Israel Advocacy
Israel Experience Center of the Central Agency for Jewish Education of St. Louis Facebook Page
For frequent Israel Engagement check out the Israel Experience Center Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/IsraelExperienceCenter. Here you can learn about Israel's history, hear about different people's experiences in Israel, and more.
March of the Living
March of the Living is a two week educational trip to Poland and Israel. This year, a multi-generation St. Louis delegation is kicking off. Go to cajestl.org for more information about this life changing trip.
The transformative journey of March of the Living
In January, I wrote about the beginning of my relationship with Israel and the shift in my connection to our homeland. In that article, I pledged to continue growing my relationship with the country. I’m glad to say that I have.
Last spring I participated in March of the Living. I urge anyone who has the opportunity to join the St. Louis delegation this spring to take advantage of this amazing experience.
March of the Living is a two-week educational trip to Poland and Israel where participants can experience the past of our ancestors. March of the Living brings more than 15,000 Jews together each spring on Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, to walk the death march from Auschwitz and Birkenau. Instead of being a day of mourning, the march is surprisingly a prideful experience.
Walking out of the gates of Auschwitz with thousands of Jews from all over the world is indescribable. As I walked across the bridge between Auschwitz and Birkenau all I could see around me were Jewish people. I was reminded of the amazing resilience our people have. Here in the place of deep persecution, where many of our people perished, Jews returned to commemorate those who were lost. We showed the world that the Jewish people will not be pushed down.
This two-week trip was made even more incredible by traveling with survivors. I met a great number of survivors who had returned to educate others and share their experience. Hearing their stories in the places they occurred brought a whole new layer of understanding. Meeting Jews from around the world also enhanced my understanding of the Holocaust and added to this celebration of Judaism.
In addition, the multigenerational delegation from St. Louis, with participants ranging from teens to older adults, enriched the experience because of their varying perspectives.
The second week of March of the Living is spent in Israel with the inclusion of Yom HaZikaron, Israel Memorial Day, and Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel Independence Day. In one moment the country goes from the saddest day of the year to the happiest. The juxtaposition of these two holidays reminds us of the people who died fighting for the Jewish nation, before celebrating Israel’s independence. After thousands of years fighting for the Jewish homeland, it is incredible to celebrate the outcome in the streets of Jerusalem.
On Independence Day all those who walked from Auschwitz to Birkenau in Poland reconvened to march through Jerusalem to the Western Wall. The image of thousands of Jews marching through Jerusalem yet again is a reminder of the strength of the Jewish people.
Unfortunately, March of the Living, which always occurs in the spring, does not come at the most convenient time. For students, this is the crunch time to finish curriculums and prepare for finals. Last year, as I was making my decision to go to the March of the Living, one of my teachers told me that in 10 years I wouldn’t remember the exams I took or the grades I received, but I would remember the experiences I had. “March of the Living is not an experience you should even think about passing up,” the teacher said.
March of the Living has been one of the most influential experiences of my life. If I had to sum the trip up in one word, it would be inspiring. The march inspires people in a plethora of ways. It inspired me to take action to advocate and educate people about Judaism, the Holocaust and Israel. If we, the Jewish people, don’t make it a priority to fight to remember our past and advocate for our future no one will.
View this article which was published by the St. Louis Jewish Light at http://www.stljewishlight.com/opinion/commentaries/article_d76535c4-399c-11e2-aa25-0019bb2963f4.html
Last spring I participated in March of the Living. I urge anyone who has the opportunity to join the St. Louis delegation this spring to take advantage of this amazing experience.
March of the Living is a two-week educational trip to Poland and Israel where participants can experience the past of our ancestors. March of the Living brings more than 15,000 Jews together each spring on Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, to walk the death march from Auschwitz and Birkenau. Instead of being a day of mourning, the march is surprisingly a prideful experience.
Walking out of the gates of Auschwitz with thousands of Jews from all over the world is indescribable. As I walked across the bridge between Auschwitz and Birkenau all I could see around me were Jewish people. I was reminded of the amazing resilience our people have. Here in the place of deep persecution, where many of our people perished, Jews returned to commemorate those who were lost. We showed the world that the Jewish people will not be pushed down.
This two-week trip was made even more incredible by traveling with survivors. I met a great number of survivors who had returned to educate others and share their experience. Hearing their stories in the places they occurred brought a whole new layer of understanding. Meeting Jews from around the world also enhanced my understanding of the Holocaust and added to this celebration of Judaism.
In addition, the multigenerational delegation from St. Louis, with participants ranging from teens to older adults, enriched the experience because of their varying perspectives.
