Going to Israel this Summer?

Let us know about any unusual, special, or unique experiences traveling through Israel this summer. Share your most meaningful or memorable site in Israel, or a funny exchange with a local Israeli. And don't forget to send pictures!



Email info@israelhighway.org and your "travel tale" may be featured in an upcoming issue.

Israel's Military Operation "Summer Rain" in Gaza –
Eight Questions and Answers
by Israel HighWay Staff

The last two weeks in Israel have been momentous and probably historical. Two new governments - Israel's headed by Ehud Olmert and the Palestinians' headed by Hamas - are testing each other and are being judged by the world and their own people. Many questions are being asked, and some go unanswered. The Israel HighWay poses some of the questions below and presents answers from experts and opinion-molders.

Why did the Israel Defense Forces go into Gaza?
Is Israel's military operation legal according to international law?
Why did Israel arrest 60 Hamas leaders and knock out Gaza's electrical power?
Didn't Hamas just recognize Israel's right to exist?
What do the Palestinians want?
Can the Palestinians control Gaza?
Was it a mistake for Israel to withdraw from Gaza last summer?
Will there be more Israeli withdrawals from the West Bank?

Issue of the Week is continued below

Olmert, Katsav Celebrate July 4th by Greer Fay Cashman

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, speaking at the American Independence Day celebration at the residence of U.S. Ambassador Richard Jones, issued a stern warning that Hamas would feel "the unprecedented Israeli response" for the Kassam rocket attack on a school in the heart of Ashkelon.

Olmert reiterated that Israel would not yield to any form of terrorist coercion and confirmed that Israel intends to bring home Cpl. Gilad Shalit "safe and well." Olmert said that exactly a year ago, former prime minister Ariel Sharon had stood on the podium where he was standing, and six months to the day since he had lost consciousness. Olmert wished him a full recovery.

Speaking to the ambassador, Olmert said Jones should tell U.S. President George W. Bush that he is "very very popular in this country" and Israel thanks him from the bottom of its heart for his friendship. "Israel has many friends in the world, but not better friend than the U.S.," he said. "Jews have the longest memories in history," Olmert continued. "We never forget those who brought evil to our people, but we will never forget the friendship, care and involvement in the life of our people by the U.S., for which we will be forever grateful."

In congratulating the American people on the 230th anniversary of their independence, President Moshe Katsav expressed the appreciation of the people of Israel to a series of presidents of the United States for their consistent and continuing support of Israel in good times and bad during its 58 years of statehood. (Jerusalem Post)

Rockets Fall on Ashkelon; IDF Force Prepared to Capture Deep Swath of Northern Gaza by Youval Azoulay and Amos Harel

A large contingent of Israel Defense Forces infantry and armor units prepared to move into the ruins of the former settlements of Nissanit, Dugit and Elei Sinai in northern Gaza on Wednesday as Palestinian militants fired more rockets at Ashkelon. Since Tuesday evening, three Kassam rockets have slammed into the southern coastal city. A permanent military presence in the northern end of the Gaza Strip will distance the Kassam fire from Ashkelon and - with massive air support - is liable to make rocket attacks from the northern village of Beit Hanun much more difficult. (Ha'aretz)

Israel's Worst Fear by Mitch Potter

Ashkelon is a coastal city of substance, boasting 120,000 Israelis, plenty of industry and three particularly sensitive pieces of infrastructure that feed no small part of the oil, water and electrical needs of the nation.

As of last night, Ashkelon acquired another attribute, one that constitutes every Israeli's worst fear - a target for Kassam rockets.

There were no injuries when the homemade Palestinian projectile landed in a schoolyard in the centre of the city, a distance of some 12 kilometers from the Gaza Strip's northern frontier. But its arrival signaled an ominous new twist in the conflict, representing the deepest strike ever into Israeli territory.

The Kassam strike elevates to new heights tensions that appear to have outgrown the plight of 19-year-old Gilad Shalit in the 10 days since he was captured in a daring cross-border raid.

