Visiting the Father of Zionism

The sunlight radiated off the shiny black tombstone, as I stood at the grave of the father of modern Zionism, Theodor Herzl. Herzl was the focal point of our excursion Thursday morning- his achievements, ideology, and legacy.  Herzl envisioned a Jewish state and created the World Zionist Organization, which continues to foster Zionism among diaspora Jews. Mount Herzl is the site of Israel's national cemetery and at the top of the hill lies Theodor Herzl's tomb.  

Theordor Herzl's grave

 We watched an in-depth visual presentation and film about Herzl's life, in which each room of the museum displayed a different stage of Herzl's life. I was trying to understand how one man could have the courage to bring his dream to fruition.  Looking back over one hundred years since the First Zionist Congress, it is astonishing to see that Israel, a Jewish state Herzl envisioned, has flourished in such a short period of time.

 Later that day, we visited the graves of former prime minister Golda Meir and the political activist Ze'ev Jabotinsky. We discussed several quotations from each leader, and compared their views on matters such as government and poverty.  

Ze'ev Jabotinsky's grave

 As I stared at the tiny pebbles that adorned Herzl's grave, I recalled the scene in the film which showed thousands of Israelis paying homage to their founding father when the Israeli government relocated his body to the mountain which now bears his name, shortly after gaining independence. It was a meaningful experience to visit Herzl's grave and gave me a sense of appreciation for his contributions in building a Jewish state.

Shalom for now!

-Camille Pilar Phillips

The Illuminated Old City

A nighttime walk from the Kotel to the Jaffa Gate is usually a dark, twisting journey through narrow alleys and ancient cobblestone streets.  However, for two weeks, the Old City shone brightly at night.  The 'Jerusalem Festival of Lights' was an artistic display of structures in front of significant sites. 

The electronic light displays were each accompanied with music, which created a unique contrast between the neighborhood's archaic architecture and the progressive, modern beats and tunes.  This catharsis of old and new was also expressed through the architecture of the various light displays, which ranged from a structure of giant playing cards to a giant arch with Islamic designs.  The former, which graced the large open square in front of the extravagantly-rebuilt Horva Synagogue, expressed the rejuvenation of the Jewish quarter. Similarly, the mosque-like structure in front of the Jaffa Gate symbolized the multicolored identity of the Jaffa Gate section, which is a point of convergence of the Muslim, Armenian, and Jewish Quarters. 

Other displays seemed to have been designed for the purpose of humor, such as the large, florescent elephants horizontally 'climbing' the city walls through the edge of the Armenian Quarter.  An impressive lightshow across from the Migdal David fortress was a dazzling display of creativity.  The additional lights made the holy city even more magical, and put me in a spiritual mindset before I walked to Ben Yehuda Street for a delicious dinner of shawarma and french fries.  The pedestrian traffic to and from the Old City filled the stone pathway traveling to and from the gate, and the visitors then flooded the restaurants, shops, and cafes nearby the center of town.   

Shalom for now!

-Camille Pilar Phillips

Shabbat Shopping at the Shuk

The aromas of fresh bread and pastries wafted through the air as I eagerly walked through the shuk of Machane Yehuda.  The Jewish, open-air food market was packed, with droves of Jews rushing to purchase delicious fresh produce before the rapidly approaching Shabbat.  Although the sun was beating down on shopkeepers and consumers alike, the enticing sights and smells easily distracted me from the heat.  

 My friend and I walked side-by-side, sipping cool slushies, locally known as a barad, which comes from the Biblical Hebrew term for hail.  Cooled down by the refreshing beverages, we zigzagged our way through the long streets and alleys of the market, gathering a diverse assortment of Jewish foods.  Freshly-baked zatar bread served as a mid-afternoon snack to satisfy our growing appetites as we stocked up for Shabbat.  Our first stop was one of the dozens of small bakeries which line the main street of the market.  The baker and his son shouted out discount prices and stuffed rolls, baklava, and loaf cakes into bags after weighing them.  The distinctly middle-eastern theme of the baked goods was a refreshing change from the monotony of Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts pastries.  After buying three large challot for Shabbat, we decided to venture further into the side alleys of the shuk.  

The narrow side streets were lined with smaller vendors, many of whom solicited potential customers by handing out free samples.  A tray full of bite-size halva pieces led us into the shop where we bought a pizza-slice sized chunk of the chocolate-filled, sweet sesame desert. 
  