The second week of March of the Living is spent in Israel with the inclusion of Yom HaZikaron, Israel Memorial Day, and Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel Independence Day. In one moment the country goes from the saddest day of the year to the happiest. The juxtaposition of these two holidays reminds us of the people who died fighting for the Jewish nation, before celebrating Israel’s independence. After thousands of years fighting for the Jewish homeland, it is incredible to celebrate the outcome in the streets of Jerusalem.
On Independence Day all those who walked from Auschwitz to Birkenau in Poland reconvened to march through Jerusalem to the Western Wall. The image of thousands of Jews marching through Jerusalem yet again is a reminder of the strength of the Jewish people.
Unfortunately, March of the Living, which always occurs in the spring, does not come at the most convenient time. For students, this is the crunch time to finish curriculums and prepare for finals. Last year, as I was making my decision to go to the March of the Living, one of my teachers told me that in 10 years I wouldn’t remember the exams I took or the grades I received, but I would remember the experiences I had. “March of the Living is not an experience you should even think about passing up,” the teacher said.
March of the Living has been one of the most influential experiences of my life. If I had to sum the trip up in one word, it would be inspiring. The march inspires people in a plethora of ways. It inspired me to take action to advocate and educate people about Judaism, the Holocaust and Israel. If we, the Jewish people, don’t make it a priority to fight to remember our past and advocate for our future no one will.
View this article which was published by the St. Louis Jewish Light at http://www.stljewishlight.com/opinion/commentaries/article_d76535c4-399c-11e2-aa25-0019bb2963f4.html
Israel: The Teen Experience
Hear three teens discuss the impact of their trips to the land of Israel.
Experiencing Israel—a journey to be continued
Before leaving for Israel, I didn't fully understand the deep connection and love people have for it. I had learned a lot about Israel throughout my Jewish education, but I never felt a personal connection with the country or its people.
Although I was searching for this special connection when I traveled there last summer, I never fully acquire one. What I did come to realize, however, is that people who deeply love Israel have spent years nurturing their relationship with our Jewish Homeland. After just four weeks of being there, I have begun to build and develop my own relationship with this vibrant and unique country. To further strengthen my new bond with Israel, I realize I will need to make multiple trips there and participate in Israel programs at home.
As a result of my first trip, I now have the ability and desire to advocate for the importance of the existence a Jewish State.
One of the best decisions I made prior to the trip was choosing a program that allowed me to first spend a week in Poland. That week was one of the most intense, amazing and life-changing weeks of my life as I visited concentration and death camps, which took a difficult emotional toll.
Today, there are few Holocaust survivors left and in 20 years there probably will be almost none. It is extremely important that we see these horrifying sights firsthand so that no one can deny the Holocaust's existence. It important that we understand the atrocities our ancestors went through and that we remember the Holocaust. After traveling throughout the country, however, I yearned to leave Poland for the comforts of our Jewish Homeland.
For me, arriving in Israel was not love at first sight. I did not love every part of every day in Israel, but the experiences I had in Israel gave me a well-rounded knowledge base that I can build upon in the future.
We participated in such a wide variety of activities in Israel, that there was really something special for each person. We saw much of the land, learned so much history and about the dilemmas Israel faces and experienced its immense and varied culture.
While walking around the streets of Jerusalem inside and out of the Old City, I saw great diversity. People of all religions and of all ages value Jerusalem as the city holds so many holy landmarks. Jerusalem is one of the only places in the world where on Shabbat a car on the roads is odd. While one could potentially go to Israel and only visit Jerusalem and still get a feel for Israel, the country is so diverse in its different areas that it would not give one a full perspective of Israel.
Tsfat had a whole different feel to it and yet it was just as exciting as Jerusalem. Tsfat is full of people who ooze with personality, whether that person is a Yemenite restaurant owner, a Kabbalistic artist, a glass blower, or a cheese maker.
I had the opportunity to do community service in Tsfat and it was such as a rewarding experience. Not only was I really able to help Israelis who are less fortunate, but I was also able to get to know the Tsfat community more in depth.
Traveling to the Negev took me out of my comfort zone, and the experience pushed me to do activities I would normally not do and ended up creating some of my fondest memories of my trip. In the Negev, we not only learned about history, but we also climbed Masada, swam in the Dead Sea, rode camels, went snorkeling, rode on banana boats on the Red Sea and slept in Bedouin tents.
My trip to Israel provided me with so many new and exciting opportunities, from learning, to having fun, to making new friends, and just being able to appreciate being Jewish in the Jewish Homeland. In the end, I came home with tons of new experiences, new friends, new knowledge and a new place I am ready to visit again.
Going to Israel has allowed me to start building my own connection to the Jewish State as well as provided me with a greater understand of its importance.
