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American teens visit Israel
by Andrea Seidel
Not an uncommon headline.
Sure, everyone does it. But wait!
The experience which 1 recently
concluded enabled me, an average
American teenager, to LIVE Israel,
rather than just to visit.
The Israel Connection is spon
sored by the American Zionist
Youth Foundation. Under the aus
pices of the AZYF, as well as
through Israel’s Jewish Agency,
my group of 15 teens from all over
the United States participated in
extensive touring of the country
whereby we were offered small
tastes of all that Israel has. How
ever, the program’s primary focus
is bridging the gap between Israeli
and American teens, and its design
led us into the homes of dozens and
the classrooms of hundreds.
During my trip I was treated to
home hospitality by families in
such varying locations as a Jerusa
lem suburb, a southern develop
ment town, a kibbutz, and even
Atlanta’s own Sister City, Yehud.
By following their teenage sons
and daughters through both typi
cal school days and weekends, I
began to grasp and understand the
mentality and values of many Jews
living in Israel. And, at the same
time, they learned all that is possi
ble to know about their fellow
Jews in the United States. And,
boy, did they ask questions!!
Visiting four high schools each,
we spent our time going from class
to class inspiring discussions about
anything that teenagers could ever
imagine discussing—from Israeli
politics and foreign policy to popu
lar entertainers, and from Ameri
cans’ views of aliyah to the where
abouts of the best felafel in Israel.
As is characteristic of Israelis, the
youth with whom we interacted
were not hesitant to drill us with
questions. So, needless to say, I
was constantly challenged and, as
a result, have reached conclusions
about myself and rny opinions and
views of numerous issues involving
the state of Israel.
During our first week, we met
with a diversity of government
officials who thoroughly informed
us of the differing standpoints each
political party takes on the con-
Andrea Seidel
troversies surrounding Israel today.
I found myself learning so much of
what I thought 1 already knew and
starting to formulate ideas of my
own. Perhaps now I am still unsure
as to which party’s solutions I
agree with on such an issue as the
problems concerning the “Occu
pied Territories.” But at the least,
now I know what each side believes
is the answer, whereas before I felt
detached and uninvolved in the
whole dilemma.
A few of the “out-of-the-class-
room” highlights of my seven weeks
in Israel were the times spent on an
army base and in a field school. At
Machaneh Shelach—the army base—
we were outfitted in olive green
(color-coordinated to match the
food!) and taken to work along the
Jordanian border cleaning and re
pairing the electronic fence and
footprint-sensitive dirt which are
designed to prevent terrorist attacks
across that border. Talk about
being close to the news!!
A few weeks later I found myself
dangling on a rope off a 60 meter
cliff and into a salt cave above the
Dead Sea. At Metzukei Dragot,
the field school we attended for a
few days, we engaged in absailing
(rappelling) lessons and long hikes
through caves and wadis and over
the rocky mountains of the Negev.
The five a.m. hike up Massada to
view the sunrise and study about
the community there in King Herod’s
day was one of the most exhilarat
ing experiences of the whole trip.
Now that I’m home I’m yearning
to go back again to Israel. The
Israel Connection has a reputation
of being one of the best trips to
Israel for teenagers, as well as
being one of the most highly sub
sidized. Having been the token
Southerner in a group of Califor
nians, New Yorkers, Pennsylvan
ians, and Ohioans, 1 want as many
people as I can tell to know about
the program.
The experience has been invalu
able, and I find it really too bad
that more Atlantans do not take
advantage of such an opportunity.
AZYF accepts students who are
juniors and seniors in high school,
have a good grade standing, and
are willing to invest a bit of them
selves toward building a necessary
bridge and breaking stereotypes
between American and Israeli
youth. If you have any questions
about the program, please call me
and ask away! I am so anxious to
see more Atlanta kids participate. I
look forward to hearing from you!
B’ahavah,
L’hitraot!
Miss Seidel can be reached at
(404) 321-4030. —Editor.
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PAGE 13 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE July 25, 1986