Israel Trips

MERCAZ-Canada offers Matching Scholarships to young people attending Conservative sponsored trips to Israel. We received the following letters of appreciation.

Danielle Klein (far left) and friends from Indiana & Nebraska on Masada.

This summer, I went on Italy-Israel Pilgrimage with USY. I was so excited to see all the most admired sights of Italy: the gondolas in Venice, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Vatican, and so on. I did get to see all these sights and more, but I did not anticipate that I would also get to see Italy from a unique point of view, namely the Jewish point of view! When my group and I visited Venice, I was able to see couples riding on gondolas through the canals of the famous city. However, I was also able to see Jewish life in Venice, as we visited the Jewish ghetto and ate delicious kosher Italian food at a Jewish restaurant. I got to take a cool picture at the Leaning Tower of Pisa, but right before seeing the Tower, we visited a Jewish cemetery around the corner and learned about being a Jew in Pisa. We went to the Vatican, after spending Shabbat in Rome and visiting a local synagogue where we learned about Italian Jewry. When our group arrived in Israel, I immediately felt a sense of relief and happiness. As we toured Israel over 4 weeks, I saw so many sights and learned so much about Israel. My favourite memories from my time in Israel are definitely all the Shabbatot. Each week, I was able to experience a unique service from the lovely melodies of a synagogue located in a bomb shelter to a resounding choir in the Great Synagogue in Jerusalem. One of our tour guides mentioned that everyone has an “Israel moment”, where they realize their devotion and love for the country. My “Israel moment” took place in one of the synagogues we visited in Jerusalem, namely Shira Hadasha. The congregation sang beautiful, often unfamiliar tunes in perfect harmony. The service was incredibly moving, especially during the singing of the Shema.
My experience on Pilgrimage this summer was invaluable. I talk to my friends from the trip almost every day, and I know that they will be my closest friends as I grow older. I learned a lot about Israel's history and it's people, as well as about myself and how I want to live my life as a Jew. My summer in Italy and Israel was truly the summer of a lifetime.