JULY 21 • 2022 | 31

The Beta Ethiopian Jewish Education program in Tel Aviv.

Shirayah Dotse, 17, of 
Afula, who participates in 
Manhigut, had been a camper 
at Tamarack in the past. She 
said she is excited to show the 
Detroiters Israel, her country. 
“I’m excited about showing 
them my home, my town, in 
the home hospitality,
” when 
the Detroiters had dinner in 
Israeli homes to learn about 
the Israeli family unit.
Samson added another 
meaningful experience in Tel 
Aviv was seeing Ethiopian 
dancing through the Beta 
Ethiopian Jewish Education 
program, which promotes aca-
demic growth and improve-
ment in many ways, including 
helping students connect to 
their heritage and to incorpo-
rate their ethnic culture into 
their everyday lives. “This and 
the banana boat in Eilat were 
the best parts of the trip,
” she 
said.
Ben Faber added that “the 
Western Wall was very mean-
ingful. It really meant a lot to 
me to visit that place, and I 
felt a strong connection to my 
religion.
”
He said “the Holocaust 
museum [Yad Vashem] was 
very difficult, very emotional. 
It also opened my eyes and 
really educated me about that 
hard time.
”

Dotse likewise felt that Yad 
Vashem was significant, “see-
ing how the Detroiters interact 
with the photos and exhibits. 
Seeing their emotional reac-
tions affected me. I never was 
there before,
” she said, noting 
that her family lost relatives in 
the Shoah.
TM22 also is visiting 
several significant cultural 
institutions in Haifa, the 
Bahai Gardens, Achmedim 
Mosque and Beit HaGefen. 
The Bahai Gardens are noted 
for their unique design that 
integrates geometrical shapes 
with elegant detailing. The 
Achmedim Mosque is home 
to the small Ahmadis Muslim 
faction, founded 133 years 
ago in India, but not allowed 
to practice openly anywhere 
in the Middle East except 
for in Israel. Beit HaGefen, 
a leader in intercultural dia-
logue through art and shared 
spaces, will demonstrate the 
experience of Arab-Jewish 
coexistence at the most 
human level. 

The Teen Mission is sponsored by 

the Jewish Federation biannually. 

Tamarack Camps operates its teen 

mission in the intervening years. 

Information is available at the teen 

mission office, (248) 952-9110 or at 

teenmissiondetroit.org.

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