"Any time you visit Israel you go with a refreshing mindset of getting away to the most spiritually powerful place in the world. You don't know exactly what you will feel or how you will connect, but you know that something will be different from the previous visit. "I was fortunate to have the honor of co-leading 13 of Detroit's future Jewish leaders, all whom had been to Israel before, but either when they were younger or for other mis- sions. Having an intimate group full of personality and blooming with ideas after each site we visited was amazing. "We were all touched in our own ways, but touched together with one foundation in mind — Detroit. We know our responsibility now is to give back to our community and continue to help it grow during these hard times. The friendships made will be everlasting and the moments we all shared will be moments only the BAMs will understand. "I think the most memorable time for me wasn't a tourist visit As an avid volunteer and true advocate for the or a business venture, but was Metro Detroit Jewish community, I was craving a the simple gather of our group chance to expand my leadership skills and learn on Shabbat at the Kotel. We how to inspire other like-minded young adults. The stood in a circle with our arms Becker All-Star Mission, for me, was a way to bring around each other reflecting on our community together with our family in Israel. the trip, where we were and how "Field trips to our partnership region gave me we all made it there together. We great insight into some of the needs we are helping sang Jewish songs that spoke to resolve. From afar, we know that there are needs of peace and community as the in Eretz Yisrael, however, visitation to programs sunset at the holiest place on such as Nancy's House and Elem for youth at risk Earth and shared a moment allows us to build a connection to these needs. I will forever cherish. It was Fortunately, we have a mission to inspire others in magical!" Detroit to get involved and understand what this — Leah Bold, Royal Oak mission has allowed us to understand. "Israel is our holy land and I feel that sense of community every time the plane lands and every- one claps and bursts out in song; however, after "Every day for six days now, spending only a week with the BAMs, we are now we have been reminded that family. We want our community to feel like family we will need to reflect in writ- and, amid our passion and ambition, we are posi- ing at some point on the trip. tive we can change the way our community talks." And every day I've thought, `I — Jaimee Wine, Orchard Lake don't know what I want to say! I thought maybe I wasn't getting the meaning behind Issy's (our fabulous tour guide's) history knowledge or that maybe this trip isn't doing for me what it is supposed to. "However, at some point today between the two missed wakeup calls and the fifth hills we climbed to a gorgeous lookout point above Jerusalem, the number 84991 was an image in my head as clear as it was on the lapel of the jacket Eliezer Ayalon, a Holocaust survivor taking us through Yad Vashem, once wore in the concentration camps. We spent four hours at Yad Vashem and when we got to Hour Two and the tears were still rolling down our cheeks, we wanted rest. That wasn't an option. Eli stood for four hours telling his horrific but tri- umphant stories. At 80-plus, he stands upright and strong for every bit of the way. This man survived five concentration camps and is a leader and inspiration to everyone he meets. "The Becker All-Star Mission 2010 has been a real success. I'm greatly inspired and can't wait to get started on a new project with my fellow leaders and wonderful new friends. And I know that if we lose focus, No. 84991 will be a reminder that we can do anything we put our minds to." — Jodi Satovsky, Birmingham "Landing in Israel for the first time in 10 years was both spiritual and inspirational. Together with my new friends, we began a whirlwind trip that involved stops in the Central Galilee, Golan Heights, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Meeting with past generals, current journalists and innovative Israeli com- panies helped shape our thoughts of the current situation in Israel today. The stops at Masada, Ein Gedi, Yad Vashem and the Old City allowed us to connect to the historical signifi- cance of the past. "In Detroit, we are always saying that the young adults are leaving; however, I met 12 new faces on this trip, all of whom love Jewish Detroit as much as I do. This trip has reinvigo- rated me to help reshape and better market our community." — Bryan Schon, West Bloomfield Shayna Levine gets ready to drive one of Better Place's electric cars in Tel Aviv. "One of the highlights of the trip for me was our visit to Better Place in Tel Aviv. A start-up company aiming to replace fuel engine cars with electric, this is Israel's solution to reduce the world's dependency on oil, save the environment and even enhance the overall driving experience. "My background working on General Motor's EV1 [electric car] in college made this an even more interesting visit. I really enjoyed getting to see this incredible example of Israel's entrepreneurial and innovative spirit; and it will be exciting to see how this continues to develop over the coming years. As with so many other innovations, Israel is the leader and the world follows. I can't wait!" — Shayna Levine, Huntington Woods "How does a person make a short reflection on a trip that had everything? New experiences, new friends and a greater sense of identity are what I came out with on the Becker All-Star Mission. "In April, I had the opportunity to speak at a Birthright fund- raiser. I talked about how I wanted to get involved in the Jewish community and that my sense of Jewish identity gets magnified whenever I am in Israel. You go to Jerusalem and see the history of the Jewish people right in front of your eyes. "The part that really got to me on this trip was getting to see how the Detroit community is directly involved in so many aspects of life in Israel. Before actually visiting a lot of the places we went to, I had no idea of the level of involvement the Detroit Jewish Federation had in Israel. This trip really opened my eyes. You go the Southern Wall [in Jerusalem] and see the Hermelin Southern Steps and the Davidson Archeological Park and you can't help but get a sense of pride. Millions of people come to this site that has Detroit written all over it. "As we visited an Ethiopian absorption center or a youth-at- risk program, all I could continue to think about was how could I get others to see and feel what I witnessed without actually being there. This is the mission for my new group of friends. The BAMs need to pass on to the rest of the Detroit Jewish community what we saw firsthand." — Matt Ran, Bloomfield Hills After climbing Masada, BAM participants enjoy a relaxing yoga session. September 9 • 2010 13