The sophisticated
crowd samples wine
at Rishon L'Zion.
f
Jon Dwoskin of Farmington Hills celebrated his 23rd birth-
rom start to finish, they wore the hand of God around their
day with a hike up Masada, a swim in the Dead Sea and din-
necks.
Thirty-one young people from Michigan traveled through ner with Bedouins in the desert. "The greatest day ever,"
Israel, May 8-18. The unprecedented trip was sponsored by he says.
"It was the most spectacular trip I've ever taken in my life.
the B'nai B'rith Hillel groups of three major universities:
It was kind of like a dream. I realize I was on vacation, but
Wayne State, University of Michigan and Michigan State.
The eastbound journey began at Detroit Metro Airport, it was more than that," he says.
Trippers road camels, rappelled down cliffs, traveled on
one day after 866 adults on the Miracle Mission II took off in
jeeps through the Negev and sampled spirits at a winery near
the same direction.
The Miracle Mission arrived in Eilat, down south. Tri-Trip- Tel Aviv. But with all the fun, they say they didn't lose sight
pin' students landed in Tel Aviv, boarded buses and drove of what it all meant.
"I had a strong Jewish identity before I left," Mr. Dwoskin
northward to Tiberias.
En route, their tour guide, a 22-year-old female who had says. "But the experience reinforced how important it is to
served in the military, distributed gifts — little silver hands be a unit, to keep Judaism alive. I want to go back to Israel
— to wear for protection and as a reminder: This wouldn't be throughout my life, with my wife someday, with my kids
someday. I'd like to donate money to Israel. Watch it grow.
any ho-hum beginning to their summer of '95.
Not that Jennifer Gillman, 22, needed the extra symbol- Plant trees. Watch them grow."
Mr. Dwoskin also wants to watch his Hebrew vocabulary
ism. She participated on the Tri-Trippin' excursion as a first-
timer to Israel. The sites, from the Golan Heights to the Old grow, so he'll take lessons soon. But, this time around at least,
City, represented "our history, our culture," she says. "It hits he survived with three words: Toda raba and bevakasha
(Thank you very much, and you're welcome).
you. Everything about it."