Students who choose to make a trip to Israel with Hillel of Buffalo, courtesy of Birthright Israel, will spend a portion of their summer in something of a cultural classroom.
Hillel offers all Jewish students an opportunity to take advantage of the Birthright Israel program, which gives them the chance to visit Israel at least once in their lifetime. The trip is free to all Jewish students between the ages of 18 and 26 who haven't been to Israel or who haven't been there after the age of 12.
According to Andrea Jacobs, director of the Hillel of Buffalo, students are selected based on their commitment to their school and culture.
"We interview to determine how they will give back to UB and the Jewish community," said Jacobs. "We want to know that they aren't just going for a vacation."
The program has been publicized under the slogan, "You'll always remember your first time."
Some students who have taken part in the program have, in fact, deemed it unforgettable.
Kim Alberico, a senior art major, said she had a moving experience. She and her group climbed Masada, floated in the Dead Sea, rode camels, visited the craters and slept in the desert - all in one day.
"You see everything you have ever heard of or seen in photos," she said. "I cried my first time at the wall, as did many other people that I know."
Alberico said her experience on the Birthright trip has motivated her to return to Israel.
"The hardest part wasn't going, it was leaving. I love Israel and I plan on moving there in two years to go to grad school or to teach English," said Alberico.
Jacobs said she believes that it's important for every Jewish person to experience Israel.
"You see the pictures of the wall but to actually see it completes the deal. It makes the connection," said Jacobs.
Eric Moglin, a senior business major, said he was also moved by what he witnessed on the trip.
"The historical sites such as the 'Kotel,' or Wailing Wall, were just so touching to be at," said Moglin.
While organizers of the trip say they hope that students will be witness to things that will connect them to their heritage, some aspects of the trip were less desirable, students say.
The political climate in Israel in years past prompted considerable security measures for some students' trips.
"We couldn't go to Ben-Yehuda Street and that we didn't have more time in Tel Aviv, due to security risks," said Alberico. "Birthright takes every safety precaution possible. We had a female with us named Orit who was our guard and medic at all times."
Alerico said she believes there is a much lower threat in visiting Israel than is advertised.
"The media blows everything out of proportion, yes there are some unsafe areas but there are some areas like Jerusalem that are safe as can be," she said. "With the election of the new Arab leader, which happened when we where there, things seem to be coming around everywhere."
Regardless of the current political climate Birthright Israel continues to provide willing students with a medium through which to familiarize themselves with their heritage.
Though she takes measures to prepare students for the trip, Jacobs said she believes experience is the best teacher.
"You can't tell them everything; it's more than just going abroad. It's a spiritual thing," said Jacobs.
Eliot Sherman, a freshman biotechnology major, said he felt the connection.
"I think it's important for every Jew to visit the land, because of the connection through hundreds of years of history," he said. "Also I think whether or not you have a strong Jewish heritage, when going to Israel you feel some sort of feeling, spiritual, religious ... that you may have not felt here at home."
What students who take advantage of Birthright bring back is as varied as the people themselves, but all agreed that they were moved by the magnitude of the experience.
"I really stepped out of my safety zone by going on this trip. I had never traveled so far away on my own and it let me know what I'm capable of. I also took away knowledge from meeting different types of people," said Johanna Caplan, a senior psychology major and Hillel officer. "I learned what it is to be Jewish to different people and how it is to be Jewish in different areas of the country. Most important, I took away new friends that I am still in contact with over a year later."
Students interested in registering for the trip can do so at the Hillel of Buffalo's Web site at www.buffalohillel.org.
