On August 12th, I arrived at Newark International Airport where I met with twenty-eight strangers, and together we were going to make our pilgrimage to Israel, The Holy Land. We were all going on this trip sponsored by Birthright. This is an organization that offers free trips to young Jewish adults. During the ten-hour flight, we began to develop timid friendships, but little did I know how much these people would eventually mean to me.

We stepped off the plane at Ben Gurion Airport into the young country of Israel, only 71 years old. Israel is known for the three major religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. For myself and the others in the group who had never been there before, it felt kind of surreal. Were we really here?

Now, if you think it can get hot here in Philly, oh boy, think again. Israel is a desert country! The temperature can go up to (40 C) 104 degrees Fahrenheit or higher on any given day. A good portion of the time you might not feel it. Because it's a dry heat, you may have days where you feel it more than usual. Part of the rules with our group was you must have a water bottle everywhere you go. Two other "must haves" were a hat and sunscreen. I also had shorts/capris, tank tops, and short sleeve shirts. I also packed two skirts for special occasions, a dress for Shabbat, as well as two shawls to keep my shoulders and elbows covered as required at some of the religious sites.

After gathering our luggage, we met our Israeli staff members, Becca and Dolev, our tour guides, and Koren, our medic/ guard. One of the members of our group, Matt was given the group mascot, a teddy bear, but handed it to me because, well he is a dude. I named the bear Izzy, for Israel. (ha ha did you see what I did there?) I took care of Izzy the entire trip. He came with us to meals, traveled with us on the bus and even went to the Dead Sea, but he didn't go in the water, it would have been too much for his fur. Koren made the comment that whenever
I held Izzy, it looked like I was trying to protect him because I kept my arms crossed over his little body. Our entire group knew how much I loved Izzy, and they became concerned I may not be able to bring him home with me. Well, the good news is...he did. Izzy made it home safely with me!

From the first day when our guide, Dolev, wanted to get our attention or make announcements, we would call out our bus number. So, for the next ten days, we were affectionately known as bus #697. At various stops throughout our trip, Dolev had a habit of jumping up to sit on 2000-year-old pillars, on the base of a statue, park benches, and the like so we could see and hear the instructions for the activity. Becca became known as Mama Duck because as we followed in a line behind her at different locations she called us her little ducklings.

Each Birthright trip is organized and staffed by a different Israeli/Birthright travel agency. The one that sponsored this trip was called Sachlav. The first activity we had was a welcome session where we met Yaacov, one of the Sachlav managers, during the session; we discussed the reasons why we each felt the need to experience Israel. Another question Yaccov wanted to know was how many of us were visiting Israel for the first time. Most of the members of the group raised their hands, including myself. I had several reasons for wanting to see Israel. One, I have an aunt that lives there, and she has been telling me for years that she would love for me to see Israel. Another big reason is because I had a cousin, Rudy Augarten who died long before I was born, but I have heard stories about him. He was an American ACE pilot who flew a plane called a HELLCAT during Israel's independence in 1948 and also helped to develop the Israeli Air Force. And Rudy had always wanted to see the land that he loved and fought so hard for. There is a book called I Am My Brother’s Keeper which tells the story of my cousin Rudy and the other men who helped to defend Israel during the war. As a matter of fact, there is a picture of Rudy on the front cover. We got our copy from Amazon, and it was signed by the author to Senator Kennedy. Unfortunately, it does not indicate which Senator Kennedy. Another more personal reason was that I wanted to see and learn more about my faith. Unfortunately due to various circumstances, I was unable to go to Hebrew School as a child and have had the desire to learn more about Judaism.

One of the questions most asked was, what we were looking to get out of our experiences in Israel? In addition, we were also asked what we were most looking forward to. I said I was most looking forward to seeing the Western Wall, or as some refer to it, the Wailing Wall. The Western Wall is the most significant site in the world for the Jewish people. It is the last remnant of our Temple. We also know that Jews from around the world gather here to pray. People also write notes to G-d and place them between the ancient stones of The Wall. Of all the religious places in Israel this is the most well known and sacred. There is a painting of it in my grandmother’s foyer, it’s the giant mirror in my aunt's house that I have seen my entire life, but to see and touch the real thing was amazing. The Western Wall is a place where people visit and pray to Hashem for a child, a spouse,

and any other miracle they wish to have blessed upon them. Our group created the metaphor that The Wall was Hashem’s personal mailbox. When my group arrived at the Western Wall, where one may possibly feel the holy presence of Hashem, the whole experience was very overwhelming and extremely emotional to the point that even the toughest men in our group teared up.

There is a rite of passage for Jewish teens, a bat mitzvah for girls and a bar mitzvah for boys usually at the age of 12 and 13 respectively; however, these religious services can be at any age. While at the Western Wall, our group was asked who had not had a bar/bat mitzvah. I was one of the few that raised my hand, and to our surprise, we had a short ceremony where each of us was presented with a certificate. We had the lovely experience of ex- plaining why we choose to have our Bar/Bat Mitzvahs and why we chose our specific Hebrew name if we did not have one.

