My son is in Israel right now. Birthright is the organization that sponsors this trip. It is an all expense trip for Jewish young adults, ages 18 - 27 to travel to Israel. The purpose is to help them connect with their roots and discover a connection to an important part of their heritage.
I wanted him to take this trip while he was in college. He was not interested in it. My daughter took it and had a wonderful time. I'm glad he decided to make the trip now. It is the opportunity of a life time.
5 comments:
This has nothing to do with Israel, except for the fact that my youngest son is presenting a paper in Israel in June! I couldn't find your email so I'm going to ask my question here...My husband, who is retired, thought it would be fun to come to NYC this summer for a month or so. We'd like to sublet or "apartment sit" for someone--do you have any idea how we would go about finding a place? Let me know if you do...thanks. N.
I wish we could have something like this for Brasil and the African continent. I beleive in getting in touch with one's roots.
We were just out with a 22 year old cousin due to graduate this May and she is doing the birthright trip right afterward. She said she hears some people come back really changed - sometimes in a positive way, but not always. She's trying to connect with the party rather than the religious crowd.
I am an Israeli. The purpose of the trip is to get a young person to get the Zionist bug and move there. The problem is that a guided tour is not the reality of living in Israel.
Spend some time in "Qassemville" or Sderot on the edge of Gaza for a realistic experience.
The feeling of getting rocketed (with a Qassem rocket, a homemade explosive projectile) by those "moderate Palestinians" is unforgettable. The government makes feeble attempts at a show of force and then rolls over for our dear Arab Brethren.
One needs to be realistic about the state of affairs. It is important that you do not get sucked into the scenes of the bible in this land. It says in the bible that it is a land that eats its inhabitants. The main question is: Do you want to be lunch?
As a child in Israel,the daily message pounded into our heads was, "It is good to die for your country". This is more evil and banal than the amerikan pledge.
Recently, a top Israeli model said that it is better to live in New York than die for your (her) country.
As an American, you wil never be truly accepted by the population. You will always be a foreigner. Don't buy into the snow job about moving there. All the government wants is tax revenue and cannon fodder.
The government has placed Irael in the worst position since before 1948. Olmert is the worst leader Israel has ever had in its brief history. If you think that things are bad in the US, things are far worse over there.
Some countries would never allow their citizens to be rocketed daily. Israel is unique in allowing its citizens to be maimed and murdered while licking the boots of those perpetrating these crimes.
As a teacher, you must be aware of the teachers' strike. Teachers are getting half the salary of a bank teller. Teachers are receiving money each month from welfare in order to survive. Try teaching in a situation far worse than the misery caused by Reich Chancellor Klein and Reich Fuhrer Bloomberg.
Two years ago 14,000 teachers were fired and the principals were given unparalleled powers. Sound familiar?
Israel is a bananna republic that dances to the dictates of the US. Remember that while you see what your birthright truly is.
Thank you for your comments. We all know that everything you say is true. Still, it is important for my son to try to make some sort of connection.
I'm not ready to emigrate there yet. I know there are worse things than teaching in NYC.
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