at awesomeseminars.com.
On
Friday, we went to Yerushalayim’s Old City to daven at the Kotel. We then took
a tour of the Ben Yehuda Market. Everyone was then shuttled back to Tel Aviv
for a beautiful Shabbat. Overall, the trip struck the right balance between fun
and education. It was meaningful, insightful, and spiritual. There was a
whirlwind of emotion involved, too. We
flew back to New York on Sunday, wiser and more committed than ever.
