Dear Mayanot,
I am a soldier in the IDF, Paratroopers 890 who participated
on Birthright Israel: Mayanot bus 517. I want to share my thoughts and feelings
on this incredible and life changing trip! I now call Birthright a lifesaver
for the 'soul', especially for the Jews in the diaspora. I feel
as though it is their last chance before the grind and routine of day-to-day
life takes over. It was a life changer for me; it opened my eyes and heart to
what Jews in America are really going though.
As a combat soldier, I
was taught not to show much emotion, but on this trip the tears just kept
coming. On the first Shabbat, we sat in a room in the hotel with Yoni, our
fantastic tour guide. We went around in a circle and each person talked about
the reason they decided to come on Birthright Israel. I couldn’t believe my
ears, as I heard each individual person sharing their reasons for coming on the
trip. It was so clear to me, they were all trying to find their Jewish
identities, what it meant for them to be Jewish and their connection to the Land
of Israel. They traveled halfway around the world and this was the beginning of
their very powerful journey.
On Masada, when Liebel,
our trip Rabbi, conducted Bar & Bat mitzvahs for some of the people on our
trip, everyone got up and spoke about why they decided to do it and I just
couldn’t stop the tears. While I was listening to their heartfelt speeches of
why they wanted to have a bar or bat mitzvah on this trip and how they had
never received one or even knew what it was, their connection was palpable and
the opportunity to experience this with them, just literally, brought me to
tears.
Har Herzl was another
extraordinarily special experience with the group. An Israeli war veteran told
the stories of his experience in the war, fighting for Israel and the safety of
its citizens, which is always difficult for me to hear & experience with a
veteran. It was so moving, what a privilege to hear.
I hope I am expressing
how much I feel the trip affected me and that I honestly think I might have
gotten even more out of it then the participants. The trip was even better than
I could have imagined.
The participants were
constantly asking me questions about Israel, Judaism and the army. They
challenged me in so many ways. All of the things I took for granted as a child,
my family & my Jewish education, this trip made me appreciate it all so
much more.
I really liked the
balance of Judaism & Israel that the trip provided us with. It covered it
all I don’t think there was one person who didn’t feel connected to Israel
after the program. I got so much from this phenomenal journey, it made me
really want to get involved in an even greater way then I am now. This trip has
given me so many ideas of how to reach out to Jews in the diaspora, in a way
that they don’t need to wait until their mid-20’s to feel connected to Israel &
Judaism. I would also like to say thank you to the staff, they really were
incredible. I know what it's like to be responsible for people and their
well-being and it's not an easy task. The staff were very professional, always
available, and overall interesting, good people.
Birthright has given me
so much spiritually, and made me feel so much pride in being Jewish and being a
combat soldier in the IDF. I formed bonds with people which I hope will last a
lifetime. It gave me such fulfillment when some of the men and women on the
trip came up to me and told me I inspired them, but the truth is that they were
the ones who inspired me.
Most of them used their
vacation days to come to a foreign country not knowing anyone, not such an easy
thing to do. They came on this journey with an open mind and gained so much
knowledge, a new found love of Israel, and pride in our heritage.
What I gained from this
trip, are the friendships I made and the feeling of empowerment I know have, to
share my experiences and stories from my time in the army with others. I had no
idea how impactful these things were to young American Jews looking for
connection and wanting to know about our lives here in Israel.
I truly understand the
importance of bringing Jews to Israel now, to teach them about Israel and connecting
them to the land of our forefathers. This was a priceless experience that has
changed my life, thank you for allowing me to be a part of it!
Written by: Chanoch
Berman, IDF paratrooper 890
& Birthright Israel: Mayanot Participant
