Group helps rebuild, revive sections of Israel wrecked by war last summer

Freshman Jesse Gross was studying Hebrew at the University of Haifa in Israel.Jewish National Fund.\nThe students painted bomb shelters and cleared debris where rockets had destroyed forests, Gross said. Gross also had the chance to talk to residents of towns and students from universities who were affected by the war.\nBen Heisler, another IU freshman who went on the trip, said lots of time was spent pruning, weeding and shearing burned trees to get rid of excess branches to prevent forest fires.\n“I wanted to give back to a country that has given back so much to me,” Heisler said. “This was a perfect opportunity for me to do that.”\nOne special project the students took on was painting one of the bomb shelters built directly below a kindergarten classroom. They painted butterflies, flowers and cartoon characters on the walls. “It was just so now the kids are going to feel a little more secure in such a scary place,” Heisler said.\n“Reentering the bomb shelter was definitely a hard experience for me,” Gross said. “I relived the way I felt this summer.”\nJodi Bodner, director of communications for the Jewish National Fund, said the trip was sponsored by donors and each participant had to raise at least $800 to be eligible. All funds raised by students went to the Jewish National Fund’s Northern Renewal Campaign. \n“The goal was to connect these kids to the land of Israel in a very hands-on way,” Bodner said. “I think they accomplished it.”\nBodner said another goal was to help boost the economy after the country lost so much money from the war. \nThe students stayed in local guest homes on the Israeli side of the Lebanese border, Bodner said. Heisler said their days started at 7:30 a.m. and they would often work until about 6 p.m.\n“It’s an amazing, beautiful, fun country,” Heisler said. “When you go there, you become a part of the land.”\nFor Gross, returning to the land ultimately helped her deal with her frightening memories from the past.\n“When I got home, my friends didn’t understand what I’d gone through,” she said. “It was definitely a lot of closure to the summer. I knew it was my responsibility to help the rebuilding process.”\nIn a time of war and uncertainty, Gross said it means a lot to the Israeli students and civilians to know America supports them.\n“At the end of the day, it’s about how you can help them and help their spirits and be there for them,” Gross said.\nHeisler said one of the men in charge showed him an area where he could see black forest that stretched for miles. He met a local there who had seen the rockets flying in from Lebanon.\n“It made me realize how much that I can’t take Israel for granted,” Heisler said. “There are so many people who want to destroy it, and it makes me realize that much more that if you don’t take care of the country, it won’t be there forever and always.”\nBoth Gross and Heisler were featured in a short documentary on MTV about their trip. “Planting New Life in Israel” can be viewed online here.