Opinion

By Avi Gilbert

This summer, I had a life-changing experience: the chance to travel to Israel for a month. Because of the ongoing war, none of my camp friends from Goldman Union Camp Institute traveled with me, so I didn’t know anyone else on the trip.

However, that was the case for a bunch of the other teens on the program, so I quickly made lots of friendships that will last me a lifetime.

Along with meeting amazing teens from across the United States, we had the opportunity to live and travel with a group of Israeli teens from a kibbutz called Dorot, another great experience.

On this Reform movement trip, Yallah! Israel, we toured all over Israel from July 3 through July 29: from Jerusalem to Eilat, from Tel Aviv to Haifa.

Our group consisted of around 40 teenagers from all over North America. A big factor that helped me travel to Israel was that the Jewish Education Project’s RootOne helped subsidize my trip. I had to complete 18 nekudot (points) to receive a voucher that took off a chunk of the total price of the trip.

A few of these nekudot were Zoom calls with the other participants, but most of them were online activities to learn more about everything that has to do with Israel.

From Hebrew to the rich history of the land of Israel, it was a fun and informative way to get to know Israel a little bit more before traveling there.

For me and many others, this was our first time traveling to Israel. Some of my favorite activities we did were snorkeling in the Red Sea, the HaGal Sheli surfing experience, and volunteering at Kibbutz Dorot.

A couple of the more serious and impactful moments included visiting Yad Vashem and the Western Wall.

During my adventure in Israel, I couldn’t even tell there was a war going on. There were places we couldn’t go that might have been included on previous years’ trips and we had to travel with added security, but other than that, everything seemed normal to someone who doesn’t live in Israel. We never experienced a siren or had to enter a bomb shelter.

But we did meet people who were directly affected by the massacre. It was impossible to find anyone in Israel who didn’t have a connection to someone who was killed because of the war. We visited a very impactful place where all the destroyed cars, ambulances, and other police vehicles from the Nova Music Festival are kept.

We also visited Kibbutz Ofakim, which was invaded on Oct. 7. You could still see the bullet holes and rubble in the buildings. Our tour guide had experienced the terror within the kibbutz. I stood in the spot where it happened.

My trip to Israel was a deeply transformative experience, filled with a blend of joy, discovery, and somber reflection.

From forging lifelong friendships and immersing myself in the vibrant culture of Israel to witnessing firsthand the aftermath of the ongoing conflict, this journey was an eye-opener in many ways.

It gave me a profound sense of connection to the land and its people, as well as a deeper appreciation for the resilience and spirit of those living through such challenges.

Israel is no longer just a distant place on the map — it’s now a part of who I am. I am so grateful to everyone who contributed to the best experience I have undergone so far and am looking forward to returning as soon as possible.

Avi Gilbert is a junior at Centerville High School.

To read the complete October 2024 Dayton Jewish Observer, click here.