Onward 2019

130 students engage with the Jewish homeland through professional summer internships. Hear what they have to say. Sign up for your Onward Israel experience!

WALKING AWAY BACKWARDS

August 5, 2019

By noon on Monday morning, the contents of our lives were shrunk back into suitcase-sized blocks. Half-finished bottles of soy sauce and vanilla extract sat on our counter, bracing themselves for their inevitable disposal.

With two hours until the start of our final programming, we decided to take a last visit to the kotel to add notes and deliver tzedaka money relatives had sent. Mostly, I wanted to go back to the Old City to purchase a small stuffed camel, which my brother had taken a liking to while visiting, but which he had convinced himself he didn’t need. He did need it.

It was a particularly hot morning, and there was no shade at the Wall. I placed my fingertips against the stone and I found myself wishing it were cooler; I looked up, and saw the dusty green shrubbery tumbling out of the Wall’s crevices. Caper bushes, I now remembered learning. A tour guide named Alex had pointed out identical bushes to us many weeks ago, as we careened through the wadis of Eilat in an impressively old Jeep.

It’s always a bit tricky, knowing when it’s time to leave the Wall. Do you leave when you feel someone creeping closer and closer behind you because they want your spot, and have now made it too uncomfortable for you to do anything but give it to them? Do you leave when you simply get too sweaty? When you’ve finished your prayers? (But what are your prayers, and when are they finished?)

Perhaps everyone feels a bit of that awkwardness, I thought, and that’s the real reason why we have the custom of leaving the Wall by backing away from it. The seemingly-more-awkward act of walking backwards alleviates some of the internal awkwardness of the goodbye; you keep the place in your sight, even as you know you must leave it.

Tuesday morning, my friends were going for a final breakfast at the shuk as I left for the airport. They walked with me to the light rail stop at HaDavidka, the same path I took every morning to work, and I tried to make that final walk feel weighty in some way, I looked for the cats I’ve become acquainted with along the route so that I could bid them farewell, but they were not there; why should they have been, it was just another morning.

The light rail was coming so I began to run, lugging behind me my 23.5kg suitcase, which I was hoping the authorities would let pass (they did; I write this from my gate). I had not said goodbyes to my friends and so they began running with me and jumped on the light rail, too, deciding to take it one stop to Machane Yehuda. It was a ridiculous, 45-second journey, but in those 45 seconds I was able to hug everyone; we reminded each other of something one of our friends had shared with us recently, which is that life is long and the world is round. Then the doors opened and they all funneled out.

There is another ten seconds to this story, a ten seconds in which the light rail sat at the station a moment longer, doors closed, with my friends on the other side of them, ten seconds in which we continued waving at each other, though really the goodbye was over, and this was getting awkward, and people on the train were starting to look curiously at the girl standing all alone with a suitcase half her size, blowing kisses through closed doors and laughing to herself.

Eventually the train began to pull away. I was still turned toward my friends, though, waving, and so I suppose I left them just as I had left the holy grounds of the kotel the day before, facing backwards, keeping them in my sight.

Sonia Epstein, Harvard University '21, is an Associate Editor of the Harvard Crimson’s magazine and a student leader at Harvard Hillel. She explored Israel with her Hillel's Birthright Israel trip, and is now interning at The Jerusalem Post through the Boston Onward Israel program.

HIGHLIGHT

August 5, 2019

Over the course of the summer every Onward participant is given the opportunity to attend a Shabbaton. A Shabbaton is a weekend trip (it occurs over Shabbat) and differs by topic and location for each participant. The theme of mine was geo-politics in Israel and it took place in Kfar Etzion, a kibbutz near Gush Etzion.

The kibbutz was in the mountains, cool at night, calm and peaceful. Basically the opposite of Tel Aviv life. Over the course of the weekend we heard from several keynote speakers who discussed the history of the conflict, politics in Israel/the structure of the Knesset, the US-Israel relationship, and the dual narrative where we heard from an Israeli and a Palestinian. After each speaker we broke down into our smaller cohort groups to debrief what we learned and share our opinions.

The highlight of the weekend, for me, was the day trip my group took on Friday to the Gaza border. On this day trip we made four stops. The first stop was to the Black Arrow memorial park, a memorial recognizing the soldiers that died in the mission. Here we discussed the security vs humanitarian aspects to the conflict and how Israel is dealing with those two sides. Next we stopped at Sderot which is the closest city to the Gaza border. Here we got out at the playground. This playground is different from many playgrounds because part of the playground doubles as a bomb shelter. Our third stop was to the actual border crossing building. While we didn’t get out at this stop we were able to recognize how big the border crossing is, resembling a large train station or an airport terminal, despite the fact that so few people cross over the border. Finally we stopped at Nativ Ha’asara, the closest village to the border. Here we got out at the villages border wall, a separate wall built by Israel to block Gaza from being able to see into the village. Here, on this wall, a local pottery artist from the village transformed the grey cement wall into a mosaic mural. With the help of the rest of the village, they created a peace mural with colorful pieces of scrap pottery.

Overall it was a very informative and well spent weekend. I expanded my knowledge and understanding of the conflict and it was interesting to see areas so close to the Gaza border that I normally would not travel to.

Miya Cohen, Connecticut College '20, is co-president of her school's Habitat for Humanity chapter and is interning at Arba Finance Company Ltd. with the Boston Onward Israel Tel Aviv program.

INCREDIBLE MEMORIES

August 5, 2019

As this summer comes to a close, I look back on all of the incredible memories I’ve made and all of the things I will miss as I prepare to leave. I’m thankful for forming lifelong friendships that I could have never imagined to find. We’ve already made our plans to meet up again in Boston as soon as we can and we can’t wait for our many adventures together back home. I’m thankful for having an incredible internship working with incredible people. I can truly say that my internship experience has had a major positive impact on my life and that I truly loved every second of it. I am thankful for the many travels and countless adventures throughout Israel with amazing people.

Last but not least, I am thankful for having the opportunity to spend a summer in a beautiful country and in the beautiful city of Jerusalem. This experience provided so many memories, connections to Judaism, and connections with people I will never forget. I will never forget the time I have spent here and the impact it had on me. Thank you to everyone who has made this experience possible and for all of the incredible memories. See you again soon, Israel!

Kylie Schectman, UConn '20, explored Israel with her school's Birthright Israel program. At UConn she is president of her school's Hillel a member of Alpha Epsilon Phi. She in now interning in Jerusalem with Gan Eliya, a special education occupational therapy group, through the Boston Onward Israel program.

NEXT TIME

August 4, 2019

Seven weeks have flown by, and today I just finished my last day interning at a neurobiology brain behavior lab at Tel Aviv University. Prior to arriving in Israel, I had never experienced neurobiology research and wasn’t sure if lab research was something in which I could be interested. I’m so thankful that I took the chance to try something new, as I’ve learned so much and am excited to bring my experience and lab skills back to Brown with me this fall.

After work, my roommates and I started packing up, remarking that it feels like just yesterday we were cooking our first dinner and making our new apartment feel like home. I am so sad to leave Israel, but I know now — more than ever — that I will be back soon! I’m looking forward to the opportunity to spend time with my new friends during the coming year, and hopefully we will return to Israel all together at some point!

My experience in Tel Aviv through Boston Onward was even more incredible than I imagined — and I had very high expectations! I feel so fortunate to have experienced life working and living in one of the greatest cities. I’m leaving with great new friends, job references, and an extremely long list of my favorite Tel Aviv spots. I’ll be back soon.

Miranda Triedman, Brown University ‘21, is interning this summer at a neurobiology lab at Tel Aviv University as a participant on the Boston Onward Israel Tel Aviv 2019 program.

BEAUTIFUL PARTS

August 4, 2019

Nicole Barradas of Boston University explores some beautiful parts of Jerusalem before heading to a work event at her internship

NICOLE BARRADAS, Boston University '21
Intern at Jerusalem Media Group

EXPLORING SHELTERS

August 3, 2019

Paige Stern explores bomb shelters built in playgrounds for children in the Israeli city of Sderot. The community of 25,000 residents has been the target of 20,000 Hamas rockets from Gaza since 2001. 90% of residents have had a rocket explode on their street or an adjacent street.

PAIGE STERN, Northeastern University '22
Tearsheet.co Media Technology Company Intern

SEE YOU LATER

August 2, 2019

As we approach the last few days of our Onward program, it is time to reflect on our past experiences in Israel. I first want to thank Boston Onward for the opportunity to be in Israel and gain exposure to the Israeli work force.

My time at Mobile ODT has been incredible. I felt inspired every day in an environment where a cohort of individuals come together to combat cervical cancer. It is interesting to learn how in this start-up, you need skills from a myriad of professionals, such as engineers, economists and doctors. I was able to join the marketing team where my skills in public health were put to the test. Most notably, I felt valued in my company and that the projects assigned to me had importance.

Beyond the bounds of my company’s office, I stepped outside of my comfort zone, tried new foods and explored novel parts of Tel Aviv. Whether it was enjoying my first boureka for breakfast or finding a cute café filled with plants, Tel Aviv never ceased to amaze me. I am truly grateful to spend my summer in Israel among my intelligent and kind peers.

Oddly enough, I think I will miss the observance of Shabbat the most. Even though I am not very religious, I love how during the weekend, everything closes, and people take a hiatus from their busy lives. Spending the afternoon at the beach with nowhere else to be is calming. Back at school, it will be hard to emulate this, but I will do my best.

I am definitely sad to leave. However, I know it’s not goodbye but a “see you later” Tel Aviv.

Ellie Rogoff, Brown University '21, is a student researcher and founder of the Women's Health Lecture Series at her school. She explored Israel with the Brown/RISD Hillel Birthright Israel program, and is now interning at the MobileODT medical device company with the Boston Onward Israel Tel Aviv program.

I'M POSSIBLE

August 1, 2019

This past week, while attending the CJP Leadership Conference outside of Jerusalem, I attended a lecture by Viva Sarah Press, a high-tech sector blogger. Her incredible talk started by giving examples of some of Israel's key innovations, and then it shifted to describe what makes Israel so innovative. Israelis like to try new things. She said, "If you hear it's impossible, they'll say 'really, I'll show you.'" She described the incredible automotive technology that Israel has produced, and how Israeli's are risk-takers. Israel has zero car manufacturers, yet, is a leader in automotive technology. Every car company has a connection to Israel. Almost every multinational company has a presence in Israel. She then spoke about how Israel has recently made it to the moon. While all of these technological facts blew my mind, the next part of her talk went on to describe why Israel has all this talent.

The title of the slide on the screen read, "Culture of Crazy, Chutzpah, and Creativity." She went on to describe how Israelis are very spontaneous and have lots of chutzpah, or guts, courage, and audacity. She spoke about how Israelis view the impossible as a challenge, or, as she put it in her slide, take the word 'impossible,' and put a space after the 'm' so it becomes 'Im possible." She said that the origins of the Israeli mindset are very diverse, and not from one source. It is a blend of chutzpah of course, as well as of patriotism, curiosity, improvisation, survival, and more. Israel is a startup nation itself. Thus, innovation often comes naturally from the need to survive in this harsh location, such as the case with Israel's vast network of agricultural technology. Her advice can be summed up to be passionate about what you're doing, have chutzpah, don't get discouraged, and embrace failure as a step to success. It was a really inspiring lecture with lots of advice and insight that can help all of us succeed in our own endeavors, as Israel has with its own.

Chase Barnett, Northeastern'23, explored Israel with his school's Birthright Israel program. He is now interning in Haifa with TankU, an automotive and fuel station technology startup, through the Boston Onward Israel program.

