Shorashim Newsletter

Shorashim has entered the blogosphere and our published articles and photographs are making a splash internationally. This summer, the CCP and Taglit-Birthright Israel groups frequently posted blogs created by participants to offer their friends and family a glimpse into life on Shorashim program. In addition, Shorashim staff members are contributing writers to blogs in the Jewish blogosphere including OyChicago and Project Incite.

• Taglit- Birthight Israel Blogs: http://israelwithisraelis.com/advanced_blog/list
• CCP/Shorashim High School Program Blog: http://shorashim.org/ccp-blog
• Shaliach Shahar Gal writes post his reflections of Yom Haatzmaut. http://projectincite.blogspot.com/2010/05/reflections-on-yom-haatzmaut.html.
• Program Director Sharna Marcus is a monthly contributor to OyChicago at http://www.oychicago.com/bio.aspx?id=2802.

For many years, the Shorashim/CCP program has been a leader in high school programs in Poland and Israel. This year - for the first time - CCP Summer program participants will journey to Berlin as well.

Spearheaded by Shorashim Scholar-in-Residence, Fred Margulies, who has traveled extensively as a researcher of Jewish roots and life in Europe. The trip will visit sites that convey the history of Jewish life in Europe, the horror of the Shoah, and the rebirth of Jewish life in Berlin. "It’s the place where the war against the Jews was formulated," says Rabbi Margulies, "But the Germans have tried to come to terms with their history. There are many fascinating sights of Jewish historical interest, plus a newly vibrant Jewish community with whom we will make contact.

The early bird registration discount ($400) has been extended until the end of Janauary. Anyone interested in the program can visit the program website or call us at 312-267-0677.

Shorashim completed its second Taglit-Birthright Israel trip for 18 to 26 year olds with Asperger’s Syndrome last month. The trip was an incredible success thanks to the participants, the Israelis who joined the group, and of course, the staff.

Such a trip requires a tremendous amount of screening, and for the third year, Rose Sharon, a special education teacher in the Chicago Public Schools and Director of Camp Tikva’s Vocation Program, spoke to every participant, their parents, and at least one medical professional to ensure that they were fit for a 10 day program. She also hired a stellar staff which included Tikva camp counselors Syd Berkman and Kashmir Kustanowitz. Although participants on the Aspergers trip experience everything that a typical Taglit-Birthright Israel trip has to offer, there are also special considerations to make the trip accommodating. The planning of the trip took place in Israel by the tour educator Dror Kidron.

In addition, every Shorashim trip has Israelis. Lior Baruch interviewed every Israeli to ensure that they were happy to spend 10 days with an alternative trip. The participants had such a great time that Mark Fleischer created a Facebook group so that they could all keep in touch. Many of the participants joined Facebook for the first time to keep contact with friends that they had made on the trip.

“The trip was great,” participant Will Safran wrote on the group’s wall.

We wish you a very happy Passover holiday and hope that you have an enjoyable and relaxing Seder tonight. May the meaning of freedom bring you joy and give you strength in all that you do!

These past couple of months have been busy ones here at Shorashim, as we finished up our Taglit-Birthright Israel season by bringing over 700 participants on their first trip to Israel. Although allocations are somewhat down for the summer, we enjoyed record registration for our summer groups, and look forward to bringing many more people on this amazing experience.

We were proud to partner again with the Jewish National Fund (JNF) on their fourth annual Alternative Spring Break to Israel. College students and young adults engaged in awesome and meaningful projects like "Earth's Promise" in which they helped Ethiopian immigrants in Beer Sheva build sustainable urban gardens on neglected city land. Many of the participants attended the opening of the new indoor playground in Sderot - a reinforced structure that gives children in the area a safe place to play.

On Sunday, March 29th, Shorashim's Club Israel gathered eight teams of American and Israeli teens and their many fans in the Chicagoland Jewish High School gym to play for a cause - Israel.

The day began with the teams shooting hoops and listening to Israeli dance music to warm up. Gabe Axler, Shorashim’s Director of High School Programs, then gathered the group on the bleachers and introduced the afternoon. “Kiryat Gat has had a tough year,” Gabe recalled. “It sits within firing range of the missiles from Gaza. And that’s what makes today so much more meaningful- we have a group of Israeli teens here from that city, we’ll play some basketball, and help make some positive change in Israel.” Four teens from Kiryat Gat - Lachish - Shafir, Chicago's Partnership 2000 Region, then stepped up and introduced themselves.

They were visiting the States as part of a JUF-sponsored program called Kolot, which also focuses on philanthropy and teens making a difference in Israel. They talked about what the program meant to them, and how amazing it was to be a part of the games that day.

Taglit-Birthright Israel: Shorashim trips are frequently family affairs. During our nineteenth Taglit-Birthright Israel season many siblings and cousins decided to experience Israel with Israelis and with their family members. The trip allows them not only to see Israel for the first time, but to spend 10 days with siblings and cousins who live in other cities or attend different universities.

On one Shorashim trip there were three sibling groups including a set of triplets! One sibling group were Mifgash siblings: Earl Rich is an Israeli soldier and Mandy Rich, a Taglit-Birthright Israel participant.