I was given my Hebrew name as a baby. Surah Chaya. Surah means princess and Chaya coincides with Chai the 18th letter of the Hebrew Alphabet which means life. My name is Princess To Life. One of the souvenirs I bought for myself is a charm of a silver and blue Chai (the Hebrew letter) significance of my Hebrew name. Furthermore, we conversed about how we were thereafter going to contribute to the Jewish community as Jewish adults. I intend to continue as a teacher's aide at the Chabad Hebrew School where I have been a volunteer for eight years.

Bus #697 did so many other things, such as take nature hikes, paint our own Moroccan tiles, raft down the Jordan River, and ride camels. We even slept in Bedouin tents in the middle of the desert. Other than the visit to The Western Wall, some of my favorite and most meaningful activities was the Dead Sea, which is the lowest place on Earth meaning below sea level. This is a one- of-a-kind place, which supposedly has magical healing powers. There is mud that you can purchase, slather all over yourself, and then rinse it off to make your skin healthier. I personally didn’t do it, but watching my friends do it was actually really funny. It looked like Gabby and Noa had turned into monsters with the way the mud looked on them. Putting the mud on was one thing, but trying to get it off was hilarious! I had to help Gabby, Noa, Abby and Marie to get it all off without being weird. Some of the boys only put it in their hands and arms...thankfully. After The Dead Sea, we went to one of the local beaches to swim in the Mediterranean Sea before heading back to our hotel to shower and have dinner.

The places that we stayed were called Kibbutz, which are community settlements. They have various business and resources to sustain themselves. Some are agricultural, hotels, restaurants or other businesses organized under collectivist principles. Many people live, work, and are educated in a Kibbutz their whole lives. Most of the ones we stayed at were really nice, but the ones that were a little bit more rural had some pretty big spiders that were taken care of with the bottom of someone’s shoe.

The food was always kosher, which means foods that is sold, cooked, or eaten that satisfy the requirements of Jewish law. For example, there is no mixing of meat and dairy, all meat must be blessed by a Rabbi, and the animals have to be slaughtered a certain way. Every other day, we ate meat meals, and other days our meals were Parve, which is neither meat nor dairy. We ate foods like potatoes, vegetables, or pasta. Ninety percent of the food in the Kibbutz was good. For instance, one night we ate beef meatballs and potatoes with garlic (yum). The next night we had vegetable lasagna, vegetables, and fruit. The watermelon, I have no adequate words to describe how delicious it was, and the same goes for the grapes! I don’t think I have ever eaten that many grapes in my life! Several staple foods were served at all meals such as Israeli salad made of diced cucumbers and tomatoes with some lemon juice squeezed over it, as well as hummus and pita bread.

Surprisingly, Israel is one of the most LGBTQ+ positive countries. However, one downfall is to be married there you must meet certain requirements. In Israel, all Jewish marriages are performed by Orthodox Rabbis (Reform, Conservative, and other denominations are not officially recognized) and same- sex marriage ceremonies will not be performed or recognized. LGBTQ+ couples can get married in another country, and they won’t have a problem with that. Meaning, that even though the Orthodox do not believe in same sex marriage they will not discriminate against two people who have gone somewhere else and gotten married. This brings me back to when bus #697 saw a wedding celebration of two men at the Western Wall, which is a huge jump forward for the LGBTQ+ community. A country riddled with turmoil, we felt this was something to celebrate and be proud of.

Halfway into our trip we were joined by seven Israeli soldiers. They became part of our little duck family within hours of meeting them. There was Yakir who is a sniper, but he is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet. Dana, she was a commander and teaches others to be fitness instructors, but you wouldn't know that she because is one of the most caring people I have ever met. Dori who was the gentle giant, and we were never quite sure of what he did. Shahaff was a combat soldier who honestly gives the best hugs. Shahaa is always confused for being a child because she has such a youthful looking face. Shaharr is in the Israeli equivalent to our CIA. Shaked was another one that we weren’t quite sure what she did, but she was always down to have a conversation about anything and everything. The picture of the seven of them standing side by side was taken at the event planned for us to get to know them and have some fun.

Our group also climbed the mountain of Masada. Masada is a fortress that Herod the Great created between 37-31 BCE. This ancient mountaintop fortress is the site of the Jews’ last stand against the Romans after the fall of Jerusalem in 70 CE. In the 20th century, Masada became a symbol of Jewish national heroism, and it is one of Israel’s most popular tourist attractions. All of Israel’s soldiers climb the mountain at the very end of their training, pledging that Masada will never fall again. People climb to the top of the mountain to pray and have Bar/Bat Mitzvahs there. Now, everyone that knows me knows two things. One, I am terrified of heights, and two, I am an asthmatic.

Well, we were halfway up the mountain when my asthma started giving me a lot of trouble. Becca had been holding onto my water bottle so I could concentrate on my breathing and get- ting up the mountain without panicking. Like a mountain goat, Becca was about twenty feet ahead of me. When Koren asked if I could have my water, Becca decided to toss it to Koren, who missed it, just like me. My water bottle then tumbled down the side of Masada never to be seen again. But don’t fear friends! I had two more on the bus! After we climbed to the top of the mountain, we saw the sunrise and took a tour talking about the significance of the mountain.

