U.S. House of Representatives Congressional Internship
U.S. House of Representatives Congressional Internship
U.S. House of Representatives Congressional Internship
U.S. House of Representatives Congressional Internship
EDUCATION ABROAD:
Hillel's Leadership Trip to Israel
August 11th - 21st, 2019
Summary:
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Hillel's Leadership Trip to Israel was designed for campus leaders (defined by club/ organization involvement) of diverse backgrounds. The 24 of us students selected were of different cultural, religious and educational backgrounds. This allowed us to not only learn from the experience itself, but from each other as well. In this trip, we studied the different cultures and religions present in Israel by visiting many of their sacred places and different towns. We also explored the geopolitics of the region by learning about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict firsthand and traveling throughout the country, including the West Bank. Presentations by speakers with various perspectives were intertwined throughout the trip to allow us to develop our own perspectives based on holistic information. We participated in processing sessions every other day to discuss our takeaways and consolidate our perspectives.
Cultural/Religious Experiences:
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We thoroughly explored the three main religions present in Israel: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. We visited the Western Wall, observed shabbat and met with Rabbi's to learn about Judaism. We visited the Dome of the Rock, Shfar'am, and crossed into the West Bank to explore Islam. We walked through the Stages of the Cross and visited several of the Christian/Catholic churches symbolic to the life of Christ and Mother Mary to learn more about Christianity and Catholicism. From dressing appropriately to observing their traditions, we learned about the different cultures associated with these religions. We toured the four quarters of East Jerusalem's Old City. Moreover, by having students of all three religions present on the trip, we had several discussions amongst each other about the similarities and differences of our religions. We also did other kinds of cultural exploration. We learned about the Kibbutz way of life by staying at a Kibbutz in the desert. We learned about the Indian presence by visiting a temple and dialoging with the people there. Overall, it was a wonderfully insightful experience.
Geopolitical Experiences:
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Throughout this trip, we also learned about the geopolitics of the area. We began with an interactive map simulation that put the history and conflict of the region into context. We then learned about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by learning about both the Palestinian and Israeli narratives. To do so, we visited different parts of the country and listened to several speakers talk about their political perspective. The speakers included a Jewish settler in the West Bank, an Arab educator who lives in a very mixed town, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official, a member of the Palestinian Authority, Palestinian Students, as well as a reporter among many others. It was very interesting to enter the West Bank and the city of Ramallah, there was a clear difference in the quality of life there for Palestinians. Yet hearing from both sides of the arguments, many of whom were for peace, highlighted the complexity of the issues.
Favorite Parts:​
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This trip was so amazing that I could not choose just one favorite part. At the top of my favorites list was the night that we spent at the Kibbutz Gvulot in the middle of the desert. It was so serene as the stars shined brightly over the dunes and nothingness. Our group of students had to cook the dinner and were divided into groups. Some students were in charge of cooking the meats (I was in this group), others made the bread while another group prepared the salad. The end finished with a huge dancing session of traditional Jewish dances and an emotive processing session. I feel like our group really bonded that night. Another favorite part was visiting the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Here we waited over an hour to enter Jesus's tomb. This was another great bonding experience with the six other students that I waited in line with. Additionally, it was a beautifully intense to stand in His tomb.
