JEWISH WORLD

JEWISH WORLD • APRIL 1 - 7, 2022 15 incorporate Judaism into my life. I attend Shabbat at my school’s Chabad house and take lessons with the rabbi. I began wearing a large Magen David so people recognize the most important part of me first: I’m Jewish. Without going to Israel, By JOSHUA SANTORO I was not excited to go on a one- month trip to Israel.After lots of arguing, I was forced to go with my sister on one of the new trips to Israel offered through RootOne. The religious significance did not appeal to me, and I wanted to spend the summer with my friends, not with a bunch of strangers. People kept telling me that I didn’t understand how special the country is because I’d never been there, but what can be so special about a country roughly the same size as New Jersey? A fter finishing the trip, I can tell you there is a lot that’s special about Israel. Actually, I was so busy the whole time that I did just as much sleeping on the bus in be- tween sites rather than in bed. We went hiking, banana boat- ing, and on ropes courses. We also visited historical sites like the Kotel (Western Wall), the Tomb of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs, and Masada. Some days were so packed that we had to cancel ac- tivities! The only downtime we had was during Shabbat, but even then, we were being active in dif- ferent ways. We danced and sang through services, told stories, and played games. I especially enjoyed this part of the trip. It allowed our group of almost 30 teens to con- nect in a way that we didn’t have time to during the week when ev- erything was so hectic. The theme of “connecting by disconnecting” was highlighted on until I was in Israel. It was surreal knowing that almost every person I encountered was also Jewish. I connected with my peers on a whole different level; strangers turned into brothers and sisters all on the same mission by God. In Is- rael, I learned how blessed I was to Shabbat, which is when the coun- selors encouraged us to limit or eliminate our use of electronics till Saturday night. This turned out to be a great idea because our most so- cial and enjoyable Shabbat was the one time our group agreed to put our phones away for the whole day. The entire trip turned out to be a learning experience. As a curious Jew, I had lots of questions for my counselors. On long bus rides, we spent hours discussing Jewish per- spectives on large topics like love, evil, and happiness. I didn’t realize how much depth and complexity there was to Judaism until the trip. In Hebrew school, our curriculum was very basic. We learned about the holidays, Hebrew letters, and summarized the Chumash, but not much else. The trip exposed us to Judaism’s ability to guide our whole lifestyles, not just a few hol- idays every year. Many of the counselors were only a few years older than us so it was easy to have conversations that I felt I could relate to and ap- preciate. Learning and discussing deep, philosophical topics with my counselors and my fellow group members allowed us to bond in a different way than most friendships. We all became very close with our counselors and continue to see each other months after the trip. While everyone told me it was true, I never believed that Israel would feel so special to me when I arrived. The longer I stayed, the more connected I felt to the coun- try. There was nothing that stood out to evoke the feeling from me, but it was always omnipresent. I never felt so proud to be a Jew be Jewish and how much I love the culture, religion, and family that characterizes Judaism. I was gifted tefillin on the trip and have been wrapping since. I wake up saying Modeh Ani and fall asleep with the Shema. I am now in college, yet I still find ways to FIRST PERSON The author found himself dazzled by Israel, and then grateful for its effects on him. Reborn Jew An American teenager discovers who he is in Israel continued on page 25 People kept telling me that I didn’t understand, but what can be so special about a country roughly the same size as New Jersey?