DECEMBER 29 • 2022 | 31

spirituality. 
“One of the therapists was a Chasidic 
Jew, and he gave me a siddur,” Markowitz 
explained. “He told me that I have a Jewish 
soul, and God wants to hear from me.” 
Markowitz’s journey to recovery and 
finding her spirituality really took a turn 
when her friend, Hannah, told her about 
the life-changing experience.
Unfortunately, due to COVID and 
other complications, the trip kept getting 
canceled. As time passed, in the spring of 
2022, Hannah overdosed and died.
“The day after she passed away, I got the 
email that read: ‘Mazel Tov, you’re going to 
Israel!’ I know Hannah had a part in that, 
and I feel her with me on this journey.”
Markowitz left for her trip in July and 
had a magical experience.
“To be around other Jews in recovery, 
I didn’t realize how much I was missing 
it. We did 12-Step recovery meetings 
together;we got to meet the Tel Aviv and 
Jerusalem fellowship. It was just incredible 
and there was so much support,” she said.
During the trip, Markowitz realized she 

wanted to make Israel her home. 
“I was at the Western Wall and I wrote 
out something called the Third Step 
prayer; it’s something from the 12-Step 
program. So, I wrote it out at the Western 
Wall. And I wrote to Hashem, ‘Love, 
Sarah,’ and I put it in the Wall. Then, when 
I touched the Wall, I felt Hashem with 
me in every way. I had this experience of 
God’s will for me is to move to Israel and 
to become Orthodox.”
Markowitz officially made the 
announcement to make aliyah on the trip 
where she had the opportunity to have 
another bat mitzvah, and she had to pick a 
mitzvah. 

“I said my mitzvah is to make aliyah. I’m 
moving to Israel.” 
Following the 10-day trip, Markowitz 
didn’t waste any time in applying to make 
aliyah. 
“When Sarah came back and said, ‘I 
need your help. I want to go back again,
’” 
Sharon Darack said. “I’m like, really? I 
know everyone wants to go back. And then 
she made it happen. I was so impressed that 
she was able to do this and turn it around 
and connect with organizations. And I did 
whatever I could to help.
” 
Just one week after Markowitz returned 
from Birthright, she got a call asking 
her to join the Masa Cohort, a teaching 
program aimed to advance Israeli students’ 
English skills, starting Aug. 22. Markowitz 
thought it was too quick of a turnaround 
time and wasn’t sure if she would be able 
to make it work. 
“Every bump that I was expecting to 
hold me back, God just took care of it. So, 
it’s really been quite an easy and peaceful 
process for me.”
Markowitz booked her one-way ticket to 

Israel on Aug. 21.
“I’ll be staying in Mitzpe Ramon for 10 
months teaching English. I get to work 
two days a week at a religious school and 
then two days a week at a secular school. 
Then after the 10 months with the Masa 
fellowship, I would really like to move to 
Jerusalem and stay and make aliyah.”

LIFE IN ISRAEL
After a few months Markowitz says she’s 
happily living in Mitzpe Ramon, Israel and 
enjoys teaching so much more than she 
expected.
“The community has welcomed me 
with open arms and hearts. I have never 

felt more free or closer to Hashem. I am 
so excited to continue this journey and 
have maintained my new religious path. I 
have also made wonderful lifelong friends 
through the Jerusalem fellowship, which I 
am so grateful for.”
Markowitz says the Masa Israel Teaching 
Fellowship has taken away the pressures of 
life and has given her a chance to give back 
and reconnect with her Judaism. 
“The point of the Masa Israel Teaching 
Fellowship is to take away those pressures, 
providing us with necessities like rent, 
Hebrew classes, bus fare and a monthly 
stipend for food or whatever else we 
need,” Markowitz explained. “Now I have 
the time to focus on my Judaism and 
ask myself questions like, how can I get 
in touch with my Judaism today? What 
am I doing for the Jewish community? 
How can I grow spiritually, professionally, 
personally? I am taking this gap year to 
find myself and learn about who I want to 
be and how I’m going to give back to the 
Jewish community.”
Markowitz says Detroit will always be 

in her heart, but she finally feels at home. 
She encourages others who are in recovery 
to learn more about Israel Free Spirit, 
because it could change their lives, too. 
“Being around people who understood 
me for the first time in spirituality and 
religion is such a big part of being in 
recovery from addiction. I felt like I could 
be my authentic, genuine self. It was the 
most magical experience, and I encourage 
anyone who’s eligible for Israel Free Spirit 
to check it out.” 

To learn more about Israel Free Spirit and its next 

trip in July 2023, visit www.israelfreespirit.com/trip/

recovery.

LEFT TO RIGHT: Sarah at Kotel (the Western Wall) in Jerusalem. Sarah and E after climbing Masada. Sarah teaching students English. 

