News
Despite reports of rocket fire in Tel Aviv less than two weeks before their trips were set to depart, 53 Dartmouth students ventured to Israel through cultural heritage birthright programs over winter break.
Chabad and Hillel facilitated trips through Mayanot Israel and Taglit-Israel Birthright, respectively.
Both are international organizations that provide funding for Jewish students between the ages of 18 and 26 to spend 10 days visiting various religious sites and cultural attractions in Israel, according to Rabbi Moshe Gray, who led the Chabad trip.
"It gives the students a very well-rounded taste of everything Israel has to provide, whether that's cultural, social or religious," Gray said.
The trips included visits to the cities of Tiberias, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Tzfat, an "ancient mystical city," as well as the Syrian and Lebanese borders, the Dead Sea, the Galilee region and the Nagev Desert, according to student participants.
Fifteen Dartmouth students participated in the Hillel trip, which was carried out in partnership with Union College, according to trip participant Amanda Zieselman '15.