Our desert was comprised of bottles of Israeli-made Shabbat wine, gooey chocolate rugalach from the famous Marzipan Bakery, and heavy bags of gummies.  Freshly–cut salami and spicy sausages would fill our challah sandwiches, and cold ice tea and peach nectar would wash down our feast.  
  
Our final purchase was two and a half pounds of grapes, which a desperate fruit salesman gladly parted with as he closed his shop before Shabbat.  
  
The food was even tastier than it looked, and it truly enriched not only my meals but my entire Shabbat experience.  Furthermore, hours of hastily shopping with hundreds if not thousands of fellow Jews instilled in me a sense of nationhood and camaraderie with complete strangers.   Another aspect of the shuk which intrigued me was how so many of the businesses were run by families.  There was something harmonious about a family-run business dispensing goods before Shabbat, which is a time for families to relax and bond together.  
  
I look forward to returning to the shuk for all of my grocery needs! 

  
Shalom for now!

- Camille Pilar Phillips

Hiking in the Golan

For Onward Israel, our program coordinators plan weekly meetings and an excursion every Wednesday. This week, we talked about Israel's borders and how they've changed throughout a history of wars and treaties. My group got into a heated conversation about the Israeli Palestinian conflict, in which we discussed what Israel's borders should look like. This activity was a great way to learn about Israel's history and acknowledge the group's different reflections on Israel.

On Wednesday, the program took a two hour bus ride to go hiking in the Golan. It was a sunny day in Israel, and I was eager to see the natural beauty of Israel's northern countryside. The remarkable views of the hike was just half of the fun--we hiked to a natural pool of water where we went swimming under a waterfall! The cold water felt so good on this hot day, and the hidden pool surrounded by nature was picturesque.

Shalom for now!

-Camille Pilar Phillips

Welcome to the Holy Land!

After a five hour plane ride to Philadelphia and an eleven hour plane ride to Tel Aviv (on top of countless hours at the airport), I finally made it to Israel! I spent a full day flying and arrived to Tel Aviv Sunday afternoon. Since Onward Israel orientation didn't start until the following day, I took some R&R time for myself and stayed the night at a hotel in Tel Aviv. The sauna, pool, and a nice comfy hotel bed was just what I needed after such a long flight! The next morning, I ate at the breakfast buffet at the hotel--a typical Israeli breakfast! Shakshuka, Israeli salad, chocolate rugelach...they had it all!

The same morning, hundreds of Onward Israel participants from Boston, Baltimore, New York, Cleveland and other cities gathered at a hostel in Jerusalem for an overnight orientation. The ice breakers ensued! The Boston Jerusalem group met our two program coordinators and got to know each other through countless icebreaker games. The following day, we left on the bus to our hostel in a neighborhood called Talpiot in Jerusalem. On the bus, I could barely contain my excitement! I wanted to relive the memories I had on Birthright, and I had no idea what new memories the summer had in store for me.

After a night of settling into the hostel, I woke up the next morning eager to start my internship! This summer, I am interning at an international public relations firm called Finn Partners, whose clients fall under the nonprofit and tech sector. On my first day of work, navigating on the buses was quite a challenge since I don't speak Hebrew. Luckily, I met Israelis that were very friendly and patient with giving directions. Right from the first day of my internship, I had a good feeling about Finn Partners! It's a small office setting so everyone is friends and we eat lunch together every day. You don't get that in corporate America! I started working that week just in time for Pizza Thursday! Every Thursday, my boss buys pizza for the office--a great way to celebrate the last day of the work week. Since Israel acknowledges Shabbat, the work week is Sunday to Thursday. Definitely something that I'm starting to get used to!

 Onward Israel Orientation

Finn Partners Office 

Stay tune for more details about my first week in Israel.

Shalom for now!

-Camille Pilar Phillips

From San Clemente to Jerusalem...My Journey Commences

Chag Sameach! After an evening of indulging in cheesecake and cheese blintzes for the Jewish holiday, Shavuot at Chabad of San Clemente, I became even more excited for my upcoming trip to Israel! My excitement stems not because of the Israeli cheesecake of course, but because I will be living in Jerusalem, a city with so much Jewish history and spiritual life. How appropriate, as Shavuot is one of the three Shalosh Regalim, the major religious and harvest festivals where Jews traditionally would make pilgrimages to Jerusalem to pray and feast. 

