Record number of students sign up for Israel trip

Freshman Julia Horowitz sat in the Helene G. Simon Hillel center Tuesday afternoon, registering for her free ten-day trip to Israel.
The eight-step application went live at 10 a.m. Tuesday.
Sponsored by the Birthright Israel Foundation and the Government of Israel, the all-expenses paid travel to the Jewish state has been available to young adults
since 1999.
Students who register through the Hillel Center can experience the trip with peers from IU.
IU’s Hillel Center has sixty open spots on their trip group, which will travel to Israel for ten days during
winter break.
Rabbi Sue Silberberg, executive director of Hillel, said this is the biggest group IU has ever sponsored.
“We usually don’t get 60 spots,” she said. “Last winter we only had 20.”
Students must have at least one Jewish parent and identify as Jewish to be eligible. Any student or young adult between the ages of 18 and 26 who fits these requirements can apply to the Taglit-Birthright Israel Trip.
Horowitz said was interested in the trip and decided to stop by Hillel.  
“It sounded like a great opportunity to learn more about my religion and its culture,” she said.
The idea of providing a free trip to Israel came from the shared belief that it is the birthright of all young Jews to be able to visit their ancestral homeland, according to the foundation’s website.
“A big orientation before the trip helps everyone get to know each other,” Ally Turkheimer, engagement associate at Hillel, said. “Everyone is from the University, so it’s not awkward when you get to the airport and meet complete strangers taking you to Israel.”
Turkheimer said she anticipates that more than 250 IU students will apply throughout the next three days.
Jessie Nejberger traveled to Israel with Hillel in May.
Four months ago, she stood in the middle of the
Israeli desert.
“You could see every star so clearly,” she said.
Nejberger said the trip made her reflect on her
ufamily history.
“I just thought about my family members who were killed in the Holocaust and never got to see a Jewish state,” she said. “Now I’m their legacy and I have to do everything I can to protect it.”
Silberberg said birthright is designed for students who don’t necessarily have a strong connection to Israel or their Judaism.
“It’s not meant for people to become more religious,” she said.
Students who do not get a spot in this winter’s group will be guaranteed a free trip within the next two years.
“We never know how many spots we are going to get until the registration opens up,” she said.
“There are many different ways to live a Jewish life. It doesn’t have to be completely religious,” she said. “We’re here to simply help students find a way to connect with their Judaism.”