6 | JUNE 23 • 2022 

PURELY COMMENTARY

1942 - 2022

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student’s corner
Reflections of 
My Israel Trip
O

nly positive things 
come to mind when 
I reflect on my 11th 
grade Israel trip with the 
Frankel Jewish Academy. 
Regardless of the flight trou-
ble and COVID-19 experi-
ence, I celebrate my whole 
trip with no 
regrets. 
 After hours of 
weather delays, 
our plane finally 
made it to Ben 
Gurion Airport 
in Tel Aviv. As 
I entered Israel, 
my Jewish homeland, for 
the fifth time, I appreciated 
the feeling of welcome that 
engulfed me. I remember 
thinking that all the obstacles 
along the way were complete-

ly worth it to be in Israel, 
where I strengthened bonds 
within my religion, culture 
and people.
Every time I travel, a trip 
to Israel truly becomes a 
unique experience. I have had 
the opportunity to be there 
for three bar mitzvah cele-
brations, including my own, 
and an eighth-grade trip with 
Hillel Day School. Each time, 
I learn something new about 
myself, my relationships with 
those around me, and my 
spiritual connection to both 
Israel and God.
As I think back, I can 
remember a few highlights 
from the trip that impacted 
my outlook on my identity 
and spirituality going for-
ward. Our first beautiful 

sight of the trip was that of 
Makhtesh Ramon, known as 
the Ramon Crater. Its beauty 
tells an amazing story of his-
tory that realizes the evolu-
tion of the land. 
We also visited the Ilan 
Ramon (Israeli astronaut)
Visitors Center, which 
reminded me that anyone of 
any background can accom-
plish their goals as long as 
they put their mind to it. 
The next day we experi-
enced our first real hike, Ein 
Avdat, another fascinating 
example of historical erosion 

in the land of Israel. After 
we hiked upward, we saw the 
beauty of the Negev, Israel’s 
desert section. Looking over 
the Negev, we took in the 
history that lies at David Ben-
Gurion’s gravesite and saw 
what was, in his mind, the 
future of Israel. 
On our last day in the 
South, my favorite day of 
the entire trip, we woke up 
before dawn to hike Masada. 
We reached the top and were 
amazed to view the most 
gorgeous sunrise we had ever 
seen. From there, we headed 

Ethan Grey

Ethan Grey volunteered at an archaeological dig site on his FJA trip to Israel.

