This summer, I was given the incredible opportunity of traveling to Israel. I previously published an article discussing the potential uncertainties of attending a trip like this one due to the Israel-Hamas war that broke out on October 7th, 2023. I was able to create a deeper connection during this trip with my Jewish identity, gain a more in-depth context of Oct. 7, and have a summer experience I will never forget.
The trip I attended (the BBYO Ultimate Mediterranean Experience) was carefully planned and sculpted to ensure the safety of every teen.
This particular trip traveled up and down Israel, visiting northern cities such as Haifa and southern cities including Sderot.
Due to the war’s effects, our trip’s itinerary was altered to ensure we weren’t traveling to any unsafe areas. It was obvious we wouldn’t be having a typical “Israel experience,” but I knew it would be an important one.
One might expect an Israel summer program to include many tourist activities such as climbing Masada, visiting the Dead Sea, and riding camels. My trip this summer included those same activities, but we also went to some additional places to learn more about Oct. 7th.
During our journey, we visited Hostage Square, Kibbutz Magan (a highly affected kibbutz from Oct. 7), and the Nova site where 364 festival goers were murdered by Hamas and 40 were taken hostage. We also had the opportunity to hear the testimony of someone who was at the Nova Festival when Israel was attacked.
Being in these highly affected areas added context and educated the group about Oct. 7. Izzy Minn (Plymouth, Minn) said, “Even when we were standing down in the Kibbutz [Magan] looking at Gaza, it made me realize that all the fighting is so close yet so far.”
Throughout my trip, I felt I was always safe, but my Israel experience took a slightly unexpected turn on our second night in Tel Aviv.
On July 19, 2024, one of my biggest fears became a reality. Yemen’s Houthi group sent multiple drones in the direction of Israel. Due to human error, one drone slipped through, resulting in the drone hitting an apartment building near the U.S. Embassy branch office in Tel Aviv. The drone explosion killed one person and injured 10 others. When this explosion happened, I was two buildings away.
The panic of being woken up at 3:10 a.m. by one of the loudest sounds I’ve ever heard is a moment I will never forget. Josh Sandler, my co-traveler and a high school senior from Toronto, Canada recalled his experience of the attack when he said, “When the bomb hit, I was in utter shock because I thought that this moment would significantly change the outcome of my life as well as impact the loved ones who cared about me so much…I wanted to leave the next day.”
Sandler mentioned that he wished he had been more open-minded throughout the whole trip. It is easy to get carried away in fear, but sometimes putting yourself in those uncomfortable situations is what makes all the difference.
This drone attack disturbed some of our sense of security, but luckily there were no more scares as alarming as this one, and the trip continued as it was originally planned.
Minn expressed her outlook on the tragedy when she said, “I feel like the security of our whole group was good, and all-in-all I didn’t really feel unsafe even after we got bombed…I still felt safe and secure.” The experience one may have had in Israel this summer is not like any other in the past.
I would consider this trip a success as it made Minn “want to embrace Jewish faith and become even more religious.” There were multiple chances where we as teens were given the time to reflect on the conflict and how it has affected us and those around us. The only way to begin to comprehend the happenings of Oct. 7th and the way it affected and has continued to affect Israel, is to have a firsthand experience in the country.
Originally, I believed visiting Israel on a summer program would be a beneficial experience for teens to connect with their Jewish identity and roots. I think it’s safe to say this trip was exactly that.
