Rising faith

Before this experience, I would consider myself someone who did not know what to believe in. It is not that I had no faith, but I just did not know where to put it.
I decided to join Birthright, a free, 10-day trip to Israel for Jewish students, sponsored by Jewish philanthropists. From this trip, I could learn about my Jewish heritage and then maybe find a good place to put my faith.

Why Israel? Why couldn’t I examine myself somewhere else? Well, like I said, I have Jewish heritage. Israel is like a mother to Jews, even ones who have never stepped foot on the land. They call Israel the second home to all Jews and say all Jews are welcome anytime. I might as well take them up on their offer.

I do not care to discuss the plane ride, because everyone knows what a plane ride is like. It was uncomfortable, crowded and long. The first thing I saw once I stepped off my plane was my tour guide. His name was Shia. He resides in Israel and gives tours to people like me for a living. The first thing he told me was that I look Israeli. 

Three days into the trip, we met with 10 Israeli soldiers: five men and five women. They were to spend the next many days with us. I expected big, muscular people, but instead, I got regular people just like me. Again, the first thing many of these soldiers said to me was that I could blend in with the Israeli people – exactly what Shia said.

We spent Shabbat, the traditional Jewish Friday evening, at the Western Wall, one of the most historic holy places in the world. I felt something very special at the service that took place at the Western Wall. This was no typical service. It was insanity at one of the world’s most religious places: screaming, jumping and banging. It seemed like Spring Break in Israel, but instead, really religious people were going wild.
During the last day of my trip, one of the soldiers gave me his Navy hat as a gift. After he left, I wore it for the rest of the day. An old Israeli man thought I was actually in the Israeli Navy. Wow.

What did I get out of this trip? Like I said, I thought that learning about my heritage would finally show me where to place my faith, but instead, I learned that I don’t need anywhere specific to place it.

Religion and faith are different to me. The most important part is that there are people extreme distances from me and I blend in with them. My faith is not just in me, but also in other people. Knowing that there are people like me out there, unknown people who I fit in with, gives me a sense of belonging in this world, and that feeling alone gives me all I need.