Below: Teens line up b the Sea of Galilee to start the ea-to- ea hike to th

,

editerre

TM10 participants follow their passions in Israel.

Above: Zachary Schenk, 16, of Troy, center, applies mud made by pouring

water into dirt to his face during an army survival skills training in Gadna.
Left: Taylor Jasgur, 14, of Walled Lake and Allison McKee, 16, of West

Bloomfield holds up their dirty socks at the end of the second day of the
sea-to-sea hike at a campground at Mt. Meron.

By the time you read this, the 121
Metro Detroit teens who partici-
pated on the seventh Detroit Jewish
Federation's Teen Mission (TM10)
will be home, but memories of their
experiences will linger for a life-
time. During this week in Israel, the
teens split up and participated in
various special-interest activities.
Here are some of their accounts,
which were read last Shabbat.

To see more
TM10 photos,
go to www.
jewishdetroit.
org/teenmission .
The JN is a trip
co-sponsor.

50

August 5 • 2010

a taste of the IDF life
The 21 of us stepped off the bus to what we
would soon understand to be a completely
different dimension. Approximately five
seconds later, a stern-faced, fully uniformed
woman greeted us with orders to stand at
attention and recite number sequences and
phrases in a language the majority of us
didn't understand. Little did we know that
this was only the beginning.
Our next four days at Gadna (an Israel
Defense Forces training program) were
spent eating what and when we were told,
moving how and when we were told — and
the most challenging to master: going to
the bathroom when we were told. (Not to
mention toilet paper in small supply.) None
of us were expecting this level of discipline.
What I got out of this experience is a
never-ending appreciation and respect for
any member of the Israeli army. We don't
stop to appreciate the freedoms we have in
our normal lives: a simple shower or even
five minutes to yourself. I realized those
things are luxuries when fighting for your

homeland and your people. In the IDF, you
are a team before you are an individual. I
will never forget my time at Gadna.
— Erica Epstein, 16, Pepper Pike, Ohio

sea - to - sea hike revelation
In a book written by Henry David Thoreau,
he illustrates that one cannot be truly at
peace with his or herself until one lives
simply — only using what he has been
naturally given and nothing else. This past
week on the sea-to-sea hike, 74 teens and I
experienced just that and found it to hold
true meaning.
Personally, I learned how important it is
to once in a while remove yourself from the
hustle and bustle of the city and live mod-
estly like our ancestors did. On the hike, I
felt my closest connection to God. I found it
amazing to hike across a place that so many
people only dream of visiting. I realized
how lucky I was to come to this land and to
have the opportunity to safely practice and
discover my Jewish identity.
— Lexie Ernst, 15, Franklin

life on Kibbutz Ein Shemer
During elective week, I stayed at Kibbutz
Ein Shemer. The kibbutz has an enor-
mous greenhouse where they grow plants
to make bio fuel for Israel. We helped in
the greenhouse by planting, weeding and
cleaning the fish ponds. When not in the
greenhouse, we helped clean the kibbutz's
museum and paint the horse stables.
After we finished working, we did many
activities including a bonfire, capture the
flag game, time at the pool and activities
with the greenhouse staff. We met a lot
of people who lived on the kibbutz. One
reason I came to Israel on the teen mission
was not to just see the sights, but to experi-
ence Israeli culture.
By living on the kibbutz for four days,
I have been able to experience a part of
Israeli culture that many Israelis live every-
day. I feel like this experience has really
completed my time in Israel.
— Tammy Greenberg, 17, Oak Park