CROSSROADS

July 31, 2019

There is one road leading out of Nataf, the small enclave nestled in the mountains near Abu Ghosh I wrote about last week, and there are two signs at the bottom of that road, pointing in opposite directions.

Left: Jerusalem.

Right: Tel Aviv.

I see these sorts of signs rather frequently, and part of me thinks they’re ironically quaint (how simple it is to navigate a country as small and yet as complex as Israel!) and part of me thinks they’re ridiculous (an analogous sign in America with, let’s say, New York and LA would look pretty stupid sitting at some intersection in Nebraska) and the last part of me thinks they are a bit sad, because they seem to me a physical representation of that division of power in Israel between mercaz and peripheria, center and periphery.

Overall, it is a very small part of me that thinks about road signs. But while I was falling asleep last night at around one a.m. after a day that began at four a.m., disparate thoughts and recollections were pulled loose in my mind, images and conversations melted and merged together, reassembling themselves like kaleidoscope art in my half-consciousness, and once again I thought of the crossroads.

The previous day had begun in darkness: my roommates woke at about four (I rolled out of bed at 4:22) so we could go to a jewelry shop in the Old City that gives a 50% discount to its first customer. We left by 4:30, and a few minutes before five found ourselves turning onto a quiet alley where the shop stood. Another young woman had beaten us there. It wasn’t a waste, though—my roommate was planning to buy something either way, which she did when the store opened at 5:30, and I found that I was grateful to have come to the Old City at that hour, captivated by how empty it was, by how easily I could imagine I was seeing it during a different century. The moon, the ancient cobblestone, the silver-bearded Jew shuffling toward the synagogue across from the jewelry shop. Things that don’t change. Things that feel ironically simple.

We went back to our room and slept until 11.

The afternoon was for picnicking in Rehavia, with thick bread from a nearby bakery, pesto and sun-dried tomatoes from the shuk, grapes washed with one of our water-bottles and a massive almond croissant split seven ways. We sat cross-legged in a miraculously shady patch of grass, the sun at its highest point, and Israel became that small circle of seven, those shared foods, the web of understanding between friends, knit out of capillary-thin connections created by shared humor and a shared cultural lexicon, knit out of ridiculous things.

Things that are fresh and new, here and now.

We went back to our room and slept until 7.

We reunited for a late dinner of khachapuri and under the low light of the restaurant, our talk returned to events of two days prior, when we took a trip to Silwan, and we began to discuss politics, as we have quite often this summer, debating matters that felt intense and non-superficial, seeking to dissect that thing called power, to understand it and identify who had it, who created it, who was wielding it. It was everywhere around us in the restored cobblestone streets and even in the almond croissant; it was in the ironically quaint and in the ridiculous and the tragic. It was magnetic; repulsive.

I do not know if this country is just a place I’ve gone for work-cation or if it’s a new-second home or if it’s an abstract intellectual concept I want to write my senior thesis on. I remember struggling through multiple-choice tests in high school, reading through all of the options six times, eyes flitting back toward the “none of the above” option because wasn’t the answer kind-of-sort-of all of the above? So I would follow that shaky line of reasoning and mark none of the above, but usually that was wrong, usually you were supposed to take a stand, not be so ambivalent, but who says this is ambivalence? It’s not ambivalence, I think, my eyes growing heavy, it’s merely the feeling of being at a crossroads, and not having taken a turn yet.

A JOURNALIST'S PERSPECTIVE

July 30, 2019

Last Wednesday, I attended CJP’s Get Back to Campus Leadership Conference. It was a far drive from home in Haifa all the way to Jerusalem where the conference was held, but it was a great experience overall. I was able to reconnect with my friends from Northeastern who were participating in Onward Jerusalem and Tel Aviv as well as learn from the various speakers that presented throughout the day. The first speaker I heard from was Ruth Eglash, an Israel Correspondent from The Washington Post. It was incredibly interesting to hear from someone who is reporting on her home to the American perspective. The point that resonated with me the most was that while there may be issues that are important to Israel, they may not necessarily be important or relevant to the American audience of The Washington Post and vice-versa.

I then heard from Viva Sarah Press, a journalist who has worked at the Jerusalem post and focuses on the Israeli high-tech community. Press spoke about how Israel is called the “Startup Nation,” and spoke about the different innovations the country has introduced since its inception. Working in a startup over the summer, it was very relevant to my work to hear her speak. Press’s central point for the Israeli innovative spirit was that their survival and chutzpah was the root of their success. While Israel may be a small spec in the middle of the Middle East, Israelis have changed the way the world around us works.

Max Rubenstein, Northeastern University '23, explored Israel with his campus Hillel's Birthright Israel trip and is interning this summer with Healthymize as a participant on the Boston Onward Israel Haifa program.

GAN ELIYA

July 30, 2019

When I'm not traveling Israel, going to the shuk with friends, or trying all the food Jerusalem offers, you can find me at the most wonderful internship you could imagine. I'm spending the summer interning at Gan Eliya, a preschool for blind and visually impaired children. At my internship, I have been able to help children improve their skills both visually and physically through activities, games, and exercises. Being an elementary education major and wanting to be a teacher, this has been a great opportunity for me to expand my skills in my field of interest.

The second day of my internship was one that completely changed my experience for the better. I had had some trouble the first day trying to get past the language barrier between English and Hebrew but, on my second day, I was able to figure out how to get past this. My supervisor shared with me that one of the children in the classroom was raised with a mother who speaks English. She said this would be a great opportunity for me to work with this student and help develop his understanding of English while also allowing me to communicate in a language I am comfortable in. This seemed like the perfect opportunity and I have very much enjoyed spending the summer working one-on-one with this student and helping him develop visually, mentally, and physically. I am very thankful to have been placed in this internship and I am extremely grateful to be able to make an impact on these children’s lives! I am sad to be leaving soon but very appreciative to have had the opportunity.

CONFERENCE LEARNING

July 30, 2019

Last week, we were privileged to have the opportunity to dive deeper into Israeli culture and politics at CJP Leadership conference in Jerusalem. Before the event began, participants from Tel Aviv, Haifa and Jerusalem gathered together in the common area to eat breakfast and get ready for the intellectual day ahead! It was lovely to see everyone across all 3 Boston Onward Programs, especially a friend who also attends Brown!

As we finished the last sip of coffee, it was time to settle down into our seats for the upcoming lectures. We heard from an array of speakers, such as a Washington Post correspondent and an Israeli educator. Overall, I enjoyed each lecture but found Gadeer Kamal-Mreeh’s speech to be particularly interesting. She is the first Druze woman to serve in the Knesset, and she is a member of the Blue and White Party. Before serving in the Knesset, she was a journalist. However, in listening to her speech, Gadeer Kamal-Mreeh spoke about her realization: through journalism she realized her power was limited because all she could do was talk about an issue but not change reality. Thus, this inspired Gadeer to seek change through the Knesset and now works to empower women in her society.

In addition to speaking about her career, Gadeer explained the Druze religion, their part in Israel and how they relate to Jews. It was fascinating to learn about the Druze and their loyalty to Israel. A large portion of the Israeli army is made up of Druze people, showing their commitment to Israel. Importantly, I learned that the Druze religion enables women to have a great sense of dignity; in their religion, the Druze women can ask for a divorce without their husband’s permission.

After listening to Gadeer’s speech, I was inspired and excited to learn from the remaining speakers. Overall, the conference was a worthwhile and educational experience for us.

ZE'EV BEN SHAHAR

July 29, 2019

On Wednesday morning, the three Boston Onward groups – from Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Haifa – came together at the IACT conference in Jerusalem. We heard from a variety of inspiring speakers, ranging from Gadeer Kamal-Mreeh, the first female Druze member of the Knesset, to David Horovitz, the founding editor of The Times of Israel.

I enjoyed hearing from many different speakers throughout the course of the day, but Ze’ev Ben Shahar’s presentation particularly stood out to me. Ben Shahar is an Israeli educator who discussed the idea of conflicting narratives and the impact of the media on public opinion. He described his agenda as pro-Israel, meaning that Israel has a right to exist as a Jewish state and defend itself, without providing opinion on policy. Ben Shahar’s goal of the presentation, he said, was to share many perceptions – not just his own – and explain that you need to zoom out of one perception in order to understand reality.

Ben Shahar discussed how the middle eastern conflict is more than just about Israel and Palestine, but that is something not focused on in the media. It was interesting for me to hear two different perspectives and how these narratives can be represented by newspapers, Facebook, and other forms of media. Ben Shahar ended with saying, “Take things with a grain of salt, do your work, and get different narratives.”

Miranda Triedman, Brown University ‘21, is interning this summer at a neurobiology lab at Tel Aviv University as a participant on the Boston Onward Israel Tel Aviv 2019 program.

GET BACK TO CAMPUS

July 29, 2019

This past Wednesday instead of attending our internships, our entire Boston Onward program attended the IACT’s Get Back to Campus Leadership Conference. This conference took place right outside of Jerusalem, about a 45 minute bus ride for our Tel Aviv group, and showcased a series of keynote speakers.

One speaker that I found to be particularly compelling was Gadeer Kamal-Mreeh. Gadeer is member of the Knesset’s Blue & White party and a member of the Druze religion. She is the first Druze woman to serve in the Knesset. Her work is based on issues concerning Arab society, and the Druze community in particular, and the disparity in the quality of life between various Israeli communities. Additionally, she focuses on empowering women, especially women in conservative societies.

Today she spoke to us about her previous work in journalism. While she enjoyed her career in journalism, she felt that she could do more. She felt that the power of a journalist is limited because there is only so much one can accomplish through words. She wanted to turn her focus to action. Her current goal, as a member of the Knesset, is to empower minority women to use their voice. I found her to be extremely well spoken and her story to be inspiring as she is breaking new ground for women of minorities through her work and by being the first Druze woman to serve in the Knesset.

Miya Cohen, Connecticut College '20, is co-president of her school's Habitat for Humanity chapter and is interning at Arba Finance Company Ltd. with the Boston Onward Israel Tel Aviv program.

EIN GEDI RESERVE

July 28, 2019

This weekend, myself along with five Onward friends traveled to the Ein Gedi Reserve. I was there two weekends prior, but since it was so amazing, I decided I had to go back, so I brought a whole new group of friends to experience it with. Our hike around the reserve gave us breathtaking views of the reserve, the desert, the Dead Sea, and the Jordanian mountains. Right from the start, we took turns standing under the powerful waterfall, which was pouring nice cool and refreshing water over us. With the weather in the high 90's, all the waterfalls on the way up kept us nice and cool. Following the first waterfall, we climbed higher and higher and found diverse bodies of water along the way, some deep, some wide, some warmer than others, etc. It was an incredible bonding experience to relax in and enjoy all the different pools along the way. Our hike up the mountain was essentially just "pool hopping," where we would spend time having fun in each one.

My absolute favorite part was when we found this huge waterfall with a deep body of water towards the top. This one was so special because we were the only ones there, and it appeared untouched by any humans. We felt as if we had found the hidden gem of Ein Gedi. We sat inside this pool for who knows how long, enjoying each others company and admiring the surrounding beauty. The hike ended back where we had begun, at the very first waterfall, and at that point, we went to the little store and each bought ourselves an ice cream!

A MIKVEH

July 28, 2019

I am sitting in a low, olive green sofa in a shaded area of Kibbutz Hanaton. Around me: orange trees, pomegranate trees, scorching sunlight on their leaves. Three kittens somewhere nearby; they scurried off when I arrived at the spot with another girl, who I’ll call Anna. Paintings on the walls to my right: fluid brush-strokes; abstract, turquoise; water imagery. Through the door to my left, a mikvah, a ritual bath. Anna is behind that door, presumably she has submerged herself in the water by now, presumably she is drying herself off. But I don’t know; I have never been to a mikvah. I am sitting outside, trying to figure out why I am here at all.

