Three years ago, Jordana Beeber '08 decided she wanted to provide politically neutral aid to Israeli children left injured by terrorist attacks. Beeber got in touch with OneFamily Fund, a Jerusalem-based charitable organization that provides social services to the families of victims of terrorism. Together they conceived the idea of a toy drive, which has since experienced continued success.
This past December, the Beeber's drive was carried out by 13 Dartmouth students, all of whom carried along a bag of toys on a trip to Israel led by the Dartmouth chapter of Chabad and sponsored by Taglit-Birthright.
Though the students did not directly hand the toys to the children, Melisa Garber '08, a participant, found the toy exchange moving.
"Giving these kids a toy in the moment when they have nearly lost all hope can really change their lives," she said. "Something as simple as that, where they know that they're not alone and others feel for their loss and appreciate them, can make a huge impact."
Every year, thousands of Jewish youth journey to Israel on birthright trips. These all-expense paid trips for students between the ages 18 to 26, seek to reconnect Jewish communities from around the world with Israel by allowing students to embark on their first organized journey to their ancestral homeland. The Chabad trip, from Dec. 12 to Dec. 22, was coordinated with the help of the Mayanot Institute, a Jerusalem-based yeshiva aimed at helping Jews rediscover orthodox judaism.
For many of the students, the ten day trip -- not just the toy exchange -- made a strong impact.
"The trip itself, I feel, changed me a lot as a person," Garber said. "I feel way more connected to Israel now than I did before, and I'm pretty sure others would say the same. I found my history in Israel and perhaps even my future."
Daniel Weisman '08 added how impressed he was by the Israeli people.
"They were great," he said. "It's the only country I've been to where people ask you to move there. They were very warm and wanted you to feel at home. It felt very genuine."
Rabbi Moshe Gray, who has led the trip for the past three years, said that each time he is struck by the way students get in touch with their common heritage.
"It's exciting for me to lead a group, many of whom I know, and know to be proud Jews," he said. "I get to see them marvel at the land and really reconnect with the people and the place in a sense that they probably didn't realize was possible. You don't get bored of seeing that."
During the course of the trip, students visited notable landmarks important to the Jewish tradition, such as the Western Wall and the Holocaust Museum. Additionally, the group visited the Masada fortress, where Jewish rebels made a courageous stand against the Roman army that ended in mass suicide , and the ancient city of Tzfat, which was once an important center of Jewish mysticism.
Parts of the trip was spent hiking, sleeping in Bedouin tents, taking a jeep ride through the Golan Heights and swimming in the Dead Sea. The group of students also traveled with eight Israeli soldiers for the first five days of the trip, which provided the opportunity to connect with Israeli youth.
Students also had a chance to dine with 10 Dartmouth alumni. Over 30 alumni currently reside in Israel.
"The kids who go on this trip, whether in Summer or Winter term," said Rabbi Gray, "come back with one commonality, which is trying to get back to Israel. It would be nice if Dartmouth had a foreign study program in Israel. I mean, it's a free trip, but it's only ten days, so it's kind of a teaser."
