By Sarina Amar, KSU, Class of 2025
This summer, I was fortunate enough to participate in both Birthright and Onward Israel. I’ve never spent more than a few weeks in Israel, let alone two and a half months. I had absolutely no idea what to expect and did not know anyone attending. Aside from the nerves of making new friends, I was excited to get to experience Israel for myself with my own eyes. In the past, I’ve only traveled with family, to see family.
Back in 2014, my dad and I made a trip to Israel. He’d last visited two years prior, but I hadn’t been since 2006. The culture shock I experienced was overwhelming. I was in a place I could barely remember, hearing a language I could not speak, and I could not read anything I was looking at. I was practically glued to my dad’s side for the entire trip. My entire family (mom, dad, and brothers) and I made the journey in 2016, and again in 2022. By this point, I was familiar enough with the culture and language to not feel overwhelmed when venturing off with a cousin or alone for a few moments.
I was worried going into Birthright about feeling that same sense of overwhelm. I’d never gone into another country alone before, let alone one where I couldn’t speak the language. I was anxious about how I was going to function within this space and be propelled out of my comfort zone for months. Oh, how wrong I was.
From the moment I arrived at the Atlanta airport, I was greeted by the most welcoming staff. They made sure I had everything I needed and got the group excited rather than nervous for the long flights ahead. Once we got to Israel I was still on edge, but I didn’t allow that to take away from the excitement I felt getting to explore Israel with a tight-knit group. Birthright gave me a strong foundation for the rest of my time in Israel. Honestly, the moments I cherished the most were in between activities when it was just the group hanging out waiting for the bus, waiting for activities to begin, and even during meals.
Onward, however, was a complete flip. I went from having every second of each day planned out to a set work schedule with a few days sprinkled in for Onward programming. I had total freedom to live like a local in Tel Aviv. I learned a lot of things this summer. I got to see Eden Golan in concert, participate in an exclusive forum to prepare me for campus, and eat the best food I’ve ever had (Sorry, Mom!).
My internship with Onward allowed me to explore avenues I never considered and apply things I was learning in class to the real world. I was the Brand Identity Intern with Sababoosh, a podcast on Israeli culture. I conducted market research, general research, and even got to publish two articles! I was able to understand Israeli culture a little bit better and how business is conducted. And let me tell you, I’ve gotten really good at networking! My boss also allowed me to complete a course from the University of London Business School and set up interviews with industry professionals. These interviews helped me get a better idea of the career path I want to pursue and get professional advice for how to help Sababoosh grow.
I had a hybrid working schedule where I got to work from home a few days a week. I had the most beautiful view of Tel Aviv from my apartment and could even see the Mediterranean Sea from my balcony. Often, my roommates and I would sit outside and talk about work and how our days went. It was truly a peaceful haven for us. Each night, we’d fall asleep to the sounds of the never-sleeping city below. Understanding the fragility of the calmness and that a future conflict was inevitable, I spent all of my Shabbats and weekends with my family.
Most of my family does not live in Tel Aviv. I have a cousin who lives nearby but his mother and family live in the north of the country. This is where I would go each weekend. I would leave “The Bubble” (as my family would call Tel Aviv) and get close to the rockets fired each day from Lebanon. Making these trips allowed me to grasp the brutal realities for Israelis and get a sense of the fear that lives in the back of many of their minds.
One Friday morning, I woke up to my cousin barging into the room I was staying in. He was telling me to get up, “We have to go, there are sirens.” As soon as I woke up, I felt the house shaking and my ears popping. My heartbeat was no longer my own, having synced with each explosion overhead. It sounded like a horrible storm was over our heads but there’s no way it could be a storm, I tried to reason, I can see the sun out. The barrage was relentless and could be heard for multiple minutes over our heads as my aunt, my cousin, my uncle, their dog, their upstairs neighbors, their children, and I cowered in the safe room together. This was just another morning for them.
My family is originally from Kiryat Shmona, and when I visited in 2006 during the Second Lebanon War, I remember hearing the rockets as they flew a little too close to our heads. I remember being on the porch and asking my cousin when the storm would get there since I could hear the thunder. My little four year old brain could not comprehend that those were rockets and there was a war going on just over the mountain.
When I registered for my summer abroad, I was ecstatic to get to explore my father’s hometown on my own and visit the graves of my late grandparents. Unfortunately, the road going into Kiryat Shmona is closed and very few are allowed to go into town. Day after day, this little piece of my heart is being attacked and my family is not allowed to go back home. They have not been home in 11 months. That’s nearly a year of staying with their adult children or in hotels around the country, hoping and praying that their homes still stand.
I feel like I’ve changed as a person for the better and have a deeper grasp on who I am. I’ve never felt more connected to my identity as a Jew and to the place I’ve seen as a second home for my entire life. I’ve never been more thankful for an opportunity or proud of myself for throwing myself out of my comfort zone in the way that I did. I knew that no matter where I went, I was safe and I had somewhere to go if anything happened. Both Taglit and my family took my safety very seriously and allowed me to grow into my own just a little bit more.
For other students, I cannot recommend doing both Birthright and Onward enough. Even though I was there for two and a half months, I often find myself missing Aroma ice cafes, the shawarma place near my aunt’s house in Haifa, being a text away from my family, and lazing on Gordon beach. I got an experience that very few can say they’ve had. If I’m being honest, I had my reservations about registering. I knew the conflicts were getting worse and was not sure if I should even go. My mom then told me to sign up anyway, because then if the trip is canceled, it’s a loss and I can go on another. But, if I never sign up in the first place, it’s a lost opportunity. Take that opportunity and experience Israel for yourself.
Am Yisrael Chai.
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