A Magical Tikvah Birthright Trip
by Howard Blas, National Ramah Tikvah Network Director
Our magical Tikvah Ramah Birthright Trip with Tailor Made Birthright Israel concluded yesterday with visits to the Old City and Machaneh Yehudah yesterday, and we are now back in North America. We experienced so many of the wonderful things that Israel has to offer, and we have made friends from other Ramah camps.
Our journey started in the north, where we interacted with nature at Agmon Hahula, saw ancient synagogues in the Golan, hiked, and experienced a music workshop and the mystical city of Tzfat. After taking care of horses, we arrived in Tel Aviv for Shabbat—this bustling city along the Mediterranean is a sharp contrast to the peace and quiet of the north.
Shabbat in our hotel was truly inspirational—Kabbalat Shabbat singing in our hotel and Shacharit on the beach were highlights. It really felt like Shabbat in camp, only we had so many camps singing and dancing all together. Ice cream at Golda’s after Shabbat was a high point of our trip!
Sunday was museum day with two very different interactive experiences—the ANU Museum of the Jewish People and Invitation to Silence at the Israel Children’s Museum. We were impressed at how attentive and engaged our participants were, as our deaf guide helped them experience the world of the deaf. A tasty meat lunch at Chuma after some dancing in Kikar Rabin were nice touches too!
Monday was also an experiential day—we witnessed the abrupt change of landscape as we left Jerusalem for the Judean Desert and Masada and the Dead Sea. We saw camels, heard our voices echo as we shouted “MISHPACHA” from the top of Masada, learned the moving story of Masada, and felt the salt and mud of the Dead Sea on our skin. Some even chose to float!
Tuesday was a somewhat more solemn day with visits to Yad Vashem and Har Herzl. Everyone was mature and attentive as sensitive guides took us through these experiences, which are required for all Birthright groups.
Wednesday was pure experiential with a full morning of the biblical experience at Neot Kedumim. We saw, touched, and smelled plants and herbs of the bible, made myrtle spice bags, ground zaatar, and “got anointed” with olive oil that our guide squeezed with her bare hands. The view from Tel Lachish later in the day was breathtaking.
Yesterday, we experienced the Old City for the first time. There was something very dramatic about increasing in holiness as the trip progressed.
It was a treat to see the beautiful connections formed between participants. Staff members who know the participants from their home camps can’t stop talking about how they have grown and blossomed in this setting. So many friends of Ramah, including soldiers in uniform and shlichim from years past, came out to visit us on three separate occasions.
Although we are happy to be back with our families for Shabbat, and looking forward to this summer at camp to share stories with our camp friends, we cannot wait to return to Israel!
Read also: Reflections on Tikvah Birthright, by Deret Musselman, director of community care and inclusion at Camp Ramah in Northern California (Ramah Galim), who traveled to Israel for the first time in February 2023 as a staff member on the National Ramah Tikvah Birthright trip to Israel.