A mikvah is traditionally used by a woman after her menstrual cycle to make herself sexually pure again. (When the rabbi at Kibbutz Hanaton told this to our group earlier in the day, a boy in front of me whispered to his friend gravely, “Of course it’s only women who are considered ‘impure,’” and I smiled at his justified outrage, but also wondered if I was missing something, or if maybe he was, because the idea of a monthly, cleansing bath really didn’t sound all that bad to me, and would he know this better, or would I?) Anyway, since the bath marks transitions, and since it confers purity, men sometimes use it, too — before a wedding, for example, or before Yom Kippur. The mikvah has a wide appeal, and the pluralistic Kibbutz Hanaton wanted to construct one. The Israeli government will fund a mikvah in locations deemed religious by the rabbinate, but since the largely-conservative kibbutz does not qualify, the existence of this mikvah, the one I will shortly enter, is fraught with controversy.

Maybe that’s why I’m here, I tell myself. The allure of the subversive. There aren’t too many pluralistic mikva’ot around — this is the only one in Israel, I’m told — so using it is a rare opportunity. But I also know that the meaning of the ritual itself — the idea of transitions, of renewal — is appealing to me in some way, even though I don’t know what transition I’m really going through. Halfway through Onward, halfway through college. What are these milestone? The beginnings of endings — of beginnings. Most things in my life are still beginnings.
By the time Anna emerges from the door to my left, I still don’t know why I’m here. I also don’t know what to say to her — so, how’s the water? — and instead I offer her the important observation that the kittens have not returned.

We trade places, and now I’m inside. The spirituality of the place is constructed quite intentionally, with those scented sticks in the little vases and everything in calm greens and blues. The mikvah is in a separate, humid room. Several steps lead down into a pool I discover is surprisingly small. Undressing now, skimming the customary Hebrew prayer off of a laminated page (it’s something about my non-existent husband; my non-existent children) and then descending the stairs, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven --
I get water up my nose because I forget to hold my breath. I tell myself that at least I have really fulfilled the “total immersion” thing. I resurface, walk back up the steps, dry off. I realize I am exactly the same person I was five minutes ago, except now I have an itchy nose.

As I ponder that thought I realize I am not disappointed by it. Now I remember another thing the rabbi told us about the mikvah: before there was anything there was water, she said, and when God created the world, God created separations between things — day and night, land and sea, huge beasts and little kittens. We, in turn, create life out of separation: laws about what we should and shouldn’t do and when we should and shouldn’t do it. Water, which existed before all of this separation, which continues to run through all of us fragmented beings, is what we immerse ourselves in as we enact another ritual of separation — transition. Because water is a reminder that wet or dry, you are still the same person, and your past, filled with all of its lessons-learned, is something you carry with you as you face new hurdles, which you may not yet know how to tackle, or may not yet even have identified. Between the time you enter and exit the mikvah, nothing has changed, and that is the whole, beautiful, point.

COOKING COMPETITION

July 26, 2019

Today, our madrich organized a cooking competition for our entire program. We all met up in someone's apartment, and were given eggs, tomatoes, onions, and other ingredients, and were told to pair up in teams of 4 and make the best possible shakshuka. Each team went into someone's apartment and got to work. My team convened in my apartment, and we had a really intense cooking session. We went into the neighboring apartment and they wouldn't let us look at what they were making, so we decided to keep our guard up for any 'spies.' We locked our door and decided to make ours unique, in order to win. We added spices and went above and beyond what we thought every other group would do. We quickly chopped up the tomatoes, peppers, and onions, and worked the best we could on our hotplate. I was the official taster and thought our dish was absolutely perfect. We got a text message saying we had 5 minutes left. We made our dish look super professional, and headed downstairs.

Downstairs we all gathered around a center table, and compared dishes. I was a little worried because some of the dishes looked pretty professional. Nitay, our madrich, was the official judge. He reviewed all of our presentations, and then tasted each one. I truly think that my team had the best dish, but he, unfortunately, thought otherwise and chose a winner. This was a great bonding activity that gave all of us a really fun time!

LONG VIEW

July 26, 2019

The house I had been visiting just outside Jerusalem, in a place called Nataf, was high up in the mountains, so high up that you could see straight to the Mediterranean when you looked west. You could see the tin-foil sheen of the water, reflecting the light of the sun as it dipped down toward a far-off horizon, weightless as a feather.

There is only one road to Nataf. Earlier that day an Israeli family friend had driven me up that road, and as we drove we could just make out Tel Aviv’s skyline beyond the mountains, beyond the valleys, beyond the skylines of other cities between Jerusalem and the coast. Tel Aviv was 30-something miles away, so shrouded in mist that it looked as if it itself was part of the sky, as if the sky was below and above and around the city. “Zot ir hashamaim,” I said to my family friend, a sky-city. The phrase sounded vaguely biblical in Hebrew; ethereal language for an ethereal place.

In Nataf, the community was preparing for a performance in a home-made, outdoor theater. A few people, including my family friends, had gathered to determine how much light would be needed for the show when to start it in relation to the sunset. And so we stood there for a long time, simply watching the sun crest downward, checking the time, noting the changing light, waiting for dusk.

A couple of weeks ago, a few colleagues and I were rushing to report on an event in Tel Aviv as the sun was setting. We were zooming down the highway and each mile we traveled west pushed our horizon further west; we were racing the sun but we were winning. The sky was light and rosy and ten minutes later it was still, impossibly, light and rosy. Of course our planet’s rotation eventually outstripped us, as I knew it must, and yet I couldn’t help but feel a drop of melancholy as the longest sunset I had ever witnessed flickered and died.

Now I was stationary; still; sensitive to each passing minute of another Israel sunset. I asked some of the people in Nataf whom I was with whether they ever tire of the sunset, seeing it every day, and they said no, of course not, it’s a miracle and who can tire of miracles? and that response was deeply satisfying. I could feel how much more at ease I was, standing there, than I had been during that manic drive to Tel Aviv, and I realized that our sunset over the brilliant, 30-mile view was lasting a long, long time.

INTERNSHIP FINALE

July 25, 2019

I can’t believe this is the second to last week of my internship. While I’ve been living in Haifa for almost two months, it really does feel like it was yesterday that I was meeting my roommates for the first time and moving into my apartment. Haifa has been such a hospitable place to live and it still hasn’t really hit me that I am living on the other side of the world. I have been able to travel all around the country on the weekends and learn so much from my internship during the week; Onward really has been an incredible way to appreciate and experience the Jewish state. I feel fully engrained in this city and know that I’ll feel at home when I come back.

My internship has given me the critical cooperative experience I have been looking for in a summer internship. I was given a project to start at the beginning of my internship and am finishing it off as I close out my time at Healthymize, and I feel heard. My bosses and coworkers have really taken me in and have given me a great idea of what my first co-op will be like when I start my work-study later in the year. I am currently preparing a culminating presentation to show off everything I have researched and reported on over the past two months and will present my findings next week in front of the company. While I am sad to be wrapping up my time here, I know that the connections I have made in Israel will extend back to Boston.

WISHING BRIDGE

July 25, 2019

As we near the end of the summer I have been going through my list, checking off the places I want to go to, the restaurants I want to try and the places so good that I want to go back again before I leave the country.

To this end, I spent last weekend hitting some of the spots on my list. I began Friday morning exploring Neve Tzedek, the first neighborhood in Tel Aviv outside of Jaffa and well known today for it’s small picturesque streets lined with fashion boutiques, handicraft shops and trendy restaurants. Located in this neighborhood is the Nahum Gutman Museum of Art. This museum is inside the home of, and dedicated to the life work of, Nahum Gutman, a writer and artist whose work focuses on his life growing up in Jaffa and later Neve Tzedek. It was especially fun to see his sketches of a similar, but slightly less crowded, Rothschild Boulevard. My day continued at Shakshukia, a small restaurant that serves variations of shakshuka, the traditional Israeli breakfast of eggs cooked in tomatoes, and one of my favorite foods. And of course, no weekend is complete without a trip to the beach, where I spent the afternoon.

I spent most of Saturday in Jaffa where I went first to the Wishing Bridge. The Wishing Bridge is lined with all the astrological signs, and legend has it that if a person makes a wish while holding their zodiac sign and looking into the ocean, their wish will come true. The view from the bridge is incredible with the ocean to one side and the Ha-Pisga park to the other. I then made my way to the Jaffa art galleries that line the small stone-paved paths inside Jaffa. Despite the fact that it was Shabbat some of these galleries were open and I was able to browse through art and jewelry. Here, I also found the Ilana Goor art and design museum. Similar to the Nahum Gutman Museum, this museum, located in her old home, displays the life work of Ilana Goor, an artist,
designer and sculpture. The museum was filled with unique pieces of art to look at with every turn of the eye and also served a gorgeous view of the Mediterranean ocean.

We have been given such an incredible opportunity to spend the summer in such a lively and vibrant city! I am sad to think it’s coming to an end so soon.

Miya Cohen, Connecticut College '20, is co-president of her school's Habitat for Humanity chapter and is interning at Arba Finance Company Ltd. with the Boston Onward Israel Tel Aviv program.

MEDIA GROUP

July 24, 2019

I’ve spent this past summer interning at a production company called the Jerusalem Media Group. It’s a company run by two men, Shoni and Daniel, who are American and made Aliyah years ago. Each week at the studio is very different from one another because there are always new projects coming in and new things to be done.

This past week I worked on a couple of cool projects with my other interns at our intern workspace. We have a room to ourselves where we have a computer with a two monitor set up for editing and two other editing bays next to them. In the room next to it, we have a dark room that we mostly use for color editing and another room full of computers and screens used for live productions. Behind all of this is our large studio that we use for live productions and shoots.

This week we started by finishing up editing a bar mitzvah reel that Shoni and I had filmed a couple of weeks ago. We made highlights for the family from the whole event and then put together an hour-long video showcasing the whole ceremony at the Kotel. Once this was done, JMG has a web series where they shoot bands and singers in the studio and then interview them. We each created a 10 min video of each band, half of the video showcasing one of their songs with their interview overlapping it and then another half with just them performing.

We ended the week by practicing for a big production gig we have soon. We will be in Ra’Anana next week doing a multicamera live production shoot for Phillips so we learned all about the equipment we have to use, how to set it up, and how to make a show go live. We all switched roles between being talent, camera operator, and technical director, in order to be well versed in all areas and improve our film skills. As this next week comes, we will continue practicing until we’re more confident in all of our roles and ready for the live show!

Nicole Barradas, Boston University ‘21, is spending her summer interning at Jerusalem Media Group furthering her film production skills through the Boston Onward Israel program.

EXPLORING EILAT

July 23, 2019

As many left for their Shabbatons this past weekend, two of my friends and I (we had already completed our Shabbatons the week before) decided that we were going to embark on an adventure outside of Tel Aviv. We planned an ambitious one-day trip to Eilat, leaving by bus very early in the morning and sleeping soundly as we made our way to the beautiful southern tip of Israel.

After a few hours of rest on the bus, we arrived in Eilat and ran toward the beach only a few hundred meters away. We sat down for a delicious breakfast by the sea, enjoying a classic Israeli breakfast of bread and eggs with tuna salad, cream cheese, and labneh. We sat there for a while, watching the impeccably still, blue water, until we realized that we needed to go to our first activity of the day!