The next thing that bus #697 did together was celebrated Shabbat. Then, we had dinner later that evening and had the choice to attend a synagogue to enhance our experiences while in Israel. In Judaism, men run the business and finances, while women are the ones that run the house and take care of the children. The women of the family are the ones who say the prayers over the Shabbat candles and prayers over the bread, wine, etc. I didn’t light any candles because I almost burned myself. On the plus side, I got to have one of my favorite things! Gefilte fish! I got so excited! I usually only get it at Passover because it’s a Passover tradition and my mother does not eat fish, so she only makes it once a year.

For Shabbat, Becca took a group of us to the Great Synagogue in Jerusalem. During Shabbat, men and women do not pray together, and they are sometimes separated by a partition or a wall. In the Great Synagogue, men are seated on the first two floors and women are on the third and fourth floors. Friday at sundown until Saturday at sundown is a time for family and friends to get together, relax, pray and detox from the stress of the week. They do that by not using technology, not driving cars, or do anything that is considered work. The very religious will not even flip a light switch on or off.

Once Shabbat is over, we celebrated with a small ceremony that included dancing, singing, wine, candles, and herbs. Bus #697 all got in a circle and began shouting at the top of our lungs the prayer to end Shabbat. After that, we went into a market called a “Shuk,” where we could hang loose, drink, dance, and just have fun. Before we left, all the girls were running around trying to borrow clothes, makeup, and hair curlers; whereas, the boys were observing us as if we were all crazy. If you imagine the most claustrophobic nightclub you can think of and shrink it into the size of one hallway, that’s where we had our night out.

One of the things I absolutely loved, but was the most emotional about, was when we visited Mount Hertzel. I get emotion- al and begin to cry every time I tell this story or if I even think about it. I’m actually crying now as I type it. Mount Hertzel is the cemetery for the fallen Israel soldiers. This is one of the few places where all current Israeli soldiers who visit must wear their full military uniforms. We visited the grave site of a lone soldier, Michael Levin, from our area which made me extremely emotional. He attained “Aliyah” which is the ritual to become
a citizen of Israel. After becoming a citizen, he joined the Israel Defense Force. Michael had been visiting his family in the US when he heard that there was the possibility of a war in Israel. Michael begged his commanding officer to have him on the next flight back, and unfortunately, he died in battle saving his friends a few weeks later.

Jews roamed the desert for many years, and they did not have the tools to create headstones. It became customary to use rocks to mark the location of graves. This tradition is still very active in today’s society. When someone dies and you go to their grave, it's customary to leave a stone or even a tuft of grass at their graves. On Michael's grave, there were Philadelphia Eagles hats, Phillies hats, emblems from the Flyers, bracelets, necklaces, and birthright name tags. A picture of Michael left from the year before by our tour guide Dolev was placed there because of being destroyed by the elements; when we arrived, someone had gotten another photograph of Michael framed and left it for him.

A Lone Soldier means a Soldier who has died without any family in Israel. Michael's parents took a ten-hour flight so that their son could be buried in Israel: a place that he considered his home. A minion is a ritual, which requires ten men to pray. Michael's father was very worried because he could not perform the ritual and was afraid it would not allow his son to be buried in Israel in peace. On the way to the cemetery, there was a great deal of traffic, causing Michael’s already grief-stricken parents to become more and more upset. To the surprise of Michael’s parents, 3,000 people showed up to Mount Hertzel to help lay their son to rest. They had heard about Michael’s sacrifice and wanted to show their respect. The Israeli people felt that fighting not only for the safety of the Jews of Israel, but also Jews around the world, deserve a massive amount of respect. They felt they owed Michael’s family a proper burial for their son. Now, whenever a lone soldier dies, the entire country, including Jews, Christians, and Muslims, comes together to help put the brave souls to rest by attending the funeral, having a minion, making sure the grave is maintained, and visiting a few times a year.

I was the only person in the group to reside in the Philadelphia area so this hit me the most. I began to sob, muttering to myself, “He could have lived near me,” “He could have lived near my family,” and “He could have lived near my school.” As I sobbed, I took my name tag off, and I placed it on Michael's grave site. Dolev and Dana comforted me as they stood beside me, and they wiped away my tears. Both of them told me it was okay to cry. They told me I had such a big heart. There is also a movie about Michael’s story, Soldier in Heaven, or if you look up Michael Levin, you should be able to find it. We all walked away together. We all went with Yakir and visited the grave of a friend who had died in a training exercise gone wrong. Then, Dolev proceeded to show us the memorial of his brother’s best friend, who was sadly killed at the age of thirteen in a suicide bomber attack.

There are so many important lessons and historical facts that I learned while in Israel. Each and every member of my group came away with a different experience, where everyone thought that one thing was more important than another. But the main point which brought us together as a community was the religious aspect of our experiences and time spent in Israel. So, if you ever get a chance to go to Israel and see the different historical or religious places, I hope that whatever you take away from the experience is fun and educational.