By Haritha Lakshmanan
The Hillel organizations at Brooklyn and Baruch College jointly organized the IsraeLead trip during the winter 2023 intersession, where CUNY student leaders visited Israel for nine days. This year saw 26 students from different backgrounds and two staff members exploring the country.
“The Tanger Hillel is a Jewish organization on campus that strives to create a safe space for all students regardless of background,” said Sarali Cohen, an engagement associate at BC’s Hillel. Student leaders from all organizations were encouraged to apply, and the trip featured different sites throughout Israel.
Students were screened and accepted onto the trip after filling out an application and being interviewed. For those who participated, the journey to Israel was an opportunity to not only travel overseas but explore new land and all it has to offer.
“I was interested by the possibility and experience of traveling to a new country as well as the religious and historical value of the land of Israel,” said Mara Matos, sophomore and secretary of CUNY Brooklyn College’s NYPIRG chapter, noting she also wanted to learn more about the religions of the world.
The group visited the Old City of Jerusalem, the Golan Heights – Israel’s northern border with Syria, the Sea of Galilee, markets in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and other locations. Some of the activities on the trip included hiking the mountaintop fortress of Masada, touring the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, visiting the Christian, Muslim, and Jewish quarters of Jerusalem, and floating in the Dead Sea.
“One of my favorite moments was when we meditated by the Sea of Galilee. I found myself able to connect with my surroundings, and that feeling was surreal,” said Matos.
Several students on the trip stated they were initially nervous about traveling to and seeing the Western Wall in case they did something that was not acceptable. The Western Wall is the most religious site in the world for Jewish people. The site itself is split into two partitions – one for men and the other for women to pray. Their nerves soon melted away the instant they were pulled towards groups of singing and dancing people. “First, everyone was silently praying, placing pieces of papers with their prayers into the wall. Then all of a sudden, we were jumping, dancing, and holding hands under the moonlight,” said Sade Garcia, sophomore and president of Brooklyn College’s Marketing Society. “There was a startling unity when we all threw aside our differences and enjoyed the moment.”
The trip also featured speakers from various occupations. Students on the trip had the opportunity to meet with a Palestinian journalist, a Holocaust survivor, and many others who spoke of their experiences and lives. “One of the most memorable parts of my trip was meeting a Holocaust survivor and hearing her story about losing her family. By the end of the story, many of us had tears in our eyes,” remarked Gabriel Cruz, senior and past participant of IsraeLead.
Outside of learning about Israel, Cohen stated she was able to learn from the students on the trip as well.
“My favorite activity was when everyone shared the meaning behind their names. Who knew that people had such unique stories behind their names? I loved that I could learn something from everyone,” she said.
Following their winter trip, Brooklyn College’s Hillel members are hosting an open house on Thursday, Feb. 9, at 12:30 PM, where they hope students will stop by and learn more about the organization and get involved. The Hillel also plans to have a blood drive in March and hosts Sabbath dinners on Friday evenings for students who are interested.