We hurried over to the Coral Beach Nature Reserve, where we rented snorkeling equipment and swam around in the sea looking at fish and coral. It was my first time ever snorkeling, and I had so much fun watching the fish around me.
After some pictures of the scenic view, my friends and I made our way to the Dolphin Reef. We spent hours dipping in and out of relaxation pools, eating snacks, and watching the dolphins jump out of the water. Sitting outside but in the shade, surrounded by branches and flowers, we enjoyed iced chai and cake and continued watching the dolphins – it was one of the most peaceful, relaxing afternoons I’ve ever had!

We saw colorful peacocks, a couple roosters, and a chicken as we ate dinner on the beach; and we got back on the bus that evening, happy that we had the chance to explore Eilat for the day. It was an incredible trip, and I loved the chance to spend a weekend day exploring an area outside of Tel Aviv!

Miranda Triedman, Brown University ‘21, is interning this summer at a neurobiology lab at Tel Aviv University as a participant on the Boston Onward Israel Tel Aviv 2019 program.

TEL AVIV EXCURSIONS

July 23, 2019

Weekend excursions to Tel Aviv look amazing!

PAIGE STERN, Northeastern University '22
Tearsheet.co Media Technology Company Intern

NEGEV ADVENTURES

July 22, 2019

Penelope Kogan of Clark University traveled to the Israeli desert where she learned new Hebrew phrases

PENELOPE KOGAN, Clark University '22
Yad Vashem Department of International Seminars Intern

AI RESEARCH

July 21, 2019

In addition to work, this week was filled with friends, food and family!

At Mobile ODT this past week, I worked on projects to meet a deadline that is fast approaching. This week’s work was particularly interesting and also a bit challenging. On top of researching cervical cancer, I am now in charge of developing a tool that uses innovative forms of artificial intelligence (AI). Although I am not well versed on AI, this is a great learning experience. I am able to grasp new skills and become comfortable with AI. Again, this reiterates the Israeli work culture, one filled with ambition, drive and determination.

Outside of the office, I am busy seeing friends, trying new restaurants and spending time with family! This weekend was particularly wholesome because I spent time with my mom. In addition to relaxing by the pool on Shabbat, my mom and I explored the Jaffa port and art market. We tried a myriad of local Israeli foods, such as Jachnun. Jachnun is an Israeli-Jewish pastry that is traditionally served on Shabbat morning. And, it was delicious!

After saying goodbye to my mom Saturday evening, my friends and I went out to dinner at Bana, a plant-based restaurant. And, we celebrated the start to another great week!

CARMEL MOUNTAIN

July 17, 2019

The highlight of this past week was Wednesday’s day trip! We took the day off from our internships and headed north to a town on the Carmel mountain, outside of Haifa. Here we spent the morning at a community center, the same community center that Solomon Teka, the young Ethiopian Israeli who’s life was taken by an off-duty police officer, belonged to. Upon arrival we heard from the director of the center as well as a few members who knew Solomon personally. They told us a little bit about their experience at the community center and the grief they’re all experiencing from losing Solomon. It was sad hearing what they had to say regarding the racism that they’ve experienced as a part of the Ethiopian Jewish community.

After hearing their stories we spent a good portion of the day helping to spruce up the community center. We worked on several different projects including painting the walls both inside and outside, planting cacti into pots lining the walkway, cleaning up the yard, and even a few of us worked on building a shelf. At the end of our volunteering, we enjoyed cold popsicles while learning a traditional Ethiopian dance.

After departing, we were taken to a Druze village about twenty minutes away. Here we were welcomed into the home of a Druze and enjoyed a delicious traditional Druze meal. We devoured platters of rice and meatballs and bowls of hummus and salad and a delicious baked bread. After thoroughly stuffing ourselves we gathered in the living room where we learned about the Druze religion. Our speaker was a Druze just a few years older than ourselves, and it was very interesting to not only learn about the religion and values of the Druze but also to hear it from the perspective of someone close to our age. Just before leaving we were served sweet tea and date cookies before heading back to Tel Aviv.

Miya Cohen, Connecticut College '20, is co-president of her school's Habitat for Humanity chapter and is interning at Arba Finance Company Ltd. with the Boston Onward Israel Tel Aviv program.

FIRST STATION

July 17, 2019

The other night, my friend suggested we visit a place in Jerusalem called First Station after work. I didn’t know much about what it was, but decided to go along for the ride. After a beautiful walk through our neighborhood as the sun was setting, we arrived! As soon as we got close, we could hear music in the distance and, as we walked even closer, we immediately saw a crowd of people in front of a stage. After looking closely, we noticed it was a young boy probably about 10 years old singing the song “One Day” by Matisyahu.

The stage was surrounded by people wrapping their arms around each other, smiling, and singing. The venue was filled with joy, love, and happiness. It was extremely heartwarming to see a large group of strangers come together and share a passion for love and peace. We ended the night by picking up some gelato and enjoying the beautiful atmosphere. Overall, it was an incredible experience in a fun part of Jerusalem!

KIBBUTZ HANNATON

July 16, 2019

Over the weekend, I participated in my breakout shabbaton. My trip focused on exploring different communities in northern Israel around the Sea of Galilee. After our bus ride from Haifa, we reached Biblical Roots and got the opportunity to speak with young members of the Druze community and eat a homecooked traditional Druze meal. We spent that night sleeping in a large tent under the stars before leaving for the Druze town of Mgrar. During the afternoon, we were guided by Druze teens who showed us around their village, told us the history of their religion, and answered our questions about their lifestyle.

We spent Saturday at Kibbutz Hannaton, a conservative kibbutz. We spoke to Rabbi Ner-David, a female rabbi who focuses her time on running the kibbutz’s Mikveh. After looking at the Mikveh and hearing about the books she wrote about conservative feminism, we were treated to a tour of the kibbutz’s different business ventures. Kibbutz Hannaton has over 1,000 dairy cows, more than the amount of people that live there! We were also shown the kibbut’s winery and chicken coops, as well as the various solar panels that help generate extra revenue. Being able to experience the north in such a different light from which I see it every day was an incredible experience, and I am so glad I chose this as my breakout.

ONWARD HACKATHON

July 16, 2019

On Wednesday, we all hopped on the bus to Haifa, where we visited a community youth center. Although our plans to visit Haifa were determined long before, our trip was even more significant because Solomon Tekah, the 19-year-old boy who was recently tragically killed by an off-duty police officer, was involved with the same community center we visited. Hearing from his friends and mentors in the Ethiopian Jewish community was eye-opening and unforgettable. We enjoyed the opportunity to work alongside students involved in the center – helping to decorate and paint the building – but were most grateful to speak to and learn from everyone there. After a very meaningful experience at the youth center, we drove to a beautiful Druze village in the hills of Haifa. We enjoyed a delicious meal and heard from a young Druze woman about her culture and the Druze’s history. Our program in Haifa was a great way to learn about other cultures and gain new understandings about Israeli society.

After a memorable trip to Haifa, on Thursday we embarked on our last day of work for the week. Because I had my Shabbaton that weekend, I only worked until the early afternoon. After work, I went to Impact Labs at a WeWork, where I participated in an 18-hour hackathon. I have almost no experience in coding or computer science (I am pre-med, studying biology and classics), so I was excited to be placed in a biotechnology group. Our mission was to design a pill coating that would take two hours to dissolve in the body, thus releasing its contents at a specific part of the digestive tract. My group consisted of students from all different Onward programs, and we had a blast trying to figure out how to solve our problem. I appreciated how the organizers of the program viewed our resumes and worked to place us in appropriate groups so we could all enjoy the experience.

Because my Shabbaton was a special one (lasting for only 18 hours rather than an entire weekend), I spent my Saturday at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art with one of my housemates. We walked through the entire museum for a couple hours and really enjoyed the experience. I also made plans with my new friends from the Hackathon, and I’m looking forward to getting dinner with them next week. On Saturday night, some of my friends and I hung out and watched a movie together, getting ready to start another great week on Sunday.

Miranda Triedman, Brown University ‘21, is interning this summer at a neurobiology lab at Tel Aviv University as a participant on the Boston Onward Israel Tel Aviv 2019 program.

WALDORF ASTORIA

July 15, 2019

My friends and I started off our week by visiting a few different cool areas in Jerusalem. One of my roommates is currently working at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel and the rest of my roommates and I decided to go pay her a visit in order to see the beautiful area. The structure was breathtaking and the hotel was full of beautiful mixed Jerusalem culture. My friend explained to us that each floor has a different arch that represents the three major religions in Jerusalem.

Nicole Barradas, Boston University ‘21, is spending her summer interning at Jerusalem Media Group furthering her film production skills through the Boston Onward Israel program.

FAVORITE SIGHTS

July 15, 2019

Jacob Stone, Brandies University' 20, shares his favorite sights on the 2-minute walk from his internship at the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange to his apartment

JACOB STONE, Brandeis University '20
Quedma Innovation Intern

SUNRISE

July 14, 2019

Onward Israel is an amazing opportunity to not only experience the unique Israeli work experience, but also travel a lot. As Israel is relatively close to the size of New Jersey, it makes it easy to see and experience. Straight from work on Thursday, myself along with 5 friends traveled from Haifa to Jerusalem for the night. Upon arrival we went to the market, which is crazy on a Thursday night. Everyone was dancing, eating, and just overall having the best time. We then took a bus to a lookout of the entire city and stayed there until 4 in the morning, where we heard the call to prayer around the city. That next morning, we got to experience the holy city by visiting the Western Wall, and the Christian Quarter, which is where Jesus was crucified, buried, and resurrected. We then took a bus from Jerusalem to a hostel right next to En Gedi. After we found a route to hike down to the Dead Sea, my friend Max, who I have been traveling with since May 5th, and I said that this was by far the most beautiful sight either of us had ever seen. I stayed in the Dead Sea way past sunset, to the point where it was pitch black and all that could be seen was the desert sky full of stars. That feeling of just floating weightlessly looking up at the beautiful desert sky is by far the most relaxed I have ever felt.

The next morning, I woke up at 5am and went back to the Dead Sea to watch the sunrise over the Jordanian mountains. After a while of swimming, I went and had breakfast. We then went to the En Gedi Reserve. Here, there was a hike up a mountain with waterfalls and places to swim under them. The water was extremely refreshing under the desert heat. We ended up at a cave where the water was just below my knees. After returning from En Gedi, I went back to the Dead Sea, and then we took a bus back to Jerusalem.

My friends had gone back to Haifa but I spent Saturday night in Jerusalem. I returned to the market for some great food, and then visited the Wall a second time at midnight. I was very surprised how packed it was. I then walked around the old city and returned to my hostel. The next morning I woke up early, had breakfast, and visited the American Embassy in Jerusalem. I got a great view of the city from there. I then took a bus back to Haifa and went straight from the bus stop to work!

YOUTH COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER

July 11, 2019

A major part of the Onward experience is the opportunity to enrich yourself in meaningful and educational opportunities all around Israel. I appreciate that beyond the bounds of the office and the city of Tel Aviv, we are offered the ability to learn through experiences and conversations with a myriad of communities.

This past Wednesday we traveled to Haifa, Israel where we volunteered in a youth community center that works with the Boston partnership. More specifically, this exact community center had a strong connection to Solomon, an 18-year-old Israeli of Ethiopian descent, who was killed in a suburb of Haifa by an off-duty policeman. As such, this day was extremely special for both the community members and Onward participants. Throughout the day, we worked on various projects around the center. These included painting the walls, planting flowers and picking up any trash. In between tasks, we shared laughs, danced and enjoyed each other’s company. I am grateful for the opportunity to help the community center and support them in solidarity.