The crisis thus far has been largely a war of nerves, with a limited defense force re-entry into three areas of Gaza and scores of air strikes on militant locations and Palestinian infrastructure but no sign of the threatened large-scale invasion of Israeli ground forces. (Toronto Star)

Peace Camp Kicks Off 14th Season

While tensions rise again in the Middle East, a summer camp in Maine continues its efforts to build a better future for the region. Opening ceremonies for the 14th season at the Seeds of Peace camp in Otisfield kicked off Wednesday morning with the raising of the Seeds of Peace flag, as well as the flags of the various countries represented.

More than 150 teens from India, Israel, Pakistan, Palestine, Jordan, Egypt, Canada and the U.S. are participating in this year's program.Israeli Dor Kaidar told News 8, "I think that the fact that there is a lot of news going on in the Middle East - and the opportunity to have a Palestinian friend here to talk about the situation - I wish I had that in Israel."

Palestinian Sawsan Samara added, "You put a face to the other side, and then you can deal with it accordingly. And then it's not so solid in you - it becomes, like, they are human, too." (News 8 WMTW)

Click to watch news clip

Not-Yet-Jewish Berkeley Youth Is One of Two Local Bronfman Fellows by Alexandra J. Wall

A Berkeley teen who plans to convert to Judaism as soon as he turns 18 has been chosen for the prestigious Bronfman Youth Fellowship this year, as has another teenager from Petaluma.

Mateo Aceves just finished his junior year at Berkeley High. All that stands in the way of his being Jewish is a brit milah, which Aceves says he will have next summer, as soon as he turns 18. Aceves was told about the Bronfman fellowship by a teacher at Kehilla. And while he considers himself very pro-Israel, he has not yet had an opportunity to go there.

"I wanted a free trip to Israel, and if I didn't get this, I would have gone on Birthright Israel next year," he said. "I knew a lot of people who have gone on the Bronfman trip, so I didn't realize how prestigious it was."

Bronfman Youth Fellows are chosen not only for their diverse Jewish backgrounds, but also for their leadership potential and character.

Benamy Yashar of Petaluma just finished his junior year at Petaluma High School. He teaches at the religious school at Congregation B'nai Israel in Petaluma, which is Conservative. He has been to Israel, spending last summer at the Technion University with an international group of high school students working on an aerospace engineering project. (Jewish News Weekly)

Don't Get Teen Started Talking about Her Trip to Israel - She Might Not Stop by Andrea Baer

After I returned from two months in Israel, inevitably, many people asked me about the trip and my feelings about the experience. To this day, I still don't really have a quick answer. It's been very difficult to me to talk about something that has had such an impact on my life. My trip was more than just a trip. It was truly a life-changing experience.

People's initial questions about my experience are often, "Well, what was your favorite part?" or "If you could pick one place as your favorite, what would it be?" When I tell them that I don't have a favorite, it's not because I don't really want to talk to them and I'm trying to brush them off. It's really because I don't have a response. In my mind one thing doesn't stand out above all. I think the questioner usually just wants a straight answer, so I don't say anything. I feel that if I start talking about my trip, I may never stop!

I have changed in many ways. I've come to love 35 other kids, a beautiful land and, finally, who I've become throughout the whole trip. I've found myself, the real me-someone I'm actually happy with. Now that I've been to Israel, I feel more of a spiritual connection when I'm praying. Seeing the home of my ancestors has helped to bring many of my thoughts, as a Jew, together. Right now, I can't imagine what it's going to be like when I go home. All I know is that with all the lasts I've experienced, this is definitely one that will stick in my mind. This has been an amazing journey through the land of Israel and it definitely won't be my last.

Andrea Baer (pictured with friends) attended the Alexander Muss High School in Israel. (Akron Jewish News)

With Funders' Help, Area Teens Look Forward to Time in Israel
by Debra Rubin

Thirty-four teens - the largest number in some years - are receiving up to $600 each through two endowed programs at the Jewish Federation of Greater Middlesex County, N.J. to travel to Israel this summer.

Like all those receiving money through the Morris and Lydia Goldfarb Foundation and the Mary and Rudy Klein Fund, the young people are required to travel with an organized teen group. Through these dedicated funds, which must be matched by a sponsoring synagogue or Jewish organization, 650 teens over the course of 21 years have participated in a program that "creates an opportunity for teenagers to deepen their connection to Judaism by learning the most exciting way - through firsthand experience."

