Israelinks Winds Down, but Student Excitement Soars

As they evaluate the inaugural Israelinks summer trip to the Holy Land, student participants and organizers with the Chabad on Campus International Foundation are proclaiming the three-week sightseeing and spiritual journey a resounding success.

“This is one of the most engaging programs we’ve run this year,” stated Rabbi Yossy Gordon, executive director of the Brooklyn-based Chabad on Campus, the arm of the worldwide Chabad-Lubavitch movement that’s dedicated to supporting the activities of the more than 100 shluchim families serving college campuses. “The response of students has been particularly energizing.

“We’ve had students whose lives have literally changed because of this trip, whether they’ve taken upon themselves the mitzvah of tefillin or to kindle the Shabbat candles,” continued Gordon. “Even more importantly, they’ve returned to their homes, jobs and campuses energized and committed to their Jewish identities.”

Rabbi Moshe Chaim Dubrowski, director of operations for Chabad on Campus, elaborated: “We realized we struck a chord in announcing a trip geared to those who had already been to Israel, but wanted to explore more deeply the roots of their heritage,” said Dubrowski, who joined the trip for its second Shabbat in Israel. “But to actually see these students confirming their attachment to Judaism has been a rewarding experience for all involved.”

That statement is more than just words. Over the course of three weeks, five pairs of tefillin were bought and many girls promised to light Shabbos candles.

Not only are students learning, but the enthusiasm with which they’re doing so and committing to acting on their newfound knowledge is, according to organizers, electric.

Israelinks, which began on May 27, concluded on June 17. It brought 80 students from more than 20 universities to Israel for extended stays in Tzfat and Jerusalem, as well as visits to holy sites in the Galilee and places in the Negev. A hallmark of the trip was its in-depth learning opportunities, such as at Ascent in Tzfat – an informal center for young adult tourists founded by Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries in 1973 – where students immersed themselves in the tenets of Jewish mysticism and the teachings of Chassidus.

In Jerusalem, participants also spent many hours learning about their faith at the Mayanot Institute of Jewish Studies, a Chabad-Lubavitch yeshiva in Mekor Baruch catering mainly to beginners seeking to deepen their knowledge and understanding of Jewish scholarship and practice. So far, more than half a dozen participants have decided to learn in Mayanot fulltime after the trip.

But beyond simply opening up a book, organizers blended learning into each stop and activity, so each visit to a site in the Galilee included a Torah lesson from the Second Temple period or related to that area.

“Students have literally been living what they’ve been learning,” said Gordon.

Other activities on the Israelinks trip included horseback riding on the Mediterranean beach and bike riding along the Sea of Galilee. Students also attended an Israel-advocacy seminar on the importance of being armed with Jewish knowledge, led by Jonathan Kessler, AIPAC’s leadership development director. They visited with acting U.S. ambassador to Israel, Gene A. Cretz, who serves as the deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv, as well.

All of the 80 students were personally recommended by the shluchim serving their campuses. They paid only $299 to participate, thanks to the generous financing provided by the Rohr Family Foundation and other donors.

“This was designed for those students who have already been to Israel, who have already taken their picture on a camel, so to speak,” explained Dubrowski. “Many students upon coming back from Israel are itching to go back and immerse themselves more deeply in their Jewish heritage.

“And what better place to learn Kabbalah,” he went on, referring to one of the tour’s stops outside of the city of Tzfat, “then where Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai learned the teachings thousands of years ago?”

A clearly enthusiastic Sheryl Hoffman agreed.

“It is so special here!” the sophomore at the University of Albany, which is served by Rabbi Mendel and Raizy Rubin, wrote in an e-mail from Israel. “I love it. I love the learning, the people, the land, the staff and everything.”

Ditto for Danyel Goldberg, who just graduated from the University of Albany.

“The classes are amazing. The staff are incredibly dedicated [and] we have great discussions. I love the variety and choices of topics. I am learning so much,” she wrote. “I am so thankful for this opportunity!”