April 2009

Chag Sameach - Happy Passover

Posted Wed, 04/08/2009 - 10:00 by Adam Stewart

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! Drawing by a kindergarten student at Temple Chai in Long Grove as part of an activity with Gilad Shalit's "When the Shark and the Fish First Met."

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.

A Story of Two Noahs

Posted Wed, 04/08/2009 - 09:50 by Sharna Marcus

Noah Bronfeld participated in one of Shorashim's Chicago Community Taglit-Birthright Israel trip this past winter. Below is a letter from his parents which is excerpted from the latest print issue of JUF News and is also available Noah & Noah on their way up Masada.

We are the proud parents of two wonderful sons, Jordan, who is almost 25, and Noah, who is almost 23.
Several years ago, our son Jordan went on Taglit-Birthright Israel with Shorashim. He had a memorable trip, and it was then that I began to seriously think about how we could provide such an experience for our son Noah.
Our son Noah has autism. He has had a wonderful Jewish education through Keshet. He has attended the Sunday school and the summer programs since he was 5. Keshet has very much been instrumental in helping Noah to develop a sense of his Jewish identity.
In spite of the fact that Noah's friends participate in many Friday evening social activities, Noah is quite insistent about going to Friday night minyan and celebrating Shabbat at home, as a family. As we began to have discussions with Noah about whether he would like to go to Israel on Birthright, it became clear that not only was he interested in going, he was excited about it. Making a trip to Israel happen for Noah became a mission for us.

Continued at JUF News...

Club Israel's March Madness

Posted Wed, 04/08/2009 - 09:30 by Miriam Brosseau

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.

Hard Rock Café - Auschwitz

Posted Wed, 04/08/2009 - 09:20 by Dan Argentar

Nearly twenty-two years ago, I made a decision that would change my life. Of course, at the time, I had no idea that participating in Shorashim/CCP’s inaugural high school venture to Poland would have such an impact. How could I have known? After all, I was just sixteen years old.

Dan, his wife Brandi (also former staff), and son Ami (future alum) in Israel. At the time, Hard Rock Café t-shirts from around the globe were the rage. While my high school peers set off for their 1987 summer adventures vowing to grab trendy Hard Rock t-shirts in Los Angeles, London, Chicago, etc., my CCP traveling companions and I joked about Hard Rock Café Warsaw and Hard Rock Café Auschwitz. Yes, we joked. We had to – out of nervousness of course.

While others sought summer fun at camps, on family trips, and on teen entertainment adventures, we were choosing to go to Auschwitz. The payoff was five promising weeks in Israel; but Auschwitz? No doubt, we thought each other to be nuts. Recently, I have been thinking a lot about Auschwitz. Not because I have a morbid fascination with the Shoah, but more because twenty-two years after stepping foot in Auschwitz, after seven additional trips to Poland as a counselor for Shorashim, after countless summers teaching and preparing Shorashim groups for their upcoming trips, and after teaching about genocide in my own high school English courses, the current world climate dictates that the Shorashim experience, and remembering and traveling to Auschwitz, Majdanek, and Warsaw is more important than ever.

A Shorashim Family Affair

Posted Wed, 04/08/2009 - 09:10 by Sharna Marcus

The JohnstonsTaglit-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.”

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

Posted Wed, 04/08/2009 - 09:00 by Adam Stewart

  • Join Shorashim, Young Judaea, Habonim Dror, and the Israel Scouts in an Israeli-style, community-wide Teen Yom HaZikaron/Yom Ha'atzmeut Ceremony on Sunday, April 26th, 5:00-7:00pm at Beth Hillel Congregation Bnai Emunah, 3220 Big Tree Lane, Wilmette, IL. More at clubisrael.org
  • Rediscover Israel - a moderately-priced program for young adults to reconnect with Israel this summer, July 29 - August 6, 2009. More information at www.shorashim.org/specialprograms
  • JNF Alternative Spring Break for Adults - an adult version of our partnership program with Jewish National Fund. More information at www.jnf.org/summerservice