Jewish Community Partners

The three weeks I spent this summer in Israel with BBYO Israel Journey were truly unforgettable. I made so many new friends and experienced many new things.

We began our journey in Jerusalem where we said the Shehecheyanu prayer at the Haas Promenade and wrote a letter to ourselves of what we hoped to get out of the trip, to be opened at the end of the trip.

My group spent the next two days in Jerusalem where we visited the Old City and the Western Wall. I wrapped tefillin for the first time and took in a spot so important to the Jewish people. Near the Western Wall were the Hezekiah Tunnels where I saw the foundations of Jerusalem dating back to King David’s time. From Jerusalem, we drove north to the Sea of Galilee for our Shabbat in the Holy Land on a kibbutz.

In this beautiful part of the country, we hiked Mount Arbel, biked along Hula Lake, and rafted down the Jordan River. Tsfat was another stop in the region where we learned about Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism) and spoke with an artist. We also learned about Druze culture and food. From there, my group headed to Haifa where we walked down the Bahai Temple Gardens and visited a mosque.

Tel Aviv was our next destination, where we enjoyed a wide variety of activities in the city including open markets, going to the beach, and visiting the ANU Museum of Jewish Peoplehood.

My group then headed south towards the Negev desert visiting communities that have adapted to being near the Gaza strip and farms that have learned to prosper despite being in the desert, such as the Salad Trail. Also in the south were beautiful views of the Ramon Crater and the Kasui sand dunes.

At the southernmost tip of the county was Eilat and the Red Sea. I had the opportunity to see the fish and coral reefs while snorkeling and enjoyed a cruise on the Red Sea. From the Red Sea, we headed back north to float on the Dead Sea. That night, my group slept in the Bedouin tents and learned about their lifestyle and food. We woke up early the following morning to climb Masada and witness the beautiful sunrise. I then learned the history of the Masada fortress and hiked back down.

For the end of the trip, we headed back to Jerusalem having gone full circle around the Holy Land. Back in Jerusalem, we learned more about the geological complexity of the city, then visited the Ma’ale Film School. For our last Shabbat in Israel, we experienced Kabbalat Shabbat services at the Kotel and spent Saturday in the park at Gan Sacher.

Our final day in Jerusalem included a visit to the West Bank to learn of Arab-Israeli relations and a meaningful visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum. My final day in Israel in Tel Aviv consisted of volunteering at Save a Child’s Heart and visiting Kfar Maccabiah’s World Jewish Sports Museum.

Experiencing Israel for the first time with a group of teens my age was truly a once in a lifetime experience that I will never forget. It allowed me to visit places I had learned about my whole life going to a Jewish day school and at Shul and gave me a better outlook on what Judaism means to me.

Thank you to Memphis Jewish Federation’s Lemsky Endowment Fund for helping make my BBYO in Israel program possible for me.

Abe Friedman, son of Susan and Edward Friedman is a junior at Memphis University School.  Memphis Jewish Federation’s Lemsky Endowment Fund provided him with a Teen Israel Experience grant to offset the costs of his BBYO Israel Journey program. All rising juniors and seniors are eligible for grants of up to $3,000 to attend a recognized teen summer or semester program in Israel. Teen Israel Experience applications for Summer 2024 are open – contact crichardson@jcpmemphis.org for more information.

Note: This essay was written before the horrific events of October 7^th.

Photo Caption – Abe Friedman wrapping tefillin at the Western Wall