Making The Connectio

Teen Mission inspires teens, families, rabbis.

Overseas Services for the Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit,
which sponsored the mission with the
Detroit Jewish News and Sam and Jean
Frankel, in cooperation with metro
Detroit congregations.
Neistein, who accompanied the teens
for more than a month of travel and
study, now is planning to do follow-up
programming with the group.
'As future leadership, we want them to
understand what Federation does and
what their contributions could be," she
says. "That's the next challenge."
In the meantime, now that jet lag has
subsided, the teens, their parents and a
few of the participating rabbis have had
time to reflect on the trip. Here are some
of their thoughts, along with some pho-
tographs from the trip.

— Keri Guten Cohen,
story development editor

"From my first steps off the El Al air-
plane, every moment since has been
amazing. Praying at the Kotel, snorkeling
in the Red Sea, dancing under a waterfall
and swimming in a natural springs are
only a fraction of the unforgettable
memories.
"But Israel has been more than hikes
and swims; it's been reconnecting with
my people's history and finding a new
Jew within myself"

—

Andrea Schubiner, 17, Bloomfield Hills

"It's hard to put into words how much
Israel means to me. Every morning,
when I woke up and looked outside, I
felt a connection to the land. The mis-
sion has also made me look deeper into
who I am as a Jew and just as a person.
"I know I come home a changed per-
son because of this trip and the land of
Israel."

—

Stephanie Schostak, 17, Franklin

'As I think back about the mission and
this wonderful trip, I realize the enor-
mous and meaningful change that took
place inside me during the trip. The most
dramatic change was that I found out so
much more about my Jewish identity.
"I return home as a better Jew and
with a better feeling about myself. I also
have found many American friends."

—

Clockwise from top:

Jennifer Kahn, 16, of Bloomfield Hills, Marina Abayev, 17, of Commerce and
Elan Levin, center, 16, of West Bloomfield attend a Kabbala Shabbat service on
the Southern Wall steps in Jerusalem.

Israeli teen Noam Sonnenberg dances with Lauren Elkus, 17, of West Bloomfield
on a boat on the Red Sea in Eilat.

a rki

8/13
2004

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Allison Wertheimer, 16, of Farmington Hills holds children from the PACT
Summer Day Program in Netanya.

T

een Mission 2004 left an
indelible impression on all its
105 participants —
American and Israeli — as
well as the rabbis who led them and the
parents who sent them.
"It was an amazing experience" seems
to be the phrase that best captures the
feelings of all involved, says Amy
Neistein, associate director of Israel and

Ehud Almog; 17, Jezreel Valley Israel

"The teen mission gave my daughter
Hilary a 'gift.' She was given the vehicle
and tools to unleash her Jewish spiritual
soul.
"What was embedded in her through
her formal Jewish education at Hillel
Day School and through family tradi-
tions, was brought forth during her-five
weeks in Israel. The connection to the