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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.

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

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...

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.