After a full day of work, we said our goodbyes and traveled to a Druze village. This was another unique opportunity where we learned about the Druze people and their culture while tasting some traditional cuisine. The meal included Druze bread, sabich (eggplant), meat dishes, Israeli salad and rice. Additionally, we ate inside someone’s home, which was a refreshing change from a restaurant ambiance. Thus, I am thankful that Onward provides us with these day trips interspersed with our daily routine in Tel Aviv!

WeWORK COMMUNITY

July 11, 2019

What's it like to work at a Jerusalem start-up? Paige Stern of Northeastern University shows us the local WeWork community!

PAIGE STERN, Northeastern University '22
Tearsheet.co Media Technology Company Intern

NORTHERN BORDERS

July 10, 2019

Nicole Barradas of Boston University explores Israel's northern borders (and assists at a local elementary school!)

NICOLE BARRADAS, Boston University '21
Intern at Jerusalem Media Group

AQUA KEF

July 10, 2019

This weekend, myself along with two of my friends, Eli Glass, and Max Rubenstein, took a trip to Tiberius. It was less than two hours away by bus. I opened my laptop last Thursday morning, and went to Google Maps. I then zoomed into Israel and decided to go to wherever my mouse landed and explore. I ended up zooming into the edge of Tiberius where it meets the Sea of Galilee, which is exactly where we went. In Tiberius, we went to a waterpark called Aqua Kef.

We had the most amazing time here. This inflatable waterpark was right on the Sea of Galilee. We were running through slippery obstacle courses, pushing each other into the water competing like American Ninja Warriors. There were these three extra large yoga balls that you have to run across without falling off; I made it across the first time but completely wiped out the second time. There were also these gigantic slides that you have to climb a tough vertical wall up to get to the top, and then you shoot down at high speed into the water. There was a monkey bar set where we took turns trying to make it to the other side without falling off (or being tackled down). There were also water trampolines which were extremely fun to bounce on. Overall, it was a great bonding experience full of fun memories, a few bruises, and a great time!

CLEARING MY EARS

July 9, 2019

Alex, our tour guide, proudly tells us that the Jeep we are riding in was made in 1994. That was before any of us were born, so we’re pretty impressed. We reason that if the Jeep has lasted that long, it can probably last the next few hours with us in it.

It’s one of those moments where I’m glad my parents don’t know what I’m up to right then and there, as we careen through a wadi in Eilat, covered in dust and sweat and not enough sunscreen and exhaust fumes that are probably carcinogenic. We aren’t wearing seatbelts because there are none (there isn’t a roof either, just a canvas covering) and each bump makes us scream and clutch each other. Alex the tour guide screams too, just to scare us, but then he laughs uproariously, and so we do, too.

When we stop for a break, Alex tells us what I had been a bit sheepish to admit I had forgotten, which is that a wadi is a dry valley formed by the rush of water slicing through it during the flash-flood seasons of the days of yore. And a long, long time ago, the wadi was under the ocean. I ask how long ago, and Alex says 26 million years. I decide that that number is too big to really mean anything to me, and I find myself thinking that the Jeep feels older. The formation of a canyon over 26 million years can’t really compare to the formation of my family — parents’ marriage, brother’s birth, numerous dogs and cats — over the course of the Jeep’s 25 years of life. We humans are quite bad with perspective.

Alex points out an acacia tree to us, and I can’t believe him when he says that its roots burrow 180 feet below the earth to access the water there. Above ground the acacia is really quite unremarkable, with a squat, gnarly trunk and barely any leaves. I wonder if the tree knows it’s that tall, if it takes silent pride in its secret ability to exist in so many places at once. The next day we will go scuba diving, and I will look up at the dazzling under-side of the water’s surface, and I will think, “Take that, acacia tree. Yesterday I was flying through the wadis and now I’m down here, swimming with soft, velvety yellow corals. With fish, some as iridescent as raindrops and others pitch black, some round and puckered and some needle-thin.” And then the acacia tree will whisper back to me that I am only 18 feet underwater, and that it lives at depths of ten times that magnitude. It will remind me that I need to clear my ears as I descend each meter, to recalibrate my body to the pressure change, because I do not really belong there.

But it is a moment still to come. In the ancient wadi, we race up to a mountain peak in a car we think is old; we gaze at one vista and wisely say it is four countries. We humans are quite bad with perspective. By the time I am underwater the next day, tentatively kicking my flippered-feet like the sea creature I am not, resigning myself to being a visitor here, it will be too late to go back to the mountains, too late to go back to the instant Alex parked his roaring Jeep, too late to clear my ears, and listen to the wadi’s silence.

EILAT

July 9, 2019

One of my favorite things about Israel is being able to hop on a bus and travel to so many different environments, all within a few hours. This past weekend, my friends and I decided to take a trip to Eilat for the weekend. We all packed our bags and headed out on the bus right after work on Thursday evening. We made the most of a long bus ride by packing snacks, catching up, and enjoying the incredible views. Once arriving at night, we decided to walk around and explore the area. We ended up making lots of discoveries like a 24/7 supermarket, a beautiful beach, and even amusement park rides!

The next morning we woke up and walked to a local restaurant for a delicious Israeli brunch followed by a trip to the beach! After coming back and showering, we got ready to head out on a Jeep tour through the mountains! We had an incredible experience getting a private tour, eating pita and drinking tea around a fire, and getting to visit the peak of the mountain where we were able to see Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. The next day, we got to experience the Red Sea from a different angle by going on a glass bottom boat tour! Overall, we had an amazing time and it was a trip I will never forget.

GROUP MEALS

July 8, 2019

Apartment roommates learn how to manage their shekels and cook group meals as Boston Onward Israel participants!

SLOAN BURCH, Clark University '22
Intern at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem

BAHA'I GARDENS IN HAIFA

July 8, 2019

This week was full of traveling for me! After work on Tuesday I hopped on the bus to Jerusalem where I met some cousins for dinner. Following a pizza feast, we took a stroll through the festival of lights, an annual event in which the Old City is illuminated with colorful lights. The old stones are enveloped in fluorescent color and all around the city is bustling with music and people. It was a very fun evening and really cool that we’re able to move around Israel so easily.

On Saturday my family took me to Haifa and Akko, two cities I had never before been to. Both coastal cities are similar, yet unique in their own way. In Haifa we toured the gorgeous Baha’i Gardens and learned about the Baha’i faith. After hearing about these gardens for years and seeing photos, it was very special to see them in person. It took us about an hour to get through the nine garden levels and our tour guide stopped periodically to tell us about the gardens and the Baha’i faith. The Baha’i is a monotheistic religion that values faith, peace, harmony and beauty. Their value of beauty is directly reflected in the Baha’i gardens, which were built with only one idea in mind: beauty. There’s no meaning to anything or any symbols in the gardens, aside from the fact that they add beauty to the scenery. The Baha’i faith was started by Bahá’u'lláh in Persia and began with just eight followers (reflecting the nine levels of gardens) and based on the belief that God can be found anywhere in the world. Thus Baha’i can be practiced anywhere in the world and at any time and there are no designated houses of worship. That being said, the only country that a Baha’i can not call home is Israel. It’s reasonable to assume that Bahá’u'lláh realized the religious conflicts that already exist in this land and didn’t want to add to it, as any conflict would go against the Baha’i values. Despite this, two out of three of the sacred Baha’i pilgrimage sites are in Israel: the gardens in Haifa and the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh in Akko. I really enjoyed hearing about the Baha’i religion because I didn’t know anything about it prior to this
experience.

After the gardens we headed to Akko where we devoured a delicious Mediterranean feast at a restaurant overlooking the water. After filling up on hummus, tabbouli, tahini, tomatoes, pita, chicken and lots of water, we were rejuvenated to continue our journey through Akko. We strolled along the water and through the streets of the ancient city. We made our way through the market and to the El-Jazzar Mosque. At the mosque we were able to walk around inside and attended a ten minute tour outlining the history of the mosque. The mosque was built by Ahmad Pasha el-Jazzar, the Akko governor famous for his defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte during the Siege of Akko in 1799. The mosque complex also includes a school and lodging, an Islamic court and a library. The grounds were beautiful and the colors on the buildings were nicely preserved. I returned to Tel Aviv exhausted but filled with love for this country, its people and happy memories of new experiences.

Miya Cohen, Connecticut College '20, is co-president of her school's Habitat for Humanity chapter and is interning at Arba Finance Company Ltd. with the Boston Onward Israel Tel Aviv program.

CRAFT MARKET

July 7, 2019

This past week, I dived into work at my internship, celebrated a birthday, and explored the art market.

I am an intern in a Tel Aviv University lab studying Autism Spectrum Disorder and Williams Syndrome, where I have been learning lab techniques such as brain slicing, staining, and analyzing. I have learned how to identify discrete areas of the brain and visualize them with advanced microscope software. In the following week, I’m looking forward to analyzing MRI/DTI scans of mouse brains and running PCR.

Toward the end of the week, many of us celebrated our friend Owen’s birthday. After a meeting with Ilan Wagner, we treated ourselves to frozen yogurt and hung out for over an hour, taking pictures, discussing possible day trips to other parts of Israel, and planning the upcoming weekend.

After our five days of work were over, I enjoyed Friday brunch with my Israeli friend from Birthright at Cafe Xoho, and on Saturday, my friends and I set off for a beach day at around 12 pm on Saturday. Despite our plans to arrive at Gazoz beach by 12:30 pm, we instead wandered into the Nachalat Binyamin Craft Market. For over an hour, we stopped at every table; we observed a man molding clay into an elephant, a woman creating jewelry, and another artist creating tiny glass figurines through glassblowing. We continued to wander around Tel Aviv, stopping briefly in a chaotic Israeli restaurant to pick up some delicious shawarma, and we eventually arrived at Frishman Beach.

It was exciting to casually walk around Tel Aviv – we were able to discover new areas and try new food. Next week, I’m looking forward to taking on bigger projects at my internship and discovering new neighborhoods.

Miranda Triedman, Brown University ‘21, is interning this summer at a neurobiology lab at Tel Aviv University as a participant on the Boston Onward Israel Tel Aviv 2019 program.

EN GEDI

July 7, 2019

We spent last weekend at a hostel near the En Gedi nature reserve along the Dead Sea. While the bus ride was long and we were dropped off in the middle of the desert, the view of the salty water against the orange mountains of Jordan was incredible. On our first night, my friends and I walked down to the sea and watched the sunset as we floated along the shore. We had the entire shore to ourselves and it truly was the most beautiful view I have ever seen. As the sun set, the mountains that surrounded us darkened with only the street lights above us lighting our pathway back up to the main road. After returning to the hostel we met a family that had just finished Shabbat dinner and offered us their leftovers. We love Israeli hospitality :)

We woke up early the next morning and walked down the road to En Gedi. The nature reserve is known for its waterfalls and wildlife, and the hike did not disappoint. It was over 100 degrees out and we definitely did not carry enough water, but we hiked 55 flights all the way to the top of the mountain. Along the way we were able to stop and cool off in cold springs and look at the ibex and birds that inhabit the area. As we reached the top, we descended down into a crevasse with a cave and deep spring that we could all swim in. Our feet hurt and we are a little sunburnt, but traveling to En Gedi was a fantastic adventure for our weekend!

SENSE OF COMMUNITY

July 5, 2019

Throughout this program, it is important to balance work and social life. Every day, I am excited for work and ready for the day’s tasks, meetings and assigned projects. I appreciate how the company I work for values my opinion and gives me meaningful tasks. In fact, I have a weekly meeting with the marketing team where we all share important information, and I contribute to the discussion as well. Likewise, the other day, I had lunch with the company’s CEO. He and I spoke about the company, their mission and other important topics relating to Mobile ODT. Yet, this job is not all work! For lunch, we all sit together, both the full-time employees and the interns alike, and enjoy a family-style meal. It is fun to converse with my coworkers about events going on in Israel or in their lives overall. This is something I did not experience at my last internship in the United States. Regardless, I enjoy this sense of community embedded in the Israeli work culture. Additionally, the employees here are very supportive of one another. The other day, Mobile ODT achieved an exciting milestone in their company, and so they rejoiced with a party! We all gathered around to hear a few speeches and celebrated with traditional Israeli snacks. Overall, this week at work was a mix of office bonding and diligent working.

