Israel Trips

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

During this hectic High Holiday season I have been naturally compelled to reflect upon my experiences last year on the NATIV College Leadership Program and more specifically how I spent my chagim a year ago in Israel. An experience that immediately comes to mind is the tiyul (hike) our group embarked on into the Negev desert during the week of chol hamo’ed Sukkot. With a small sub-group of the entire program we lived, ate, prayed, hiked, slept and bonded in the isolation and tranquility of the desert. The spiritual connection I had experienced in the desert was not unfamiliar to me, however this particular trip only heightened my preexisting connection by being thoughtfully planned during the holiday of Sukkot. This excursion was at the beginning of my year in Israel, and much like my ancestors before me I was wandering through seemingly endless dunes of sand and mountains of rock, comparatively entering a place and time of uncertainty, unknown and excitement. That experience and many more to follow brought forth a strong connection between the land, its history, its religion and its people. As I learned and grew, I came to realize that the far off place I once called Israel became my home, my history, my people and my religion. Sitting here a year later, I am overwhelmed with fond memories and unforgettable experiences, but most of a newfound commitment and connection to the land of Israel.