Let the countdown begin! I have only two more days until I board the plane from Los Angeles to Philadelphia and finally, onward to Israel. As I prepare for my trip, running last minute errands, I now have one suitcase packed and one more to go- what else would you expect from a fashionista? So, what should one bring on a trip to Israel? For one, light summer clothes that are good for the heat. After Birthright two summers ago, I noticed that Israel gets HOT!  My attire for this trip ranges from business appropriate outfits for my internship, workout clothes for hiking in Israel, bathing suits for dips in the Mediterranean Sea, formal dresses for Shabbat, to going out dresses for my nights in Tel Aviv. This list reflects just a few of the activities that will keep me busy this summer! 

As I say goodbye to my hometown friends and family, reality is setting in that after two more days in California and almost 24 hours in transit, I will be back in Israel!  I am so excited to meet everyone in the program, but I am also lucky enough to have three great friends from Boston University also participating in Onward Israel! Meet Katie, Isaac, and Elana and read what they have to say about their hopes and expectations for this summer.

Katie Pulverman is studying Film & Television at BU and will be interning at Go2Films in Jerusalem. Katie remarks, " I love being in Israel! This will be my first time being there independently (not on a tour or with local hosts) and I'm really looking forward to that. I can't wait to learn more about Israeli film in my internship and I hope to learn some more Hebrew."

Isaac Levy is undertaking a dual major in History and International Relations at BU and will be interning at The Center For Near East Policy Research in Jerusalem. He comments, "My goals this summer are to gain experience in a professional field while immersing myself in Israeli culture. I hope to learn about the nation's history and deepen my ties to my ancestral homeland."  

Elana Schwartz is studying Health Science at BU and will be interning at Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem. She says, " I decided to do Onward Israel because ever since Birthright, I have fallen in love with Israel and will basically look for any excuse to go back! I went back last summer for three weeks just to visit and it was a totally different experience than Birthright. I am glad that I will be in Israel for a longer period of time this summer and it seems as though we are forced to be a little more independent through Onward, which I like. Since we will be living there for two months, I think we will be able to learn more about Israel and explore on our own. I am hoping to learn and improve my Hebrew! My internship is at the Hadassah Hospital in the maternity ward. I expect to learn a great deal and I hope I will be able to do some hands on work. I am extremely excited about this internship because my dad and grandparents both work in this field, so it will be nice to discuss this experience with them. This will actually be my first internship dealing with my field of interest so I am really hoping to love it and get a better insight as to what I would realistically be doing after school."

Shalom for now!

- Camille Pilar Phillips

Life After Birthright

If you're a Birthright alumni like myself, then I know you are eager to return to Israel. There are many programs dedicated to fulfill that wish. I, Camille Phillips, am lucky enough to participate in Onward Israel, an internship program, this summer! I learned about Onward Israel at the "Get Back to Israel Night" at Boston University's Hillel. That night, students were treated to Middle Eastern food as they learned about the different programs that offered work, volunteering opportunities, or classes in Israel. I have to admit, the falafel and hummus definitely enticed me to walk through the doors of Hillel that night. All jokes aside, when I learned about Onward Israel I knew it was the program for me.
 
 As an incoming Senior at Boston University, summer 2014 is a crucial time to boost my resume before entering the job market. Onward Israel facilitates invaluable internship opportunities as well as affording a meaningful cultural experience. This summer, I will be interning at an international public relations firm called Finn Partners. On top of working at an acclaimed PR firm, I will be fulfilling my desire to return to Israel. After Birthright two summers ago, I enthusiastically promised the Israeli soldiers on my trip that I'd be back. If you've been on Birthright, I'm sure it has changed your life as well. For me, it strengthened my Jewish identity,  allowed me to form amazing friendships, and created my love and appreciation for the country. Birthright takes Jewish young adults on a ten day free trip to Israel-a trip of a lifetime. 
 
I am ecstatic to have more time in Israel this summer to travel the county, learn more about the Israeli culture, and gain expertise from professionals in the PR field. At the start of June, I will be living in Jerusalem for two months with other students in the program. I remember the special energy of Jerusalem on Shabbat during Birthright, and I'm grateful to call that beautiful city my home this summer. Through my blog posts and photos, I will document my program's excursions, my internship insights, and my many travel adventures. Please follow my blog and take this journey with me to the land of milk and honey! 

Shalom for now!

-Camille Pilar Phillips