Israel trip still on amidst violence

By Alex Roman
Daily Forty-Niner

While fighting in Israel escalates, a group of Cal State Long Beach students are preparing to take the trip of their lives to Israel as part of the Birthright Israel program.

"There is much concern over the situation in Israel and some students who were chosen have opted not to go," said Erika Hillinger, executive director of Long Beach Hillel, a Jewish student foundation that is part of the Interfaith Center.

"Some people feel that this trip would not take place if it were not safe," she said. "This is my feeling as well."

David Kairo, a senior in management and information systems, was one of those who changed his mind before deciding to take the trip over winter break after all.

"When I first accepted [the trip], the situation in Israel was that [Israelis] were being attacked by stone-throwing Palestinians," Kairo said. "I had almost decided not to go on the trip, but I think that there will not be a trip to Israel under dangerous situations."

The students will embark on the trip as part of a coalition of more than 100 universities who will be able to travel for free.

Birthright Israel is made possible through a $210 million partnership from a group of prominent philanthropists, local Jewish Federations, the Israel government and the Jewish Agency for Israel. The program is made available to Jewish college students 18- to 26-years old who have never visited Israel before.

"My brother, who attends UC Santa Barbara, is over there for a year on a study abroad program and I'll be very happy to see him for a little bit," said Joshua Simonds, a senior music major. "I'm very excited about going to Israel and have no fears and really never have."

In order to be eligible, each student had to turn in an online application and were interviewed by a Hillel employee. Since the majority of the students who applied were eligible, a lottery had to be held to determine who would be able to go. Hillinger coordinated the process.

"I jumped at this opportunity right away to be part of an organized trip because I felt this was a great way to learn about Israel with others your age," said Charissa Jefferson, an undeclared major. "The fact that it was free was good too because I wouldn't have been able to afford this trip otherwise."

Jefferson's reasons for going to Israel seem to downplay the fears of travelling amidst continued fighting.

"I have family in Israel that I have never seen, and my aunt went there when she was my age and it changed her life," Jefferson said. "I wanted to see if maybe this experience would do the same for me.

"I am also interested in learning more about my family's religion and I thought it would be pretty amazing to me to see where my grandmother, who is very dear to me and from Israel, came from," she said.

Students will travel throughout Israel, visiting such places as Jerusalem and local museums. They will take part in discussions and visit the graves of the likes of former Israel Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Theodore Herzl, the founder of modern Zionism.