Come Together

Riding camels, Israel 2009

Every year, the Jewish Service Corp Fellows meet halfway through their placements for a midyear review. This year, the four-day seminar is taking place in Jerusalem, where JDC has offices and currently, two fellows. In addition, there are fellows this year in India, Belarus, Ukraine, Slovakia, Turkey, Ethiopia and Rwanda. While I’ve met almost everyone at orientation in New York City last August, I have not met the fellow in Ethiopia or the group in Rwanda yet. With so many young people coming together from their placements all over the world to discuss experiences, challenges and ideas, it is bound to be a stimulating experience.

Jerusalem 2009

The rest of my trip I will spend in Tel Aviv with some friends, maybe with a day trip here and there (Israel’s not that big…). But after an incredibly long winter in Germany, and it still being around 50 degrees here, I cannot wait for that Tel Aviv beach.

I went to Israel once as a child for my sister’s bat mitzvah and  last year for Birthright, where every day was jammed-pack with touring and information. It will be a new experience to come back for work and for a self-planned vacation. I hope to gain a new, non-touristy perspective of Israel from the seminar, which will take advantage of our setting, and then also staying with someone who lives in TLV. I also like that my trip comes right in between the end of Passover, which marked the beginning of the Hebrews’ desert trek before reaching the Holy Land, and Yom Ha’atzmaut, the national independence day of Israel.

Now my only problem before I leave is figuring out what to pack in my tiny suitcase for a trip that’s split between office attire and beach wear.

Beach, Tel Aviv 2009