As young Jews, we’re so lucky to be in a place where we can learn about the Israel-Palestine conflict and relate to each other about our shared Jewish experiences. Seeing Israel for these past few days in a light contrary to what the media portrays is incredibly empowering.
We’ve seen Israeli non-profit organizations which help the disabled, orphaned, and/or less fortunate. For three days we stayed in a youth village/boarding school where Palestinians and Israelis learn and live together. We’ve learned that certain groups of people identify as both Palestinians and Israelis.
We’ve also seen places that show that Israel isn’t perfect. We went to the only Arab village on the coast of Israel, which happens to be very poor while neighboring two extremely wealthy neighborhoods. For me and many others, we’ve gained gratitude for our circumstances, families, and positions.
At the same time, we’ve felt a connection to a place like no other – where a major aspect of our identity is seen and our voices are amplified. We talked about Kabbalah and the concept of everything having two reasons: one, the logical reason, and two, the deeper reason. For example, I’m here in Israel because I have the privilege to go on this trip, and also, to have a cultural and spiritual awakening. I never knew Judaism could be so mystical.
Kabbalah also generates gratitude because we’re able to learn from every action we take. I’ve learned that I’m gaining freedom from my trip. I’m constantly making a new effort to focus on the now. This makes me think of how I can bring this wisdom into the diaspora. I feel inspired to learn and ask about everyone’s opinions whether I agree with them or whether they make me upset. There’s the sort of clarity here. Everything kind of makes sense.