"The impetus for this is to give teens in 10th through 12th grade the opportunity to go to Israel to develop a love for the country and to bring that love and newfound leadership skills home to spread to other teens," said federation associate executive director Susan Antman.

Why They Go

Megan Carduner's twin sister, Ilana, was so taken by Megan's experience she decided to take advantage of the program and left June 26 on United Synagogue Youth's From Darkness to Light, spending a week in Poland touring concentration camps and historic Jewish sites before spending a month in Israel. "As a Jew, I think it's important to learn about your religion and culture, and there's no place better to do it than in your homeland and the past that goes with it, good and bad."

For Brooke Sherman, another 16-year-old East Brunswick High School senior, her choice of programs seemed natural. "I've been going to their camp for seven years so it was just a continuation," she said of her choice of Young Judaea's Machon program, which takes teens to a historic, spiritual, and archeological sites and exposes them to Israeli culture and society.

Yehuda Alter, a 15-year-old Edison resident, will spend six weeks in Israel beginning July 5 - including three days in the desert - through the Mach Hach Ba'Aretz program of Bnei Akiva, the religious Zionist youth movement. "I have been doing something with Bnei Akiva every summer since third grade," said Yehuda, a junior at Moshe Aaron Yeshiva High School in South River. "This is just the next step." (New Jersey Jewish News)

Appreciating the Old and the New in Israel by Jason Lessans

"I came to Israel to better understand Judaism. I had often wondered the significance behind being Jewish, and after almost 8 weeks in Israel, I've now begun to understand it.

I have never been a religious person. My entire family is reform and they raised me the same way. They first sent me to Hebrew school when I was 5 years old, and I began attending twice a week regularly. However, I found it extremely boring. The teachers were unenthusiastic, and did nothing to help me build up my sense of identity as a Jew. So after about 6 years of hating Hebrew school, I began to view Judaism as a burden. I gradually withdrew from all related activities; I never went to services, not even on the high holidays, and I continually went less often to Hebrew school. My parents could see my disinterest, and because they weren't religious themselves and never liked to force me into things, they left me the decision of whether or not to continue Hebrew school.

I chose not to, and because of it, I never had a bar-mitzvah.

Prior to coming to Israel, I didn't know what to expect, I guess I imagined that there would be dirt roads, surrounded by little shops made out of tents that were run by Arabs and Hasidic Jews, and that there'd be camels running all over the place. I realize now, after experiencing Israel for the first time, that I was slightly off. I could not believe that the Jews, in about one century, managed to turn a barren desert into a thriving homeland for the Jews.

Since I have been here, several aspects of my experience have significantly changed my views about Judaism. However it hasn't so much related to the trips we had taken to historical sites...while I enjoyed seeing the kotel, climbing Masada, and floating in the Dead Sea, to me the most meaningful place I visited was the old age home in Jerusalem. I don't know if I was more proud of the fact that Israel has provided elderly Jews from all over the world with a place where they can be united and live meaningful lives, or of the face that these people, even in their 80's and 90's, are still doing their best to contribute to society.

However, probably an even more influential aspect of my experience in Israel was simply the other kids on the program. I enjoyed most just hanging out with all the people here; whether it was competing on cell phone games, making fun of a terrible movie, or having random philosophical discussions - I have never felt closer to any other group of kids in my life, and I've made some of the best friends I've ever had.

I now realize how important it is to maintain the unity amongst the Jewish people. I have decided that it is necessary to get actively involved and stay connected with Judaism so that I can pass it on to my children. This way, the religion, which so many Jews have fought and died for, will not simply fade away.

For this reason, I am now having a bar-mitzvah at age 17. And although it is occurring about 4 years later then it should have, I feel it is more significant then any bar-mitzvah I could have had at home years ago. For now, I am actually having it in Israel, and not because I was pressured by my parents or because I could get a lot of money and presents out of it, but because I chose to, with the soul purpose of becoming closer to the Jewish faith.

For I now understand that it is a privilege to be a Jew.

