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7irthright Ambassador

A trip to Israel fulfills a dream for a student with a rare disability.

Stacy Gittleman I Contributing Writer

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F

or years, Alissa Bandalene, 24, of
Sylvan Lake dreamed of visiting
Israel.
When her older sister returned from
her own summer 2013 Birthright trip
with Michigan State University, she shared
her photos, stories and authentic Israeli
halvah. Because she has a rare life-threat-
ening disability affecting every system in
her body, Bandalene thought this was as
close to Israel as she was going to get.
"Hot weather puts me at risk of heat
stroke so I thought I could never stand a
summer trip to Israel; Bandalene said. "I
was devastated."
But not only did she get to go on a
Taglit-Birthright trip in the winter of
2014, the biology and biochemistry major
at Oakland University also was recog-
nized by the organization as one of only
15 Birthright Ambassadors out of tens of
thousands of students who have taken the
trip in 15 years.
Bandalene has Ehlers-Danlos syn-
drome, a rare connective tissue disorder
that affects her skin, bones, blood vessels
and other organs.
"That pretty much means I am in pain
most of the time, and it affects every sys-
tem in my body, including blood pressure
and body temperature; Bandalene said.
Growing up, Bandalene attended
Hebrew school and youth group at Shir
Shalom in West Bloomfield. Though Israel
"was not much on her radar," she secretly
felt a tinge of envy when her non-Jewish
friends would talk proudly about their
own ancestral homelands.

Exit 198 from 1-94
Exit 20 from 1-275

Rabbi Daniel Schwartz of Temple Shir

Shalom helped ensure Alissa's health

needs would be met on a Birthright trip

last winter. They stand atop Masada

after climbing the snake path.

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Alissa Bandalene in Jerusalem, a place

she never thought she'd see in person

"Friends spoke about the culture they
got from places like Ireland and Italy, and
I wished I had strong ties with a country
the way they did: she said.
Bandalene developed a special relation-
ship with Rabbi Daniel A. Schwartz of
Temple Shir Shalom in West Bloomfield.
She recalls the many times he would come
to visit her in the hospital.
"Once, he asked if I wanted to write a
prayer that he could deliver to the Kotel;
Bandalene recalled. "I said 'no' because
one day I wanted to go in put a prayer in
the wall myself'

BIRTHRIGHT OPPORTUNITY
In the winter of 2013, Schwartz helped
organize a Detroit-area "Outdoor
Adventure" Birthright Israel trip with area
congregations and the Jewish Federation
of Metro Detroit. Knowing she was
interested in going to Israel, Schwartz
assuaged Bandalene and her parents
about arranging medical accommoda-
tions and how the trip could be modified
to her abilities.
"I learned that I did not have to go on
every hike and walk, and the guide and
everyone on my trip made sure I stayed
hydrated and healthy; Bandalene said.
During the trip, she found herself sur-
rounded by a supportive group of new
friends that "quickly grew to be family"
Cherished memories include sleeping in
a Bedouin tent and even hiking the snake
path to the summit of Masada to watch
the sunrise.
"It was hard, but I did it and everyone
clapped for me when I made it to the top;
she said.

Though she said she was in a great
deal of pain the day her group visited
Jerusalem, she was determined to make it
to the Kotel on her own two feet.
"I took my time and, finally, I made it
to the Wall with my written prayer; she
said. "I just have no words to describe
how that felt."
Schwartz, who has accompanied
Jewish-American 20-somethings on three
Birthright Israel trips, said, "Alissa has
always been a very determined young
woman.
He emphasized the importance of
taking a trip to Israel in one's 20s, where
Jews can explore the source of where all
their Jewish values originate, deepen their
own Jewish identity, and then continue to
explore and develop their connection to
the Jewish community through involve-
ment in local congregations and pro-
grams like Federation's NEXTGen.
As an ambassador, she advocates for
Israel on campus and encouraged several
students to apply for the trip. She helps
with youth and young adult program-
ming at Shir Shalom. She also enrolled in
a Judaic studies class on campus, where
she is delving deeper in learning about
Jewish culture and history.
"Birthright just gives you a tiny taste of
Israel and leaves you wanting to explore
more Bandalene said. "In my [Judaism]
class, I had many 'I was there' moments
as we studied the stories and events of
ancient Israel. Going on Birthright is a
great way to motivate Jews of my genera-
tion to pick up where they left off in their
Jewish education, which is pretty much at
age 13" *