How does having so many sibling participants affect group dynamics? According to madricha and JNF Administrative Assistant Becky Palley, the experience is enhanced. “As a trip leader, I thought the siblings in my group were a great asset,” Palley said. “The siblings in my group looked out for each other, and found a nice balance of comfort and excitement in their Israel experiences.  On one hand, they had people who they felt comfortable talking to and who they knew, but on the other hand they were able to go out and make new friends and broaden their social horizons. The siblings in my group enjoyed seeing Israel for the first time together, and broadening their Jewish identities as a family. Coming to Israel with a family member, or in some cases two, is something special and I think it's great that Shorashim was able to provide that for these young Jewish adults.”

While we don't intend to overload you with news every month, there is a lot going on at the moment (some good, some not) that we thought you would like to know. Israel is at war on its southern border as Shorashim safely continues to operate its Taglit-Birthright Israel programs. We successfully brought to a safe conclusion our partner programs with JNF (Alternative Winter Break) and JUF (KOLOT: The Israel-Centered Teen Giving Circle). The conflict, however, has a deep impact on the lives of our Israeli alumni and staff. In particular, Yakki and Yossi Samet - brothers who have been participants and staff on countless Shorashim trips - are currently serving in and around Gaza. Yakki who is a surgeon and who also served in Lebanon in the Summer of 2006, is now one of Shorashim's medical consultants. Just recently, he was seeing sick participants in his living room in Jerusalem. Yossi was the lead staff person for one of our JNF Alternative Winter Break trips when he was called to reserve duty. These are just two of the many alumni, their fathers, brothers, husbands, and friends, who have been called to duty. We all pray for their safe return.

As Shorashim finishes its nineteenth season as a Taglit-Birthright Israel provider, a unique and special-needs group of participants with Aspergers Syndrome will not soon forget their first experience in Israel. Participants on the program - which was in partnership with KOACH - traveled with a group of soldiers for whom assisting with special needs is a passion. They also met Israelis with Aspergers Syndrome who study at the Jerusalem branch of Beit Eckstein, a vocational training center for students with the syndrome. The group saw a play at the center headlined with an actor with Aspergers Syndrome. "I was very moved by the participant who said that his visit here was the highlight of his trip to Israel," said Nomi Venkert of Beit Eckstein. The mifgash included mixers and singing, led by Eli Aizner, one of four IDF soldiers who accompanied the group on its journey throughout Israel. "They were having so much fun, that we had a hard time getting them out of there," said Rose Sharon, special education teacher and KOACH's coordinator of the trip. This special trip required significant planning by Taglit-Birthright Israel, Shorashim, KOACH, and Israeli Guide Dror Kidron (who worked tirelessly before and during the trip to ensure a meaningful experience). The time and effort to make this trip and ensure Shorashim's mission of mifgash was well worth the extra effort, said Adam Stewart, Director of Shorashim.

Thanks to all of our alumni who responded to Josh Cohen's ('88) call for support of Shorashim's program. As we continue through turbulent economic times, Alumni support will enable us to: provide more scholarships to Israeli and American families so that they can participate on a Shorashim program, continue Israeli cultural programming for high school students in Chicago, and a variety of special projects and programs aimed at making the lives of Israelis and Americans that much closer.

If you didn't have time to make a donation last month, we hope that you will consider one now so that we can meet our commitment to ensure that a Shorashim program is available to anyone who wants it. Thank you for all of your continued support.

Fifty Americans from Chicago and beyond joined the Shorashim/CCP High School program in it's 24th year! They were joined in Israel by thirty Israelis for the trip of a lifetime. 

As usual, the American participants - still with visions of the Majdanek - exited customs at Ben Gurion Airport into a sea of Israelis, dancing and singing and making them feel at home. The scene was simply amazing. This year - as in every year - the groups were joined by Israeli participants from Chicago's Partnership 2000 Region: Kiryat Gat - Lachish - Shafir and from the neighborhoods and high schools in Jerusalem that have traditionally been feeders to the program.

But unlike past years, this summer's group was joined by  participants from the towns and villages around Sderot. With generous support from our board, alumni, and friends, we were able to offer scholarships to eight high schools students who would have otherwise had to endure another summer of relentless rocket attacks from Gaza. While - for obvious reasons - they were not able to host American participants for a Shabbat, they were able to share their stories and themselves, while they participated in a summer of fun.  It is an experience that the participants - American and Israeli - will never forget.

Taking 1,500 Taglit-Birthright Israel participants to Israel every year requires great staff, both Israeli and American. Every Israeli guide holds a coveted “Moreh Derech” license, the highest touring certification offered in Israel. Shorashim has also invested considerable resources to hire and train staff from the United States to ensure the highest quality individuals staffing trips and educating the 40 Americans per bus who are experiencing Israel for the first time with six to ten of their Israeli peers.

To staff a Taglit-Birthright Israel trip, Shorashim requires madrichim to have had significant experience in Israel. Our U.S. staff includes many Shorashim alumni, and alumni from study abroad programs at the University of Tel Aviv and Hebrew University, former Otzma participants, and some who have staffed other high school, college and mission programs.