At the end of May this year, I found myself looking for something I couldn’t quite put my finger on. I wanted to move into a new direction in my life, and I wanted to meet new people. As I was complaining to my Dad one day, he suggested looking at The Jewish Federation and seeing if there was a social group for people my age.
I was a bit hesitant, as I had never really gotten involved in the organized Jewish community before. I started poking around the website. I found myself clicking on page after page and finally landed on the description of the 2011 National Young Leadership trip to Israel. It quickly dawned on me that this could be the exact adventure I was looking for. As soon as I learned about the 2012 National Young Leadership Summer Trip to Israel, July 1-10, I reached out to a professional from JFNA (Jewish Federations of North America), who put me in touch with Mara Simon-Meyer at the L.A. Federation. Within fifteen minutes of my call, I knew two things were about to happen. One, I was going to Israel for the first time and secondly, my life was about to change forever. Thirty-five minutes after my initial e-mail, I was booked and headed to Israel. I had never felt better about a decision in my life!
I spent 9 days in Israel, and wish that I could pick my favorite part of the trip. The truth is I can’t, as I am still processing all of it. The beaches of Tel Aviv hold special meaning to me, as that is where my father was born. We visited the Kibbutz Yagur, my first visit to a Kibbutz, and it was nothing like I expected. I found myself in Tzfat learning about the origins of Kabbalah and then just hours later, rafting down the Jordan River. Meeting the IDF soldiers was incredible. Seeing their dedication, their pride for their country and the honor they feel defending it, left me awestruck. We bobbed like corks as the sun set in the Dead Sea, which lived up to everything I had ever heard about it. I survived the 4:00 am climb up Masada, a personal victory for me and worth every painful step. Watching the sunrise on top of Masada is something that I will never forget. Seeing my friends get Bar/Bat Mitzvahed at the top, just after sunrise, put me to tears. However, it was Jerusalem where I truly found myself again.
Several years ago, I was in a terrible accident that changed my life forever. I found myself losing faith in Judaism and in G-d. How could G-d let something so horrible happen to me? Through the difficult journey and struggles of rehabilitating myself, I stopped practicing Judaism altogether. When I stepped in front of Western Wall, I started to pray for the first time in several years. Shockingly, I did this without hesitation. Then I cried. It was right there, all of a sudden, that I knew I had found my faith again. It was an incredible feeling. At the wall, I finally understood who I was and where I came from. I finally, after so long, felt whole again.
Traveling through Israel and the personal growth I experienced doing so was extraordinary. But it was the people that I met within the Federation and the NYL Summer Trip that have changed everything. I have never felt so accepted for whom I am and I have never seen such unconditional warmth from a group of amazing people. It is such a welcome change from some of my other experiences in Los Angeles. I’ve cultivated new friendships that will last a lifetime. From helping me pack, to our laughs on the bus, to reliving the adventure on Facebook, it has been a truly special time. I want to especially thank the L.A. women on the trip. You made me feel so special and really helped me find everything I was looking for, and more.
Not only did my experience on the NYL trip to Israel give me a whole new perspective on The Jewish Federation, but it’s renewed my faith and my hope for the future. I plan on getting as involved with the Federation as possible and want to give back as much as I can. I also have every intention of participating on this trip again, and would recommend it to anyone. So to JFNA, their amazing staff and the wonderful people that I met on this trip, I feel like I have finally come home again and I thank you for the incredible welcome. My only regret would be that I didn’t find you sooner.
Jana Gersten
View pictures and read about the perspectives and experiences of other Los Angeles participants on the 2012 JFNA National Young Leadership Summer Trip to Israel. They were among 164 young Jewish leaders from across North America who visited Israel’s cultural, historical and spiritual sites, as well as seeing programs and organizations supported by Jewish Federations and partner agencies, and taking part in service activities around the country. For more information, contact Mara Simon-Meyer at MSimon-Meyer@JewishLA.org or (323) 761-8324.
