It’s not like me to make a list of resolutions or things to do for the Jewish New Year. But as the Days of Awe come to a close, I realize there is one big experience that should be on that list before it’s too late. And at age 25, it is almost too late.
Don’t get me wrong, the best days of my life are surely ahead of me. But if I want to take advantage of a free trip to Israel, I’d better act fast.
Birthright Israel sends thousands of Jewish young adults ages 18 to 26 on a 10-day trip to Israel in an effort to strengthen ties between Israel and Jewish communities around the world.
How I let an amazing opportunity like this almost pass me by is a question I keep asking myself over and over, especially since I am more immersed now in Jewish culture than I have ever been.
Heck, one of the first things I was told as I was settling into my routine at j. went something like, “We want all of our reporters to go to Israel.”
So what’s been stopping me? Carving out 10 days to explore an amazing country doesn’t seem like much of a challenge. But for some reason or another, between starting freshman year at college, finishing graduate school and finding a job, I could never make it happen.
Back in college, winter and spring vacations would come and go, and I’d return to school listening to the fantastic, inspiring stories from others who traveled to Israel and had the time of their lives.
In June, two of my cousins embarked on journeys to Israel, returning to their respective Southern California homes with a renewed sense of their Jewish roots. Not too bad for young adults whose chaotic lives barely allowed for a Shabbat dinner here or Rosh Hashanah service there.
Yet, both of my cousins participated in Birthright for totally different reasons. Melissa grew up in a traditional Jewish home, celebrated her bat mitzvah and joined in Hillel activities while attending the University of Southern California. Following college graduation, she saw the perfect chance for international travel, squeezing in her trip to Israel before starting an impressive internship with NBC at the Beijing Olympics.
As a 21-year-old, my cousin Mark took a gigantic leap of faith, literally, and signed up for Birthright. Now you’ve got to understand that Mark didn’t grow up being shlepped to Hebrew school or High Holy Days services. He never had a bar mitzvah, and every December, next to his family’s menorah, stands a festively decorated Christmas tree.
A Jewish friend told Mark about the program, which promises 10 days of exploration, from Tel Aviv to the Western Wall, from Haifa to Galilee. While it all sounded incredible, Mark’s fear of looking awkward and out of place overshadowed his initial excitement.
“I was a little nervous because I’ve dabbled in Judaism, but I’m not religious,” Mark tells me from his apartment near U.C. San Diego, where he just started his junior year. “Since my family wasn’t involved in a Jewish community, I always felt like an outsider, an infrequent participant.”
Those same feelings followed Mark to Israel, but gradually dissipated as he encountered more and more people who were just like him: Judaism is in their lives, but it exists in a cultural, rather than religious, form.
“While I still don’t define myself as a religious Jew, I recognized that I have a culturally Jewish background and I feel a connection to that,” he says.
I am proud of Mark for being so adventurous; before he took this trip, I’d swear his idea of Shabbat was playing Xbox 360 all night until the sun appeared Saturday morning. I used to pick on Mark when we were younger — he filled the role of the little annoying brother — but now I’m inspired by his spur-of-the-moment decision to go to Israel.
For me, 5769 already feels different. I observed Kol Nidre and Yom Kippur in an unfamiliar synagogue and broke the fast with new friends I’ve met since moving to San Francisco three months ago. Making a list of resolutions, including what I want to accomplish, seems like the appropriate way to usher in the New Year.
I’m putting “Trip to Israel” in bold-faced type with bullet points around it. Here’s hoping, this time, I can make it happen.
Amanda Pazornik can be reached at [email protected].