For three Jewish students, Israel has become more than an image in a textbook or on the news. And it’s not difficult to get them to talk about their experiences.

Martin Foster, Dori Handel and Allie London — all Dayton residents and students at Miami University — recently traveled to Israel in June as part of the Birthright Israel program.

Launched in 1999, Birthright gives Jewish young adults ages 18 to 26 a free 10-day tour of the Jewish state. The trip includes the major cities in Israel as well as stops at a kibbutz, the Golan Heights, and the Negev Desert.

Birthright trips are sponsored by United Jewish Communities and the Jewish Agency for Israel, beneficiaries of Dayton’s United Jewish Campaign. Approximately 17,000 students are expected to travel to Israel on Birthright this summer.

Dori, a sophomore education major; Martin, a junior economics major; and Allie, a senior psychology major; all heard about the trip through Amy Bebchick, director of Hillel on Miami University’s campus.

The students were intrigued by the idea of a free trip and the opportunity to see Israel with other students their age.

“It was something I wouldn’t usually do,” said Dori, daughter of Renee Rubin Handel and Dr. Franklin Handel. “I wanted to push myself, to challenge myself.”

Allie, the daughter of David and Mimi London, said, “You only live once.”

Amy sent out e-mails and postcards, visited heavy-traffic areas on campus and met one-on-one with students to advertise the trip.

She and Birthright alumni at Miami talked with students, answered their questions and attempted to quell any fears.

“Israel is the homeland of the Jewish people, and such an important part of one’s Jewish identity. It’s important for Jewish students to learn what it means to be a majority instead of a minority,” Amy said.

Both Martin and Dori had traveled to Israel with their families when they were younger, but both knew Birthright would give them a unique, new perspective.

“When you’re younger, you depend on your parents to lead you around,” Dori said.

“You have much more freedom on this kind of trip – it becomes your own experience.”

Martin, the son of Lynn and Mark Foster, did not know what the new experience would be like.

“I expected the Israelis to be very religious; that we wouldn’t fit in with them,” he said.

This trip, comprising 40 young adults, included 11 Miami students. The group traveled by chartered bus through the country, accompanied at all times by two guards who had recently completed their service with the Israeli army.

Meeting individual Israeli soldiers was a point of interest for all three students. They had the opportunity to travel with eight Israeli soldiers currently serving in the Israeli army. The soldiers accompanied the group for five days.

Dori roomed with a female soldier. She said that it was strange to think that these soldiers were her age, yet living remarkably different lives from her own.

The soldiers and students bonded through lots of guitar-playing and singing.

“It was almost like camp,” Dori said, laughing.

“The entire time, you could just burst out singing, and no one would look at you strangely,” Allie recalled.

Dori felt the trip was more of a personal experience, going as a young adult.

“I took it more to heart,” she said.

She particularly remembered a day called the Mega Event when all of the current Birthright groups met in Jerusalem.

The day’s activities included a speech by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

“It was incredibly moving,” Dori said.

She was surprised by the differences between American Jews and Israeli Jews.

“Israelis are proud to be Israeli,” she noted, “but they don’t often connect with being Jewish like Americans do.”

For Martin, the experience was unique because of the other travelers on the trip.

“I’ve never been around that many Jewish kids at once…It was a great experience.”
A highlight for Martin was the chance to climb Masada at sunrise.

Allie’s experience was more spiritual than religious.

“We were surrounded by Jews instead of by religion,” she said. When Allie tells others she traveled to Israel, she usually receives a similar response.

“They say, ‘Oh, you couldn’t pay me to go there!'”

“Everyone in the U.S. is so negative about Israel,” Dori said. Their misconceptions frustrate her. “I felt so comfortable over there.”

Martin found that after the trip, his perceptions on Jews and Judaism “are more well-rounded.”

“It really made me realize the differences between Americans and Israelis, and how much Americans have that they take for granted,” he said. “Life in Israel seemed much simpler.”

When asked if every Jewish young adult should participate in a program like Birthright, all three students answered with an emphatic yes.

“I can’t wait to go back,” smiled Allie. “As soon as I possibly can.”

Birthright Israel is one of several trips to Israel available for young adults. The Israel Experience is a collection of more than 200 programs for high-schoolers, college students and beyond. For more information, go to www.israelexperience .com. To find out more about Birthright Israel, go to its Web site, www.birthrightisrael.org.

Locally, Birthright Israel is funded by the Wolfe Marcus Israel Teen Fund of the Dayton Jewish Federation Foundation. The Jewish Federation is seeking additional donors to support Birthright. To help, call Peter Wells at PWells@jfgd.net.