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Jennifer Lipman

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Jennifer Lipman,

Jennifer Lipman

Opinion

Israel tour: the start of a life-long romance

June 28, 2013 12:00
1 min read

It’s been 10 years since I packed a bulging suitcase and boarded an El Al flight to Israel for what had been billed as “a rite of passage”. I went on tour while the second intifada was raging. The summer before, numbers had plunged to just 400, and they took years to bounce back.

Many teenagers have since gone on Birthright trips or visited independently but it is a shame so many missed out when they were 16. For the post-GCSE Israel trip is one of the crucial milestones in the life of a young Jew.

Certainly, the educational aspect is lost on the majority; on their summer holiday, teens don’t have the greatest desire to learn about the Balfour Declaration.

The trips may be run by Zionist youth movements, but plenty return with a love for Israel based solely on “Eilat trousers” and Bamba. For most, the experience rests on friendships forged and romances begun.