July 7, 2021
By Eliana Bloom
It’s been a long journey. Deciding to go to Israel, buying duffels, the trip getting cancelled, deciding to go to Israel again, and finally sitting on a plane for ten hours, all so that we could come to the one place we’ve been hearing about our whole lives. The whole first half of summer was a blur, one day blending into the next. It didn’t even feel real that everyone around me would soon be embarking on a trip together. Despite the hectic packing process and the very early morning (or late night) bus ride to the airport, the fact that I was going to Israel didn’t really sink in until we got to the airport and headed to check our luggage.
As my band of 32 teenagers trekked through the Atlanta airport, I got the sense that something monumental was beginning. I couldn’t have been more right as I stood in the bag checking line for a monumentally long time. Being in the front of our single file line and being able to look back and see only people who I feel so safe and at home with was something I will never forget. It was the moment I realized just how special this trip was going to be. The shared experience of navigating three airports, not entirely prepared for us, hinted at the amazing organized chaos that was about to be my NFTY in Israel experience.
The feeling of community growing through our unique shared experiences was even more highlighted once we got to Israel. Suddenly we were in a whole world, not just our camp bubble. Having a group of people who understood me and where I had come from was an unbelievable comfort. Each person in our group brought a little piece from camp and made Israel feel a little more like home. From singing songs in services to cheering at meals, everything we did was a combination of who we are as campers and who we are as travelers.
Despite having heard about Israel, this trip, and even having been here before, nothing could have fully prepared me for what this experience would be like. I still don’t fully know what’s going on and I don’t know if I ever will, but I do know that I am loving every second of it. No matter what happens, where we go, or what we do, Israel will never cease to amaze me. I have loved Israel since I learned about it from my staff at camp; now I get to love Israel for everything that I have learned from my own experiences.
