6 | JUNE 23 • 2022
PURELY COMMENTARY
1942 - 2022
Covering and Connecting
Jewish Detroit Every Week
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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.