54 | FEBRUARY 16 • 2023
A
s the president of Students for
Israel at Wayne State University
as part of Hillel of Metro
Detroit, I had the opportunity to recruit,
plan and implement a trip for non-
Jewish student leaders (accompanied by
five pro-Israel Hillel student leaders) to
Israel and the Palestinian territories.
The trip was designed to showcase
both Palestinian and Israeli narratives.
We heard from key politicians,
journalists, army officials and citizens
from both sides about the current
situation, everyday life and the
connection to history. The goal of the
trip was to educate student leaders about
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from a
personal point of a view while being
given the opportunity to ask questions
and voice their concerns.
We spent several months reaching
out to different student organizations
on campus to introduce the opportunity
and to encourage them to apply. After
extensive interviews, we successfully
built a diverse group of 21 students.
Participants included prominent student
leaders on campus, such as student
senate candidates, board members
leading Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Black,
Latinx and Chaldean American student
groups on campus. Before departing, we
held a pre-trip orientation at Hillel to
get to know each other as a group and to
discuss the various challenges we might
face during the trip.
The trip was truly a once-in-a-lifetime
experience. We visited many historical
and cultural sites, such as the Western
Wall, the Al Aqsa Mosque and the
Church of the Holy Sepulchre. We took
day trips to the West Bank where we
visited Palestinian cities like Bethlehem
and Ramallah, and drove down south to
the Gaza Strip.
We drove up north and visited
Nazareth, followed by a drive to the
Golan Heights to hear from geopolitical
experts. We ended our trip with two
nights in Tel Aviv, where we learned
about Israeli innovation, about Ethiopian
Jews, and visited the markets and busy
streets.
Each of the different programs had its
own unique significance and meaning,
and the students were able to gain a
deeper appreciation and understanding
of the rich history and culture of the
region.
One of the most meaningful exper-
iences of the trip was the opportunity to
meet local, Israeli high school students
from our partnership region. We were
all surprised to learn how different our
life in America is. Our group members
were especially surprised to see how
excited they were about their upcoming
military service. This experience not
only provided an opportunity for the
students to get to know Israeli citizens
closer to their age, but also allowed them
to gain a deeper understanding of the
issues facing the local community.
Throughout the trip, we had
numerous opportunities to reflect on our
Wayne State students embark on a trip
to Israel and the Palestinian territories.
Fact Finders
Jeremy Soper } jewish@edu writer
for college students
by college students
continued on page 56
A group shot of
the people who
went to Israel and
the Palestinian
territories on the
Fact Finders trip.