Chabad Jewish Center organizes Israel trip, exposes students to heritage

The Daily Illini - Features
Issue: 9/22/05

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Chabad Jewish Center organizes Israel trip, exposes students to heritage
By Yuri Ozeki

Applications rushed in as registration opened on Sept. 8 for the 2005 10-day winter break trip to Israel. The Chabad Jewish Center, in coordination with two national Jewish groups Taglit-birthright Israel and Mayanot, is organizing the trip.

"We're going from North to South, West to East," said Rabbi Dovid Tiechtel, who will lead the trip. "The main places we will be hitting are Jerusalem, Safed, Tel-Aviv, Tiberius, and we'll float on the Dead Sea."

The trips, which mainly target college students, take place several times during the summer and winter breaks. The date for the University trip is tentatively set for December 18, arranged so that the participants will be spending Hanukkah in Israel. If students are unable to go on that date, they will be placed in another group with students from other schools and states departing at a different date. �

The deadline to register for all the trips is Oct. 27 at 10 a.m.

In order to participate, interested applicants must be Jewish, between 18 and 26 years old and must not have ever visited Israel in an organized group program.

"The idea of the Birthright Israel trip is for Jewish people outside of Israel, during these ten days, to learn more about ancient and modern Israel," Tiechtel said. "And it doesn't cost a dime."

Taglit-birthright Israel in partnership with the Israeli government, Jewish communities and philanthropists provide free trips to Israel. Birthright and Mayanot believe visiting Israel is a birthright for every Jew.

Zinovy Shkolnikov, sophomore in engineering, attended the 2004 summer Mayanot trip. "I wanted to learn more about being Jewish and about Israel," he said. "But with a free group trip, you don't really need much motivation."

Eugene Feygin, sophomore in LAS and an Illini Media employee, went on the Mayanot trip to Israel this summer.

"I didn't know what I was really getting myself into, but I had never gone to Israel," he said. "Everyone else in my family has, so I wanted to go."

Sam Zimbovsky, freshman in FAA, plans to join this winter's Mayanot trip to Israel: "I plan to study in Israel more extensively, but this trip will be a great opportunity for a glimpse into Israel."

Students have a full schedule once they arrive, including visits to underpriveleged children and Israeli soldiers.

"You get to see a lot of stuff that other people will never get the chance to experience," Feygin said. "Seeing the Wall - something that old still standing - was amazing. I go to Friday services, but this is something totally different. Five thousand people pack the wall with men on one side and women on the other."

Tiechtel agreed with Feygin, saying that it was not only about being there, but also taking in the culture.

"It's an experience," Tiechtel said, "It's not 10 days touring, but a 10-day experience of living, loving and learning. It's not only the sites you see, it's feeling the culture."

Reflecting on the trip, Feygin realized a big difference.

"When I entered the trip I went to services every week and I didn't think about what it meant to be Jewish," Feygin said. "Going to Israel, it unraveled to me what (Judaism) meant. (The trip) explained to me how big the world is, but how small the Jewish community is. Judaism is not just a religion, but also a special, close, tight knit group."

Tiechtel also assures of the trip's safety.

"I believe Birthright Israel is the safest way to visit Israel," Tiechtel said. "There is a lot of security. Out of the 80,000 students that have traveled to Israel through this program, only one got injured because she fell off a camel."

Through the many activities and various trips, strong bonds are created among the group. Wanting to keep in touch with his new friends, Feygin created a facebook group called "Birthright for Alumni" to stay connected as well as to provide information to prospective participants.

Interested students can visit the following Web site for more information: www.israelexpress.org.

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