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PASSPORT TO ISRAEL ... continued
I have always felt that it is important for every Jew to visit Israel, which is why my husband and I were one of the first parents at Temple Beth Emunah to sign our son, Garret up for the Passport to Israel program. Last summer I had an opportunity to visit Israel and during my first trip, I developed a greater understanding and appreciation of what it means to build that connection with your Judaism.
Not only did I get a deeper connection to my Judaism, I felt a connection with the people of Israel and an affirmation of how important it is to keep up our unfettering support for Israel.
There are many youth programs available for students to choose from. We touched on the surface of many of these programs, but the key common thread to all of the programs was to experience Israel not just as a tourist but assimilate into society and its culture. To feel this connection, a trip consisting of more than two weeks is necessary.
I had many highlights on my trip; one of the most exciting was synagogue services in Jerusalem at an orthodox shul, Shir Hadash. I’ll say we had more than enough for a minyan, in fact, there was standing room only. Surprisingly most of the congregants were younger whose singing and spirit could move the heavens. I felt that this is the spirit we need here at Beth Emunah. I was excited to celebrate with so many Jews on Shabbat something, perhaps, we should do more of at home. Another highlight of my trip was a visit to Haifa and hearing about the Boston-Haifa connection. Many bonds have been formed as a result of the partnership of these two communities. Hearing about the importance of supporting this connection and how much we gained from this program was very exciting. I look forward to an introduction of this program to our community soon.
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