After work I pack up my bags, head home and reach out to my friends about plans for the afternoon and evening. One of the great aspects of Onward is the free time we are allotted after work. This allows me to explore the city and enjoy myself. For dinner, my friends and I like to bring our meals to the beach and watch the sunset, which is always breathtaking and beautiful. This past Thursday, we enjoyed dinner on the beach to celebrate United States’ Independence Day. It was both fitting for the holiday and a great way to start off the weekend. To end the week, my friends and I explored Florentin, a neighborhood in Tel Aviv known for its graffiti. We walked around for a while then sat down to a tasty, Israeli meal. I can’t wait for this upcoming week as I continue to balance my work and social life.

GUSH ETZION

July 4, 2019

This past week has been a complete whirlwind. Between receiving my placement at Rambam Health Care Campus at two clinical research labs, a hematology lab and a clinical biochemistry lab, cooking everyday with my roommates, and exploring around Haifa, it’s been an amazing experience thus far. I am so lucky to be in Israel surrounded by such awesome people. The labs I am interning in are providing me with an inside experience into how data analysis is conducting and results regarding various diseases are gathered. Since there are so many Russian speakers here in Haifa and around Israel, I have been speaking Russian to communicate with my coworkers efficiently, as well as English, Spanish, and my limited Hebrew (I’m working on it). The personal connections I have already made with my fellow coworkers are very important to me in my development as a professional in the medical field and because of that I feel more confident in my role within the laboratories.

Last week, the entire Onward Israel Boston Haifa group had our overnight trip to Mashavei Sade, a kibbutz in the Negev Desert. Along the way there we travelled to Gush Etzion, an area of the West Bank that is heavily populated by Jewish people. We then went to the local winery the Gush Etzion Winery for a wine tasting as well as a delicious Israeli lunch. After the winery, we headed to Roots, an Israeli and Palestinian nonviolence initiative where we heard from both an Israeli as well as a Palestinian about steps necessary to reach peace. We also went to visit a Bedouin town where we met a female entrepreneur who specializes in herb based oils and soaps that herself and her workers create. It was so amazing to be able to bond together through this trip to unexplored places as well as meet new people on trip. I look forward to exploring Israel further and I can’t wait to see what my internship has to offer!

Daniel Babitskiy, UMass Boston ‘21, is a biology major on the pre-medical track and a member of his school’s Phi Delta Epsilon International Medical Fraternity and is interning this summer in Haifa at Rambam Health Care Campus as a laboratory research intern through the Boston Onward Israel program.

THE GOLDEN TICKET

July 3, 2019

I am barefoot, and I am running. Winding through Jerusalem’s streets toward the King David Hotel, the uneven, sun-scorched cobblestones biting at the soles of my feet.

My tattered ballet flats had finally expired after years of life. At some point that day, the bottom of the left one had peeled right off from the rest of the shoe and it was now flapping about ridiculously, such that it was impossible for me to run without tripping over it. And I needed to run. In seven minutes, Governor Andrew Cuomo was set to arrive at the King David Hotel, I was covering it for The Jerusalem Post, and nothing — not the seemingly endless afternoon traffic my bus had sat in, nor a broken shoe — was going to make me late.

If 90% of my brain was, in that moment, focused on avoiding broken glass, there was at least 10% that was blasé about the whole affair, watching — laughing — from the back seat, utterly amused by this comedic twist to my serious attempt at journalistic professionalism. That is to say, I think I was at least a little aware of just how funny the whole thing was, for I remember thinking — gladly, “Oh, this is a good one. This is a story you won’t forget for a long, long while.”

And maybe that’s why I’ve worked for a newspaper every year of my life since middle school. Because journalism puts you in touch with something at least a little bit extraordinary every day — someone with a new idea, someone with a story people don’t know yet — and that becomes evident in the moments where you find yourself doing something a little bit extraordinary to respond to its call.
Since starting at the Jerusalem Post, I have talked to: multiple members of the Knesset, Chabad rabbis from Australia to Morocco, the director of Israel’s association of rape crisis centers, artificial intelligence experts who are revolutionizing public transportation, the creators of an acclaimed, powerful new play about cyberbullying, and educators trying to improve ESL training in the parts of the country where it is hardest to do so.
I have worked there, at the office, for nine days.

Journalism has always been the way I get to know a place — first it was a new school; now it’s a foreign country. When you’re a person who’s curious about the people who inhabit this earth with you, but are reticent to approach and ask, journalism becomes your golden ticket. You can call up anyone on the phone, you can go to the King David. But the story also expands your curiosity, and soon you find yourself talking about it with taxi drivers, or the 93-year-old at the new synagogue you decided to go to, and more often than not, you realize they’re somehow part of the story, too.

Journalism says, Go out there. Now. Ask your questions. Listen, and write. Do it quick; the deadline is coming. Be vulnerable — don’t be afraid to take your shoes off. Run barefoot down the street, if you must. Feel the sidewalk burning your toes. Now the air conditioning at the King David. You are here. You are on time. You are learning something about the world.

SEA OF GALILEE

July 2, 2019

Last week was incredible! At work I was kept busy writing reports and working on spreadsheets; I spent a lot of my time in and out of meetings with my bosses ideating and working on strategic planning for the company. Even though work has really only started, I feel like I have gained so much from this experience. After the work week ended, I took a bus to Tiberias with my friends Eli and Chase to get away for the weekend. We stayed at a hostel downtown that was located close to the Sea of Galilee, the reason we made the trek. The Sea of Galilee is a large fresh water lake, and while the beaches in Haifa are beautiful, swimming in it was a great change of pace.

We left Tiberias on the last bus before Shabbat, which allowed us to get home before the transportation stopped for the weekend. It was nice to have a chill day at home before the work week started and we were able to reconnect with the rest of the group. We took the carmelit, Israel’s only underground metro, at night and were able to see the entire city skyline. Haifa is built on a large hill, so the carmelit serves as an elevator-like tram to get you to the top. I love living in Haifa and am so excited to spend the rest of my summer in this beautiful city!

HUMMUS

July 1, 2019

After our first full work week, I took the weekend to relax and spent most of Friday and Saturday on the beach. This was my first weekend actually spent in Tel Aviv and the long stretches of white sandy beach and the clear blue water were calling my name. Unlike the beaches in New England, the Tel Aviv water is warm enough to actually enjoy, even hot at times!

Between the hours spent lounging on the beach, I was able to catch up with an old friend. We hadn’t seen each other in over a year and a half and it was just by chance that we found ourselves in Tel Aviv this summer. We enjoyed chatting in a small park with smoothies from Tamara’s, a fruit smoothie/popsicle/froyo chain. It’s funny how this sizable city is such a small world, bringing together people from so many different parts of life. To bring in the Shabbat, several friends and I gathered on the beach with takeout from the House of Hummus (the #2 hummus spot!). The gorgeous sunset we enjoyed with our meal is another perk of Tel Aviv beaches!

Saturday was, you guessed it, another beach day! But first, some friends and I grabbed shakshuka sandwiches for breakfast at nearby Amalia’s, a cafe located next to Shuk HaCarmel. We ended the day, thoroughly dehydrated and burned, at Miznon, a restaurant owned by Eyal Shani, a famous Israeli chef with multiple restaurants, both in Israel and worldwide. I enjoyed a delicious beef and veggie pita pocket, the perfect start to week #3!

Miya Cohen, Connecticut College '20, is co-president of her school's Habitat for Humanity chapter and is interning at Arba Finance Company Ltd. with the Boston Onward Israel Tel Aviv program.

HAKOSEM

June 30, 2019

One of my favorite parts about living in Israel is the food! In my opinion, this is a great way to immerse yourself into the Israeli culture; plus, the food here is incredible! As someone who is plant-based, I was excited to live in Tel Aviv where there are so many vegetarian and vegan friendly restaurants!

This past week, I ate at a variety of restaurants each with their own Israeli touch. One of my favorite places thus far is a restaurant named Hakosem, which serves traditional Israeli food. They are most known for their falafel, so I obviously had to try it! And, it was delicious. I later found out that Hakosem means magician in Hebrew, and these chefs definitely live up to their name. I ordered the falafel hummus platter, and it did not disappoint. After dinner, we walked up King George Street and discovered an ice cream sandwich shop. All of the toppings and sauces are kept in unique jugs that hang from the ceiling. These decorations are so unique, unlike anything I had ever seen before.

Another night this week, my friends and I visited Goodness, which is an all vegan restaurant that serves a wide variety of foods ranging from plant-based burgers to cauliflower crepes. I ordered the crepe because I was intrigued by the dish and love the vegetable. The meal was great, and I was thrilled to share this experience with my friends in the program.

To end the week, my friends and I decided to have a picnic on the beach for Shabbat dinner. I had a great time watching the sunset, sharing stories and enjoying a delicious bowl of hummus.

Overall, I am ready to continue “eating my way through the city,” trying new restaurants and bringing my friends along for the ride!

MAHANE YEHUDA SHUK

June 29, 2019

One of my many favorite places in Jerusalem is Mahane Yehuda shuk! It’s filled with lots of treasures and especially lots of delicious food! Growing up, cooking has been one of my favorite things to do and making guacamole is especially one of my favorites! After talking to some of my friends on the program, we decided it would be a fun idea to host a Mexican food Shabbat dinner! We reached out to everyone on our program and about 20 people said they would love to join! My friends and I then headed to the shuk to pick up lots of ingredients to help us make our meal. From lots of avocados to cilantro to tomatoes, the ingredients were abundant!

After collecting all of the ingredients to make our meal, we began the cooking! With some people mashing avocados, another dicing an onion, and others boiling rice, we were cooking up a storm! A little while later we had finally finished preparing our meal. We brought all of our creations to another apartment so we could share with everyone on our trip. Everyone contributed something from challah to Israeli salad, and most importantly: dessert! The rest of the night was full of getting to know everyone, playing games, and definitely lots of laughs. Having a big potluck Shabbat like this was an incredible experience to share with all of my friends and definitely one I will never forget!

MEETING THE ISRAELIS

June 28, 2019

In the midst of our first full week at work, each Onward participant attended a chugim, a program ranging from walking tours of Jaffa to discussions about the IDF. I attended Meet the Israelis, during which I was able to speak to six different Israelis and ask them any questions. We enjoyed a delicious catered dinner of shakshuka, quiche, and sandwiches and had the chance to meet students from other Onward programs. We were then introduced to the six Israeli representatives ‒ a Haredi Jew, an Ethiopian Jewish mother of two, a twenty-four-year-old student living in a socialist Kibbutz who represented “the left,” a young woman from Seattle who had made Aliyah, a Palestinian man working in finance, and a woman from Efrat who represented “the settlers” in the West Bank.

The program lasted for three hours, but it didn’t feel like enough time; we continued to ask questions even after the session was over. Hearing such different perspectives on living in Israel and being Israeli was fascinating and eye-opening to me. I left feeling so grateful that I was exposed to different beliefs and life experiences. I know that my friends felt the same ‒ it’s been a few days since, and we are still talking about what we learned.

