4,7

„

All Havdalla Sets on Sale

As A Family

15% Off

A first-timers' group learned
first-hand about the Jewish state.

TRADITION! TRADITION!

Call Alicia R. Nelson for an appointment

(248) 557-0109

The

"fiKVig

WHERE SOU GET THE
WHITE GLOVE TREATMENT
AT AFFORDABLE PRICES !
24111 Civic Center Dr. • Southfield, MI • 48034
(248) 352-0208

MSU students Andrea Golding, a West Bloomfield junior;
Brandon Pollak, a West Bloomfield sophomore; and Sara
Zonder, a Farmington Hills junior — at the base of Masada.

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Division. does not discriminate on the basis of handicapped status in the admission
St Ultv NlatiaLlemint Inc Apar
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nt a , :cess
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Congregation Beth Ahm Presents

CRAIG TAUBMAN

SATURDAY, JANUARY 29, 2000 • 8 p.m.
Featuring Music From Craig Taubman's
New Album "FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE"

$10 in Advance $15 at the Door

SUNDAY, JANUARY 30, 2000 • 12:30 p.m.
Craig 'N Co. Family Concert

For

$5 in Advance $8 at the Door

Information or to pre-purchase tickets contact
the Beth Ahm office at (248) 851-6880

5075 West Maple Road • West Bloomfield, Michigan 48322
(248) 851-6880 Fax (248) 851-6488 E-mail bahm@cbahm.org

Sponsors for this special weekend are...Beth Ahm Menasha and Sara Haar Trust Fund, Samantha Erin Rosen
Nurse School Beth Ahm Men's Club The Indianer Famil , The Mainster Famil The Farber Famil .

4IN

1/21
2000

22

ANDREA GOLDING
Special to the Jewish News

I

always had a vision of what
Israel was supposed to be like.
When friends were on a mission
there in 1995, I marveled at
their trip, but I felt I was too young to
absorb the beauty and the political
views of the country.
But when my roommate, Sara
Zonder, suggested last September that
we go through Birthright/BBYO, I
could not pass it up. She, I and my
boyfriend, Brandon Pollak, signed up
to go to Israel Dec. 19-30.
After getting to JFK airport in New
York and meeting the 121 other young
adults who would be our companions
for the next 11 days, we realized we
had one primary thing in common:
We were going to be able to put aside
the preconceived notions that we had '
heard from our friends and go experi-
ence Israel together as a family.
All of us expected to feel at home
in the country and generally we did. I
felt it most strongly when I was in the
Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem and again
at the Western Wall. Watching the
young Orthodox children run around,
and seeing the men walking with their
prayer books reminded me of the
existing Judaism that lies inside of me

and makes me proud.
Going to Masada and seeing the
Israeli flag at the bottom again made
me proud to be Jewish. It was the lit-
tle things that Israel provided that
made me feel at home and safe.
Every night we would gather
together at our hotel, with our leader,
and discuss what we had done that ck
and how it affected us. We had many
programs to help us learn about Israel
and their lifestyles. Every program wa
more exhilarating then the last.
Experiencing Israel together for the
first time, the 40 young adults on our
bus have created an everlasting bond.
As we drove through the magical
and peaceful lands, I kept looking fo
one sentence that could sum up my
experiences from those 11 days. It
was, "I have to come back."
I urge every young adult who has n(
been to Israel to take advantage of this.
Those 11 days were the best days I hav
ever had. The experience enhanced my
pride in being Jewish and reminded m
that there are people like Charles
Bronfman and Michael Steinhardt in
our community that help us to be the
people we are today.
Our trip may be over, but our
memories will never fade. We hope
that one day we will be able to give
back as much as we received.

❑