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rowing up in a large Jewish
community, I always saw
my peers going to Israel
the summer of their sophomore year
of college to participate in Taglit
Birthright Israel (Birthright) and
Birthright Israel Onward (Onward) —
and I sought to do the same.
When the horrifying events of Oct.
7 occurred, I didn’t know if this dream
would be a reality for me. My college

campus turned into a threatening
environment as I would pass
through large protests that disrupted
my classes, a shockingly large
encampment with signs saying, “Long
Live the Intifada,
” and people coming
up to me one-on-one making remarks
for wearing a Jewish star or my “Bring
Them Home” dog tag necklace. From
these experiences, I learned to be
resilient, and my desire to go to Israel

grew stronger than ever.
Keeping in mind all safety concerns,
I was fortunate that the University
of Michigan Hillel was running
Birthright and Onward programs, and
I participated in both this summer.
These experiences were nothing short
of amazing.
On Birthright, I was able to see key
sites of Israel with the most impactful
being a graffiti tour we took in Tel
Aviv. I have participated in graffiti
tours during past Israel trips, but this
time, I was able to see how artists
were inspired by the war to paint
pieces reflecting their own thoughts
and feelings. I remember specifically
seeing a street with many different
murals representing different hostages
and how family members described
their lives pre-Oct. 7.
Art representing children depicted
them riding bikes, playing music
and hugging their parents whereas
art representing adults showed
flowers, symbolizing blooming and
flourishing, and light that represented
the non-physical light each of these
hostages brought into the lives of

those who knew them.
Beyond this, seven Israeli soldiers
our age joined us for a portion of
the trip where we were able to ask
questions about the climate in Israel,
hear their stories of Oct. 7 and make
new friends I am still in touch with to
this day.
We also participated in programs
about antisemitism and finding our
Jewish identity. I was asked to lead a
program focused on communicating
with people from diverse back-
grounds. These programs taught me
a lot about how I want to practice
Judaism and express my Jewish pride
at U-M and in my own home.

ONWARD ON MY
JEWISH JOURNEY
A few days after the end of my
Birthright trip, Onward began. Soon, I
was living in an apartment in Tel Aviv
with three amazing roommates and
friends that became family. During
the Onward program, I interned at a
health-tech startup company where I
made a lasting impact on the compa-
ny and interacted daily with my Israeli

10 Weeks in
Israel

How my Birthright and Onward missions in
Israel have inspired me for the fall semester.

Shayna Foreman } jewish@edu writer

Andy Tukel
and Shayna
Foreman

Starting top left: Max Friedman, Gavi Sela (Syracuse U), Josh Brown, Anna Jacoby,
Gila Shechter, Sophie Copley and Shayna Foreman.

continued on page 38

for college students by college students
August 15, 2024 / 11 Av 5784