After the chugim, the last day of work flew by. This is my first experience with real biology lab research, and I can’t believe how much I know after only a couple weeks here. The next evening for Shabbat, my friends and I packed dinners and went to the beach to watch the sunset. The weekend was an exciting opportunity to relax at the beach, shop at the shuk, and sample ice cream from numerous shops. The more I explore Tel Aviv, the more I’m starting to feel like I’m truly experiencing what it means to live and intern in Israel.

Miranda Triedman, Brown University ‘21, is interning this summer at a neurobiology lab at Tel Aviv University as a participant on the Boston Onward Israel Tel Aviv 2019 program.

INTERNING AT YAD VASHEM

June 27, 2019

This week we got a kick-start on our internships. I am an intern in the seminars department of the International School of Holocaust Studies at Yad Vashem. A lot of people think I work in the museum, but I actually love the department I work in. Currently, my colleagues are preparing a seminar for middle and high school teachers, and college professors from around the world. Since I am studying Holocaust & Genocide Studies as a minor, the people I work with are very cognizant of making this the most educational and experiential opportunity for me.

On Thursday, I had a chance to walk around the museum and memorial on my own. It was a very different experience from going on a tour with Birthright, like I did this past winter. With that being said, I look forward to visiting the museum on a tour led by my boss. One of my favorite parts of my internship is that I have the opportunity to sit in on seminars, go on trips to places like the Golan and Tel Aviv, and tour the museum – all as a part of my job.

Picture 1: I usually pack my lunch, but today I got free falafel as part of the seminar groups’ lunch.

Picture 2: I love having my own space at work, as a change from the apartment I share with my friends. At my desk I have a calendar marking the days I will be absent, and, of course, my Clark U Birthright Hydroflask!

Picture 3: At the end of every work day, I get to walk past this beautiful panoramic view of Jerusalem. Sometimes learning about the Holocaust can be sad, so ending my day on this note always reminds me why I love working at Yad Vashem.

Penelope Kogan, Clark University ‘22, is pursuing a psychology major, International Development & Social Change minor, and Holocaust & Genocide Studies concentration. At Clark, she is involved in Variant Dance Troupe, March For Our Lives, and Hillel. Through her involvement and interests she found the opportunity to intern at Yad Vashem through the Boston Onward Israel program.

HAIFA, YOU HAVE MY HEART

June 26, 2019

Nirim elementary school uses an alternative approach to education, unconditionally encouraging creativity 🐶

PAIGE STERN, Northeastern University '22
Tearsheet.co Media Technology Company Intern

THE BOTANICAL GARDENS

June 26, 2019

Sloan of Clark University enjoys the sounds of nature during her lunch break while at her Onward Israel internship at Hebrew University

SLOAN BURCH, Clark University '22
Intern at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem

ARUCHA KALLAH

June 24, 2019

Last Friday afternoon, I took the bus to a neighborhood not far outside the center of Jerusalem to visit a friend of my father’s. The friend, an Israeli woman about my father’s age whom I had never met before, ushered me into her airy home with a hug, and gave me a cool, condensation-drenched glass of water. I took off my sandals, the two of us now barefoot, and she sat me on her sofa, which was covered in a white quilt embroidered with gold.

I want to improve my Hebrew, I said, prefacing our conversation as I have prefaced many others in the past two weeks. Please — b’vakasha -- speak to me only in Hebrew. She readily agreed, and we talked of literature (my field of study) and poetry (her profession) as she flit about the apartment, pulling out literary journals and Hebrew poetry anthologies translated to English. Have you eaten? She asked me. Yes, a little, I said. So I will prepare us an arucha kallah, she said, a light meal. It was not a phrase I had heard before — it literally means an “easy meal” — but I grasped its meaning from context.

As she pattered about the kitchen, I leafed through the poetry books she had brought me, my eyes flitting back and forth across the sun-dappled pages, reading the Hebrew text on one side and the English translations on the other. At some point I realized, a bit sadly, that I was barely reading the poetry itself, instead caught up in a matching game as I went line-by-line across the two versions of the text. But I had no choice: I couldn’t bring myself to only read the English because that wasn’t the Real Thing, and I couldn’t only read the Hebrew because I didn’t fully understand it. It was not unlike some occasional experiences with Jewish prayer, a feeling that I was brushing my fingertips against the text but not fully grasping it; a feeling that even if I knew all of the words, there was another layer — a poetic layer — I still might not access.

Soon we were grazing over an arucha kallah of chopped tomatoes and cucumbers; salty olives and creamy cheeses and sweet grapes. We ate a thick-crusted bread with nuts and cranberries that I learned has a single-word-name in Hebrew, a fact that delighted me because in English, I have always had to refer to such breads as “the breads with the nuts and the cranberries.” Each addition to my Hebrew vocabulary felt like an expansion of my knowledge of Israeli culture, a culture where good breads deserve their own names, and where a light meal is not just a snack, but an arucha kallah, an easy meal, something you can prepare quickly for others, a sign of — or even a synonym for — generosity. The power of a few chopped tomatoes, a tower of grapes.

There are some words and phrases that we acquire deliberately, through painstaking translation processes or drilling. There is a woman at my office who has agreed to teach me one new word a day, which might be a Hebrew word or might be a “Hebrew” word — today’s was netverking. But then there are the words that come to us through natural conversation because they are a natural part of everyday life, and to know those words, however slowly we may acquire them, is to begin to understand the poetry of that life, which lies, I think, in its meals, in its bread.

Sonia Epstein, Harvard University '21, is an Associate Editor of the Harvard Crimson’s magazine and a student leader at Harvard Hillel. She explored Israel with her Hillel's Birthright Israel trip, and is now interning at The Jerusalem Post through the Boston Onward Israel program.

TOUR OF CAVES

June 24, 2019

We only had three days of internship this week because on Wednesday we took an overnight trip down south to the Negev, the desert region of Israel. We began our journey at the Hirbat Midras and Bar Kochba caves, also known as the Bell Caves. The caves got the nickname “Bell Caves” because the caverns are bell-shaped. These caves are linked by underground tunnels and were used as escape routes for war strategy when under attack by the Romans. We were guided through the main caverns of two large caves and given the opportunity to crawl through a portion of the tunnels.

Following our tour of the caves, we arrived to Atachlit, an Ethiopian village where we enjoyed traditional Ethiopian food for lunch and learned about the Ethiopian Jews living in Israel. Our third stop for the day was at Bat HaMidbar, a Bedouin village located in Tel Sheva. This is the first Israeli government recognized Bedouin village in Israel. There we learned the fascinating story of a Bedouin woman beginning with her family’s move from tents to a house in Tel Sheva, to the founding of her current business, Desert Daughter. After hearing her story, we tried our hand at making a salve which is one of Desert Daughter’s products. Together we crushed rosemary, mixed olive oil, melted beeswax, and poured it all into small containers for our own use, a fun souvenir from an exciting and informative experience at the Bedouin village! We ended the long day at Kibbutz Mashabei Sade, where we ate dinner and spent the night.

Day two of our trip started in Gush Etzion at the Path of the Patriarchs, the ancient route connecting North and South, traveled by Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. We traveled a section of this picturesque road by foot, enjoying a gorgeous view of the valley and terraced fields. Next we stopped at the Gush Etzion winery where we learned a little bit about the history of this winery and enjoyed a fulfilling lunch on the patio. Our day continued at the Palestinian Nonviolence center where we heard the stories of two Gush Etzion residents, a Jew and a Muslim, and their respective experiences living in the region. The stories they told were fascinating and hard to imagine but it was amazing to see peaceful connections being made despite all the violence we hear on the news. This organization is focused on nonviolent solutions beginning at the local level. They work mainly in their community, leading by example. It was very hopeful and inspiring to hear the work that these individuals are doing. One of the nice things about Onward is that they expose us to many aspects of Israel, not just Tel Aviv (or Haifa or Jerusalem). This trip was an example of that.

Miya Cohen, Connecticut College '20, is co-president of her school's Habitat for Humanity chapter and is interning at Arba Finance Company Ltd. with the Boston Onward Israel Tel Aviv program.

BAT HAMIDBAR

June 23, 2019

After an exciting first three days at work, we geared up for a two day trip as a group. We started the day off by exploring the Hirbat Midras and Bar Kochba caves, and some of us chose to bravely crawl through tight, winding tunnels. After a bit of exploration, we drove to Atachlit, an Ethiopian village. We enjoyed a delicious, traditional lunch including homemade Ethiopian bread, potatoes, and lentils, and we learned about the story of Ethiopian Jews immigrating to Israel. We ended our visit with a tour of handcrafted mud-brick houses and a relaxing session of experimenting with clay, during which we attempted to create clay pots and camels.

Our last stop of the day was at Bat HaMidbar, a Bedouin farm in Tel Sheva, where we created our own lotion from rosemary, lavender, and olive oil. After the workshop, we heard from Mariam Abu Rkeek, the founder of the skincare line Desert Daughter. This was my favorite part of our first day; we heard Mariam’s life story, and I was inspired by her perseverance in her education, business, and personal life.

After a fulfilling day, we arrived at Kibbutz Mashabei Sade in the Negev desert and sat down for a great dinner in the communal dining room. I spent the rest of the evening with friends, sharing stories outside at picnic tables and walking around the beautiful landscape. It was one of the best days since arriving to Israel, and I enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with everyone.

Miranda Triedman, Brown University ‘21, is interning this summer at a neurobiology lab at Tel Aviv University as a participant on the Boston Onward Israel Tel Aviv 2019 program.

SCHOOL VISIT

June 22, 2019

After my first week of internship, my program took a trip to the northern part of Israel for two days. Our first stop on the trip was one that could not have been more perfect for me, being an elementary education major. We visited an elementary school in Haifa that is part of the Haifa-Boston partnership and had a very unique perspective on education. We started the visit by talking to the principal of the school who shared that he never really had any background in studying education but he knew that he did not enjoy school as a child. He had the idea to start a school to change this for other children and create an environment where children had love, excitement, and passion for learning. Part of this philosophy included having a large variety of animals all throughout the school. There were dogs, birds, and turtles, and I even got to hold a small snake!

Besides visiting the animals, my group was able to give back to the school by painting a mural on one of the walls! I have always loved painting and children and it was amazing to be able to use these two passions to give back to the community. Lastly, one of my favorite parts of the visit was being able to play with the children of course! There was one girl who immediately came up to me and wanted to play. She jumped on my back for a piggyback ride, had me chase her around the basketball court, and was super excited to show me all of her cool tricks on the playground. It was amazing that, despite not speaking the same language, we were able to have an amazing time together and have such a special bond. I am very grateful to have gotten the opportunity to experience this through Onward!

Kylie Schectman, UConn '20, explored Israel with her school's Birthright Israel program. At UConn she is president of her school's Hillel a member of Alpha Epsilon Phi. She in now interning in Jerusalem with Gan Eliya, a special education occupational therapy group, through the Boston Onward Israel program.

FIRST WEEK OF WORK

June 21, 2019

My first week of work was a great change of pace from the backpacking trip I was on before I arrived in Haifa. My boss had me hit the ground running almost immediately and I spent my days writing reports and analyses that I knew were actually going to be used. While the work is challenging and requires me to be on my toes, I feel like I am getting incredible work experience that I will take with me as I start my first co-op in the coming year. I have been able to make personal connections with many of the employees in my company because of the small collaborative workspace we operate out of and I feel like I am being both utilized and heard.

