Why I did NFTY in Israel
By: Mara Kleinberg- Madrichim
5 years ago, as an unsuspecting Jewish teenager, I descended upon Israel through NFTY with the national trip. I went because my father had wanted me to go to Israel, the holy land, a place I learned so much about and yet also seemed to know nothing about. I left with a deeper understanding of myself, of this wonderful country, and with amazing friends, a few of whom I still keep in contact with (one of which is my closest friend). Now, 5 years later, I’m back, but this time as a madrichim. I’m here because I chose to return; I missed Israel. But as I’ve begun to get to know the teenagers I am working with, those unsuspecting Jewish youth who, like me, know of this place but don’t know anything about it, I feel as though there is a purpose for NFTY, a reason we all come here. Yes, you can go to Israel and explore each part in depth and take away that this place is beautiful, full of life, and blooming. You can even eat the food and find yourself completely immersed in tastes that can’t ever be duplicated no matter how hard you try. While Israel is what brings us here, at the end of the day, the Jewish journey of a young adult is what begins. Before I did NFTY in Israel, while I was involved in Jewish choir and celebrated the holidays, Judaism wasn’t something I was as proud of as I am today. Yes I was Jewish but I think I felt that I was Jew-ish. But after spending a summer engaging with other Jewish teenagers from around the US in conversations about what it means to be Jewish and the importance of Israel within Judaism, I found myself feeling more connected than ever, so much so that I took a confirmation class the following year at my synagogue and during college, took Jewish studies and Middle Eastern politics classes (along with Hebrew). I became more invested in my own Jewish learning and I have NFTY to thank for that. I’m hoping that the teens under my guidance will feel the same once they leave here too.
