Brianna Bornstein ’20 on top of Massada

Thanks for a great trip, Birthright!

By Brianna Bornstein ’20

 

My experience on birthright was so special. If you had asked me a few months ago what I expected from this trip, I would have had no clue how to respond. I went in with an open mind and let the journey decide where to take me.

 

Brianna Bornstein ’20 and Brittany Bernstein riding a camel

Since this was my first time out of the United States, I was amazed by the culture in Israel. Sure, I had attended Hebrew school growing up, but I never experienced that sort of language barrier in real life. Not only did I pick up a few Hebrew words while I was there, but I also learned so much about the Jewish culture that I hadn’t known before. I have taken some of the traditions that Israelis have back to my home where I now value family time and Jewish tradition a lot more. I realized how much of a minority Jews are in America and how important it is to remember who we are and where we came from.

I am a lot more confident now in expressing my Judaism and this trip has truly taught me to be proud of where my family came from. Besides what I experienced in Israel, I now have 45 new friends that I will see next semester at school (Although, we already have a reunion set up for this week!). No words can describe how thankful I am for the lifelong friendships I made in those ten days. Everyday was packed with fun, adventurous, and meaningful activities that I will never forget!

 

Brianna Bornstein, Brittany Bernstein, Matthew Levine, Jacob Deringer, and Alex Winshel