Israel

^{I am 50% Jewish because my father was the first in his family to marry a non Jew. Sure enough it showed up on my genetics test I took through ancestry.com. Although he was raised Jewish, my dad never connected with it and so he did not raise us that way in any shape or form. I did not celebrate Hanukkah, never went to Hebrew school, never got bahtmizfa’d, etc… So I never felt connected to my Jewish heritage either. Calling myself Jewish even felt weird. Like I was unfit for the title.} 

^{Anyway, 5 years ago my sister and I found out about this company called birthright Israel that offers free trips to Israel for anyone who’s biologically Jewish! The age limit was 26 and I was just about to transition to a new career right before my 27th birthday. I couldn’t make it happen, but my sister could and so she went and had a marvelous time. I think she said there were 40 people in her group?}

 ^{Well, years later the company decides to offer the experience to those between the ages of 27-32! I had just turned 32 and knew I had to go. I signed up immediately for the winter trip  since I knew that the summer would be too intense.  Everything went smoothly  and the closer September came the more excited I got. To make a 10 day, 23 people trip short, it was AMAZING. It was everything I had hoped and also not expected it to be. I learned a lot about myself. Not just about my culture, history, and heritage, but how I do in a large group of strangers with no alone time. It was challenging and I saw parts of myself come out that I haven’t seen in a long time. I became quite introverted and retreated into my shell quite often. I became more of a listener than a talker. I became the observer.}

^{We went all over Israel. So many places. I can’t even remember the names of them all. Jerusalem was definitely the best. So much history there. It was surreal. The whole trip was surreal and overwhelming for me really, but in a good way. Also, the people in my group were quite an amazing bunch. Every single one of them was loving, non judgmental, kind, courteous, and friendly. We all got along very well and by the end of our 10 days together it felt like we were a family. I felt so lucky to have had a group with no drama or clickiness. There was only one person that made me feel uncomfortable. One if the guys had a thing for me and seemed to always be close, or have his eyes on me. That’s annoying when you can’t get away from someone because your stuck with them. I was very polite of course, but had to set boundaries.
I’d have to say my favorite parts of the trip were the hiking, riding camels, and sleeping in the Bedouin tents. I came to Israel as a tourist visiting, and left with a connection to the people and the land. A new found home. A part of who I was. It struck me very deeply.}

^{I don’t resent my father for not teaching me about my culture. I know that it was not done with intent. It wasn’t important to him and so he didn’t pass it on. Simple as that. But it is important to me. It’s a huge part of who I am and if I ever have children I want to celebrate  hannukah and teach them Hebrew and how to make halla bread. I am not religious, but I want some of the culture to be a part of my life now.}