tee-

Teen Mission 2000

Mission gives teens a
chance to share
spiritual energy with
the souls of others.

STEPHANIE PERSIN

Special to the Jewish News

I

have been told that when you
travel to Israel, you bring with
you another soul, the soul of
someone who has not had the
chance to come here. Personally, I
bring my father with me to Israel. He
has always wanted to travel here, but
has never had the opportunity.
As I look over the outlook atop
Mount Scopus, the city of Jerusalem is
spread out in front of me.
Evening falls and Shabbat comes in.
The atmosphere changes from antici-
pation and excitement to a more
peaceful and spiritual need.. "There was
a lot of teenage Jewish energy.
Everyone seemed happy," said Danielle
Liebowitz, 14, of Farmington Hills.
As the sun sets over Jerusalem, we
pray not only for ourselles, but the
souls that we bring with us.
Shabbat comes to a close and we
spend Saturday night on Ben Yehuda
Street, where we get a glimpse of nor-
mal Israeli life.
As the week begins, we truly start
our adventure in Israel. We head into
the center of the Old City to visit the
Kotel, Hezikiah's tunnel, the temples
and other histoiical places that are
thousands of years old.
At the beginning of a brand new
week, we are282 teenagers venturing
into an unknown world. It is a world
full of magie, spirit and history.
As we explore Jerusalem, we will see
it not only for ourselves, but for the
souls we bring with us as well. 0

Stephanie Persin, 16, ofWes. t Bloomfield

is a Temple Kol Ami member. She is one
of 282 high school students on Detroit's
third Teen Mission to Israel, co-sponsored
by the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit and affiliated agencies, the Jewish
News and local synagogues. The mission
runs June 28 to July 31.

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