Jews have been persecuted for millennia, and it is important that we have a place of refuge. During the Holocaust there really was not place of refuge. No country wanted to allow a mass number of Jews in. But, today, any Jew can gain access to Israel, and Israeli society is made up of many people who left other countries in order to freely practice their Judaism. Every teen should be encouraged to take advantage of the vast variety of Israel trips offered. Any trip to Israel is going to be a good experience.
It is easy for teens like myself to take Israel for granted since it has existed our whole life. My trip to Israel and Poland has shown and taught me so much; I still have not fully comprehended my entire experience. However, I do know, that I will travel to Israel in the future, I will continue to build a relationship with Israel, and I will advocate for the necessity that Israel remain a Jewish Homeland and State.
View this article which was published by the St. Louis Jewish Light at http://www.stljewishlight.com/opinion/commentaries/article_754eb810-477b-11e1-a639-0019bb2963f4.html
Although I was searching for this special connection when I traveled there last summer, I never fully acquire one. What I did come to realize, however, is that people who deeply love Israel have spent years nurturing their relationship with our Jewish Homeland. After just four weeks of being there, I have begun to build and develop my own relationship with this vibrant and unique country. To further strengthen my new bond with Israel, I realize I will need to make multiple trips there and participate in Israel programs at home.
As a result of my first trip, I now have the ability and desire to advocate for the importance of the existence a Jewish State.
One of the best decisions I made prior to the trip was choosing a program that allowed me to first spend a week in Poland. That week was one of the most intense, amazing and life-changing weeks of my life as I visited concentration and death camps, which took a difficult emotional toll.
Today, there are few Holocaust survivors left and in 20 years there probably will be almost none. It is extremely important that we see these horrifying sights firsthand so that no one can deny the Holocaust's existence. It important that we understand the atrocities our ancestors went through and that we remember the Holocaust. After traveling throughout the country, however, I yearned to leave Poland for the comforts of our Jewish Homeland.
For me, arriving in Israel was not love at first sight. I did not love every part of every day in Israel, but the experiences I had in Israel gave me a well-rounded knowledge base that I can build upon in the future.
We participated in such a wide variety of activities in Israel, that there was really something special for each person. We saw much of the land, learned so much history and about the dilemmas Israel faces and experienced its immense and varied culture.
While walking around the streets of Jerusalem inside and out of the Old City, I saw great diversity. People of all religions and of all ages value Jerusalem as the city holds so many holy landmarks. Jerusalem is one of the only places in the world where on Shabbat a car on the roads is odd. While one could potentially go to Israel and only visit Jerusalem and still get a feel for Israel, the country is so diverse in its different areas that it would not give one a full perspective of Israel.
Tsfat had a whole different feel to it and yet it was just as exciting as Jerusalem. Tsfat is full of people who ooze with personality, whether that person is a Yemenite restaurant owner, a Kabbalistic artist, a glass blower, or a cheese maker.
I had the opportunity to do community service in Tsfat and it was such as a rewarding experience. Not only was I really able to help Israelis who are less fortunate, but I was also able to get to know the Tsfat community more in depth.
Traveling to the Negev took me out of my comfort zone, and the experience pushed me to do activities I would normally not do and ended up creating some of my fondest memories of my trip. In the Negev, we not only learned about history, but we also climbed Masada, swam in the Dead Sea, rode camels, went snorkeling, rode on banana boats on the Red Sea and slept in Bedouin tents.
My trip to Israel provided me with so many new and exciting opportunities, from learning, to having fun, to making new friends, and just being able to appreciate being Jewish in the Jewish Homeland. In the end, I came home with tons of new experiences, new friends, new knowledge and a new place I am ready to visit again.
Going to Israel has allowed me to start building my own connection to the Jewish State as well as provided me with a greater understand of its importance.
Jews have been persecuted for millennia, and it is important that we have a place of refuge. During the Holocaust there really was not place of refuge. No country wanted to allow a mass number of Jews in. But, today, any Jew can gain access to Israel, and Israeli society is made up of many people who left other countries in order to freely practice their Judaism. Every teen should be encouraged to take advantage of the vast variety of Israel trips offered. Any trip to Israel is going to be a good experience.
It is easy for teens like myself to take Israel for granted since it has existed our whole life. My trip to Israel and Poland has shown and taught me so much; I still have not fully comprehended my entire experience. However, I do know, that I will travel to Israel in the future, I will continue to build a relationship with Israel, and I will advocate for the necessity that Israel remain a Jewish Homeland and State.
View this article which was published by the St. Louis Jewish Light at http://www.stljewishlight.com/opinion/commentaries/article_754eb810-477b-11e1-a639-0019bb2963f4.html