MY SUMMER IN ISRAEL

By Josh Jacobs

Josh Jacobs spent his summer participating in Birthright and Onward, and has participated in the Partnership2Gether program in the past. All three of these programs are funded through the Jewish Federation & Foundation of Northeast Florida’s Annual Campaign. The dollars that are going overseas have just as big of an impact on us here at home. For any questions, please reach out to Jill Metlin, Israel and Overseas Coordinator, at jillm@ jewishjacksonville.org.

My name is Josh Jacobs, a student at Duke University, and I have lived in the Jacksonville area my entire life. I have just returned after living for three months in Israel, where I participated in the Birthright and Onward programs. The incredible experience prompted me to reflect on how I got there and why being in Israel was so meaningful to me. My personal connection to Israel goes all the way back to 2012, when my family and I went on a Federation family mission trip. Visiting there for the first time sparked in us a love for the country, and my family became more involved with Israel, hosting Israelis in our home through the Partnership2Gether (P2G) program. When I was old enough, I took part in the exchange and visited Israel for the second time, making lifelong friends in the process. So when I finally had the chance to travel once again to Israel this summer, I jumped at it.

I began my journey in Israel as a part of Duke’s Hillel Birthright trip, a free 10 day trip to Israel that is open to any Jewish young adults all around the world. Five IDF soldiers joined us so we could really get to know Israelis our age. We felt the joy of entering the Old City contrasted with immense grief at Yad Vashem. We were amazed by the vast natural beauty of the silent Negev desert, and then enthralled with the bustle of Tel-Aviv. We rafted on the Jordan, floated in the Dead Sea, and surfed in the Mediterranean. It was an action packed 10 days, and when everyone else returned to the States, I stayed in Israel and headed to Northeast Florida’s partner city, Hadera. Coming full circle, I stayed for two weeks with an incredibly sweet and kind family. I have known Niztah, a mother of two and a retired teacher, for eight years because she had been a chaperone on a P2G trip and had been hosted on two trips in my home. Our families have kept in touch over the years, and she even kept a framed picture of my family in her home. Because of my participation in P2G I had a deep connection with our partner city in Israel. I had a place to stay and many friends to visit, which made me feel at home and welcome.

Then, I took the train to Tel-Aviv where I participated in Onward Israel, a Masa program of the Jewish Agency for Israel. I lived and worked for two months as an intern at a tech startup. The extended time that I stayed there allowed me to understand Israeli culture on a far deeper level than I had before. I felt like I was more than a tourist, working every day at an Israeli company and meeting so many great people.

My trip has led me to be even more supportive of Israel and has made me want to take a more active role fighting anti-semtism and pernicious stereotypes that plague Israel and Jews around the world. All of these programs would not be possible without the Jewish Federation and Foundation of Northeast Florida, and I am extremely grateful for its support.