During this winter break, some Brandeis students took advantage of the Birthright Israel Program, an umbrella organization for a variety of Israel travel tours. Through the program, Jewish young adults, aged 18 to 26, who have never traveled to Israel on an organized peer trip, partake in a free 10-day tour of their choice. This winter, nine Brandeis students participated on Hillel's Birthright Israel program. According to Director of Student Activities for Brandeis Hillel Cindy Spungin, six to 10 additional Brandeis students traveled on the Birthright trips of other Jewish community organizations this winter. Internationally, about 7,500 students have participated in Birthright trips this past year, 4,000 traveling during this past winter.The Intifada, an uprising of Palestinian Arabs in protest of Israeli occupation, that began two years ago in Israel and the occupied territories has had a devastating effect on Israeli tourism. As of last year, Israel suffered a $2.2 billion loss in revenue, constituting a 50 percent drop, according to the New York Times.
Brandeis students have been among those choosing to forgo a trip to Israel, particularly as a destination for study abroad. According to Study Abroad Coordinator J. Scott Van Der Meid, in the five semesters since the Intifada began, the number of students attending a university exchange program in Israel has fallen from about 40 a semester to 10. There has been a 50 percent increase, however, in student interest in study abroad in Israel during the 2002 to 2003 school year.

The large number of Brandeis students that participated in Birthright trips during winter break is testament to a renewed interest in travel to Israel. In a Jan. 10 press release, the U.S. State Department called on U.S. citizens to defer travel to Israel, citing that "the potential for further terrorist acts remains high." This renewed warning comes after a pair of deadly bombings in Tel Aviv on Jan. 5. Yet, for students like Julia Moorad '06, "it was time to go to the place that is at the center of my faith and instrumental in how I define myself."

Joe Wagner, a spokesman for Birthright Israel, said he understands parental concerns about safety. "Everyone is concerned, but Birthright takes the most stringent security measures possible to ensure the safety of all participants."

The itineraries of all tour groups associated with Birthright are extensively reviewed by the same ministry that reviews student field trips in Israel. In addition, all tour buses are privately owned and are equipped with global positioning systems (GPS) and cellular phones. "In this manner, parents can always know where their children are and get a hold of them," Wagner said.

Students who traveled on Birthright trips said they felt very safe, and were enthusiastic about their experiences in Israel. Amy Schiller '06, "found (her) madrick (counselor) really nice and great at what he did." She said she never felt unsafe during her time in Israel. Many parents are fearful of sending their children to Israel, but Shiller is "really lucky to have the support of (her) parents -- they realized that the time for (her) to get back to Israel was long overdue." Her mother was in
Israel at the same time for a Jewish Education Conference and they spent a Shabbat together at the Wester wall.

According to Spungin each student is affected by the Birthright Israel experience in a different manner. Even though she has staffed Birthright Israel trips four times, she never gets bored on a trip. "I'm not there for me; I'm there for the students - each time it's a special occasion for (her) to be there for the students as they explore Israel for the first time," she said.

Jon Senker '03 traveled on one Hillel's Birthright Israel trips, and said he "was amazed by the diversity of Israel's people and thankful for the opportunity to see an incredible range of sites." The 10-day trip is packed with historical sites and meeting various groups of people from around Israel. "It was hard to digest everything at once, but the experience was amazing all the same," Moorad said.

The fact that a major terrorist attack took place in Tel Aviv during the period students were visiting Israel had a major impact on their experience. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was scheduled to speak with Birthright participants that evening. Moorad found it "incredible that he still came to speak in the face of such a national crisis." Sharon gave an impromptu speech to thousands of young adults in the Jerusalem Convention Center.

In this speech, he thanked the students for coming to Israel and urged them to consider making Aliyah (immigrating to Israel). Sharon, spoke with a sense of hope and thankfulness towards the young people, "when I look at you thousands of young people, I know that we can look forward with optimism and know that together with you we can fulfill all the dreams of the Jewish people." Moorad said "the fact that so many young Jews were gathered together in Israel was reassuring that Israel is stronger than any terrorist attack.