Halfway through the week, the entire Onward Haifa Boston group took a two-day trip to help us bond and experience Israel as we settle into our jobs. We visited parts of the West Bank, Bedouin settlements, and Ethiopian villages, parts of Israel that I missed out on through my limited experience in Birthright. I feel like I was able to become closer to members of my program that I didn’t typically interact with through my internship; everybody is caught up with their individual internships throughout the work-day, so it was great to have the opportunity to branch out and make new friends towards the beginning of the program. The morning after we arrived back to Haifa, a group of friends and I took the train to Tel Aviv for the weekend. Israel’s compact nature makes it incredibly easy to travel on short notice, so while we were only there for a short amount of time, we knew we would be back soon. We spent a day at the beach and got to experience Tel Aviv’s amazing night life, and I am looking forward to my next visit!

HIKING CAVES

June 20, 2019

After settling into our apartments on Allenby Street, it was time for a brief road trip! Our program left for an overnight to explore other parts of Israel and engage with various communities and cultures.

Our first stop was at Hirbat Midras and Bar Kochba caves, where we hiked and explored the area. These caves are attributed to the Bar Kochba period when Simon Bar Kochba led a rebellion by the Jews against the Romans. It was both exciting and intellectually stimulating to explore these grounds and listen to the stories told by our tour guide. After, we enjoyed a delicious lunch at Atachlit, which is an Ethiopian village. This was my first time eating Ethiopian foods, and I loved it! We also walked around the village, learned about Ethiopian Jewry and participated in some pottery making. Following our experience at the Ethiopian village, we traveled to Bat HaMidbar, a Bedouin village, and engaged with an empowered woman from the village who started her own cosmetic company! She spoke about her resilience and desire to seek an education at a university and pursue her career ambitions. As part of the event, we made our own cream using the same ingredients she puts in her products. These included: essential oils, rosemary, olive oil and bees wax. I truly enjoyed making the cream and sharing these moments with others in my program!

Alas, we embarked on our journey to a Kibbutz for the night. Here, we ended the evening around a picnic table sharing fond memories and funny stories. Throughout the retreat, I felt more connected to others in the program, solidifying my friendships. This was a wonderful opportunity to travel around Israel, learn about the culture and history while sharing these experiences with others on Boston Onward Tel Aviv.

MEETING ROOMMATES

June 19, 2019

Soon after arriving at the gate for the flight to Israel, I was grateful when I ran into quite a few other Onward participants! We realized we were all going to be spending the summer together and already started making friendships before even arriving. After landing, we had a few hours of waiting in the airport before catching our bus where we played card games, talked for hours, and bonded over our lack of sleep. Little did I know that, by sitting on the floor in the corner of the airport talking to people I just met, I would meet my future roommates.

After a day full of orientation and Jewish geography, it was time for us to move into our apartments and figure out how we would be living for the next 8 weeks. Living in a foreign country with three strangers is not always the easiest task but, thankfully, my wonderful roommates have made it a great transition. From going grocery shopping, exploring new restaurants, and bonding over TV shows, I am happy to have them by my side. I am looking forward to everything that is to come and experiencing everything Jerusalem and Israel as a whole have to offer!

ONWARD AND FORWARD

June 18, 2019

Boston, we have liftoff! The flight was long and arduous but it was so worth it. It is remarkable to me to think about the fact that just a month ago I had not even known about Onward Israel. Here we are, barely a month later and I am sitting in my spacious apartment in the port of Haifa with my roommates writing my blog. Life really does work in mysterious ways. I’m sitting talking to my roommates, Josh and Gabe, great guys that I would never have run into for it had not been the Onward program. It is so fascinating to be here in Israel surrounded by such interesting college students who have similar interests such as me.

The Pride Parade in Tel Aviv was remarkably fun. Well over 250,000 people went to one of the biggest symbols of peace and love within society. My newly made Onward friends and I travelled by train to Tel Aviv to go to the parade. On one float we saw Neil Patrick Harris. On another float we saw WeWork representing the LGBT community, which happens to be just one of the many internship providing companies for Onward participants. Being amongst such an overjoyed collective of people really spoke to me about Israel’s willingness to be accepting and progressive. I cannot wait to see more of what Israel has to offer!

Daniel Babitskiy, UMass Boston ‘21, is a biology major on the pre-medical track and a member of his school’s Phi Delta Epsilon International Medical Fraternity and is interning this summer in Haifa at Rambam Health Care Campus as a laboratory research intern through the Boston Onward Israel program.

INTERN IN FINANCE

June 18, 2019

This past week was a whirlwind of fun as we met new people and got settled in our apartments for the summer! We arrived in Tel Aviv on Wednesday and promptly began two days of orientation. Our leaders helped us acclimate to life in Tel Aviv as we mingled with our peers for the summer. We spent free time lounging on the beach and exploring Shuk HaCarmel, which we’re fortunate to live right next to. The Shuk is the perfect place to get just about anything you can imagine and is a fun place to explore and haggle for good deals!

Friday was Pride, a big event in Tel Aviv. The entire city comes together for a parade and party on the beach. I glimpsed it on Friday morning before heading off to Modi’in for Shabbat dinner with family. Many of us have extended family here in Israel so it’s really nice that we’re able to travel around and visit them on the weekends. My aunt is an amazing cook and I enjoyed a delicious Shabbat meal and a relaxing evening.

Sunday marked the first day of our internships! I’m interning this summer at Arba Finance, a small company that specializes in investment banking, venture capital and asset management. I spent my first two days meeting the employees and working on a financial analysis report for a new investment. The summer is off to a fantastic start and I’m super excited to see what is to come!

Miya Cohen, Connecticut College '20, is co-president of her school's Habitat for Humanity chapter and is interning at Arba Finance Company Ltd. with the Boston Onward Israel Tel Aviv program.

BEGINNING OF ALLENBY STREET

June 17, 2019

My summer is off to a great start! We moved into our apartment on Allenby Street in Tel Aviv a few days ago. It is a central and great location right by some fun restaurants and near the open market, which is called the Shuk HaCarmel! Our apartment is also only a short walk from the beach, which is definitely fun to visit after work.

This summer I am interning at MobileODT, a company working to combat cervical cancer through innovative devices. Our work days are Sunday through Thursday, 6 hours a day! Thus, it is very manageable and allows you to gain work experience while still exploring the city!

My friends and I decided to explore our neighborhood, try some hummus and eat lots of falafel! This weekend was also the Pride Parade, which is a wonderful day in Tel Aviv! The city felt so vibrant and alive, full of color. A few Onward participants and I also celebrated Shabbat. We joined together for a lovely Shabbat dinner in our new apartment, to kick off the summer. In a few days we will visit a Kibbutz. This should be a new and exciting experience for everyone in the program!

HOW TO MAKE A HOME

June 16, 2019

PAIGE STERN, Northeastern University '22
Tearsheet.co Media Technology Company Intern

STAIR-SITTING

June 15, 2019

At about my 52nd hour in Israel—Friday morning—I was standing with two of my new roommates on a line at the central bus station in Jerusalem, where coach buses funneled us to the widely-attended Tel Aviv Pride Parade. The line had absorbed what felt like half of the city, and needless to say, whenever a bus arrived, we pressed forward with urgency and elation and a bit of agitation. At last we boarded triumphantly, delighted to find that we had the last three seats. The bus driver continued to let the crowd push forward until there was no standing space left, finally forcing the doors closed and taking off. I tell this story not only because it embodies much of what the past few days have been—sweaty, hectic, and also, somehow, a relief; the feeling that I’m on my way—but because of what happened next. As the bus pulled away, a young woman, the last to board, sat down on the stairs leading up from the bus doors. Just sat right down. And nobody said anything. The bus driver didn’t tell her to move, didn’t tell her she might die if the bus stops short, didn’t tell her that—worst of all—he could get sued. Any MTA-riding NYC kid like myself knows that that area is even more off-limits than, say, the subway tracks, but it’s true that the steps are high enough to serve as nice seats, and it’s true that the ride from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv is not short. And so she sat.

I almost laughed, thinking about how very American it is to be so lawsuit-hungry. Judiciary vigilance is a good thing, of course. But so is resting your legs. I don’t know whether one approach is better than the other. Mostly, what struck me in that moment was that there are so many ways to exist within a space, so many unspoken rules governing how we do so, and that there’s a certain artistry in knowing those rules. As I sat in my own seat, watching the woman on the stairs, I thought about the endless opportunities for stair-sitting now open to me. What freedom! And yet I knew that even if the next time I boarded a crowded bus to Tel Aviv I took a seat on the stairs, it wouldn’t be the same. In that moment I would be thinking of the other woman; I would be channeling her. It would be imitative play; imposterdom.

Eventually we disembarked. There were rainbows, there was loud music, there was Neil Patrick Harris, standing on a float right in front of me. (Since when does he have a mustache?) That hour on the bus is almost more memorable to me; it was an hour that did not burst at the seams, it was an hour in which I mostly napped, drifting in and out of consciousness, considering the vague, bittersweet elegance of knowing the rules of a place; the exhilarating promise of knowing I was headed somewhere.

COOKING IN JERUSALEM

June 14, 2019

PENELOPE KOGAN, Clark University '22
Yad Vashem Department of International Seminars Intern

hiCENTER

June 13, 2019

It’s only been five days since I moved to Haifa, but I already feel at home. Within the first few hours walking around Haifa’s winding streets I quickly became accustomed to the seemingly endless falafel shops and markets. Before Onward, I had heard about the city’s multicultural roots, but the coexistence of Arabs and Jews brings out a sense of unity that I wasn’t able to grasp through city stops on my Birthright trip. With my new roommates and neighbors alongside me, we tried to soak up as much of Haifa as possible in the three free days before our work started. Haifa’s close proximity to the beach was a perfect way to spend our lazy Friday; Hof HaCarmel provided a much more laid-back beach day than cities like Tel Aviv offer, and the 20-minute bus ride made it incredibly accessible.

I had my first day of work on Sunday, and we got right into the swing of things. As a Business Development intern at a seed-level startup, my job is fairly open-ended. While that could seem overwhelming to some, putting a little chutzpah into my first impression gave me the chance to write competitive analyses that I knew would have an impact on the company on my first day. My company works out of the hiCenter startup incubator, meaning that multiple companies work out of the same collaborative work space. While desk space can be tight at times, it also means that likeminded entrepreneurs are constantly surrounding each other. The vibe created by the bustling energy in the office is one like no other, and everybody seems to be genuinely excited about the work they are doing. I’m so glad I am spending my summer in Haifa with Onward and feel like I am truly going to get the hands-on experience I hoped for when applying.

FIRST SHABBAT IN ISRAEL

June 12, 2019

It was a chaotic first 48 hours of meeting new people and settling in, but when it came time to plan dinner on Friday night, the peace and love of Shabbat finally arrived. Most of us had only recently met or exchanged WhatsApps, but some talented chefs took the lead and we assembled a messy, beautiful Shabbat dinner in Apartment 2.

The challah was wrapped in an Israeli flag, the sips of wine were distributed, and we sang the blessings over the bread and wine. Draping our arms over the shoulders of our new friends, we sang Shalom Aleichem and laughed as a crowd of us struggled to break the challah.

We enjoyed delicious shakshuka, homemade vegetable soup, and couscous as thirteen of us shared seats around the six person table. My suitemates and I brought brown rice, cauliflower, and baked beans – strange but welcome additions to our Israeli Shabbat dinner.

Forming an assembly line after dinner, we all pitched in to clean up, learning more about each other and our respective internships starting in only a couple days on Sunday.

We all have different religious backgrounds, some of us celebrating Shabbat weekly and some almost never, but by the end of the night we agreed that this must become a weekly tradition. I’m looking forward to celebrating with new friends each week this summer in Israel!

Miranda Triedman, Brown University ‘21, is interning this summer at a neurobiology lab at Tel Aviv University as a participant on the Boston Onward Israel Tel Aviv 2019 program.