T

he five families had spent winter
break together since the kids
were little. Aruba, Acapulco,
Florida — the vacations all meshed
together into memories of saving lounge
chairs, crowded restaurants and good
times. This year was different.
When Gary Weisman of Franklin
and Steve Friedman of West Bloomfield-
returned from the Fisher mission last
October, they knew the following holiday
break would be spent taking their families
to Israel. The Fisher mission, a men's only
trip sponsored by the Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit, had energized them;
and they wanted to experience Israel with
their families.
A year of planning went into the trip.
We had room for seven families if we used
one bus, tour guide and security guard. It
was going to be a trip of a lifetime.
But then war broke out. Everyone
involved in the planning got scared. E-
mails from Gary reported on conversa-
tions with Federation about the situation
in Israel, and one finally suggested we
begin investigating other trips.
Many of the group members were vocal
about choosing to cancel.
It took until September before we all
committed again and the talk shifted to
firming up the itinerary and making hotel
and dinner reservations. There would be
35 people in all — 14 adults and 21 kids,
all between the ages of 15 and 23.

Getting Acclimated
When we arrived in Israel on Dec. 27,
heavy snow was falling in Jerusalem.
People had taken to the streets thrilled to
see this unusual event. Travel was hazard-
ous. This was not the desert climate we
had expected.
The kids started out cranky. Although
they were traveling with good friends and
family, it was not enough motivation to get
them excited about going. And many were
also scared about the war and security.
Jake Barnett, 16, of Bloomfield Hills
remembered his experience last summer
on Federation's teen mission.
"After being forced to come home
because of the war, I was very hesitant to
travel back to Israel;' he said. "But after
taking our 'family mission; it seemed
there couldn't have been a more perfect

Joey, 19, and Robbie Herman, 15, of West Bloomfield visit with children at the PACT
program in Netanya.

Ricky Friedman, 19, and Jamie Glassman, Nathan, 19, and Matthew Greenberg, 16,
of Franklin sing along with Anat Sarouf
19, both of West Bloomfield; and Rachel
Glassman, 23, of Chicago are surprised by at the Gonke Bar in Tel Aviv.
a Jerusalem snowstorm.

thing to do. I'm so glad we went back"
Fairly quickly, the dynamic began to
shift. The kids banded together and devel-
oped their own private relationship with
Kobe, our tour guide. And what started
out as Jewish learning became a Jewish
experience.
For Mary Barnett, who is Greek
Orthodox and joined the trip with her
Jewish husband and three Jewish children,
it was a moving experience.
"The beautiful thing about Israel is that
it's the spiritual center of so many religions
that everyone can learn and be moved to a
better understanding of the passion people
have for the region',' she said.
The itinerary was filled with "must-see"
sites for any first-time visitor to Israel.
The Western Wall, the Bill Davidson
Archaeological Park and Yad Vashem were
our first stops in Jerusalem. Masada, the
Dead Sea (freezing in December!) and an
archaeological dig in the Beit Guvrin caves

all interested the kids and created a feel for
the country. However, it was Federation's
PACT (Parents and Children Together)
enrichment program for Ethiopian chil-
dren and parents in Netanya, ATV rides on
the Golan Heights and an army base visit
— including shooting Uzis — that created
the most lasting impressions and were
clearly very meaningful.
"It was not the Western Wall that moved
us; it'was the excitement from the Israeli
people said my son, Nathan, 18. "We were
at a bar on our last night and I tried to
talk to an old man sitting near our table.
His English was broken and he apologized
for that in advance. He said to me, `I am
an old man, at a bar, and I see you young
Americans in Israel; and I am happy.' That
meant a lot to me'
When Saddam Hussein was executed
while we were there and the TV footage
jumped between reaction in the Middle
East and Dearborn, Michigan, we felt we

Michael Glassman, 21, of West
Bloomfield; Jon Lowen, 20, of Ann
Arbor; Austin Weisman, 22, of Franklin;
and Justin Friedman, 22, of West
Bloomfield shop in the Arab market.

could have an impact on what was going
on in the world and that Israel was part of
our being.
"I was able to really understand and
appreciate all the history behind what
Israel is today:' said Erin Lowen, 23, of
New York City. "With the history and
current politics of Israel being so contro-
versial, there was never a moment on our
trip when I wasn't learning something
new The entire trip was amazing and it
was great to experience Israel for the first
time with my family and closest friends."
As the days passed, the trip seemed
to get better and more special for us all.
Reunions are being planned and the kids
are proud of their newfound knowledge.
It may not have been warm or relaxing,
but everyone agreed it was the best winter
trip the group had taken. The photos and
memories already stand out, and I know
other families are considering creating
similar Israel adventures for 2007.
(Postscript: Austin Weisman, 22, was
seriously injured in an automobile acci-
dent in California on Feb. 3. The families
who traveled with him to Israel send
prayers for his recovery.)

!liana Greenberg lives in Franklin.

For information on missions to
Israel, contact Marianne Bloomberg,
director, Mission Outreach and
Development at the Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit,
(248) 642-4260.