Jason Lessons attended the Alexander Muss High School in Israel. He will be a senior at Wootton High School in Rockville, Md. (Special to the Israel HighWay)

Matisyahu: Next Year in Jerusalem by Sagi Ben Nun

What do you think an internationally-acclaimed rapper does at the end of a show at a smoky rock club, just after entering the green room, dripping with sweat? At the end of his hit performance at the Barbie Club in Tel Aviv, the wildest thing he did was eat a glatt kosher salad out of a plastic box that was prepared in advance.

According to Matisyahu, people want to turn him into a fantasy or a hero, but he's neither a superhero nor a rabbi. He is an ordinary, music-loving genuine person with a wife and kids.

When asked what's the most surprising thing that people don't know about him, Matisyahu answered that he enjoys hockey and even used to play. He insists that he will make aliya within a year or two, despite the fact that ice-hockey is almost non-existent in Israel.

"If you hear of a nice house in Jerusalem, let me know," he told the reporter. "My move to Israel depends on a few things: If I make enough money to buy a good place to live in, if my family can come and visit me often and if it will work out as far as my career is concerned." (Ynet News)

Hoop Dreams by Norma Zager

For 16-year-old former Encino resident Marisa Gobuty it's all about basketball. Throughout the summer, Gobuty, a 5-foot-7 high school junior point guard, who now lives in Israel and plays for Israel's National Basketball Team, will be playing for the Southern California-based Finest Basketball Club (FBC), and compete in tournaments across the United States.

Six years ago, she and her family moved to Israel for a short two-year stint. They have lived there ever since. But like in Encino, Gobuty's love and passion for basketball led her back on to the courts around Tel Aviv, eventually landing a spot on the Israel National team at age 15. She is now one of only 12 team members on Israel's Segel Zahav, which means Gold Team. It is comprised of the top players in the 16-24 age bracket.

"Living in Israel has been a great learning experience culturally and emotionally," Gobuty said. "By playing basketball there I've also gotten to compete against some of the best in the world playing in European FIBA Championships, as well as having the opportunity to learn about different cultures. But some of my most rewarding moments have been talking to other high school-age teenagers about what it's like to grow up in a country that is constantly on alert in a war time like state and being able to share my experiences." (Jewish Journal of Los Angeles)

Two Israelis Get Drafted to the NBA by Joseph D. Robbins

"It is a dream come true," Lior Eliyahu (pictured) told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday, after he became the second Israeli to be drafted by an NBA team.

Just minutes after Eliyahu was picked by the Orlando Magic at No. 44 of the 2006 NBA Draft at Madison Square Garden, Yotam Halperin made his own mark in the history books when his NBA rights were claimed by the Seattle Supersonics with the 53rd pick. The rights to Eliyahu, a 20-year-old, 6-7", 225 pound forward, were subsequently traded by Orlando to the Houston Rockets.

After being criticized in the Hebrew media for entering the draft at least a year prematurely, Eliyahu was happy with the decision he, his coach and his agent made. "I was very excited sitting with my family watching the draft on [TV]," he said. "It was one of the most exciting moments in my life." (Jerusalem Post)

Birthright Inspires Dancer to Join Israel Ballet by Carolyn Blackman

After going on birthright israel in 2004, ballet dancer Lisa Oberman knew immediately where she wanted to pursue her professional dance career. Now almost 20, Oberman is making aliyah and has joined the Israel Ballet, the country's only major classical ballet company. "I fell in love with Israel and knew in my heart that's where I wanted to dance," she says.

Joining the Israel Ballet is the culmination of a lifelong dream to dance professionally, says Oberman, who attended the Kirov Academy of Ballet (now the Universal Ballet Academy) in Washington D.C., and danced with the U.S.A. Ballet in Illinois. She knew she made the right decision about dancing with the Israel Ballet when she met the dance company's co-founder and co-artistic director, Berta Yampolsky, who was once a prima ballerina with the Odessa State Ballet.

"She went out of her way to make sure I was comfortable," Oberman says. "She is warm and kind, and ensures that there is no competition among the peers. They are like family to each other. There is so much happiness in the field of art in Israel." (Canadian Jewish News)

Fun Guys to Be With? by Caroline Westbrook

If psychedelic trance music is your thing, then you probably know all about Infected Mushroom. And with the long-awaited delayed album Vicious Delicious scheduled for release later in the year, now is the time to get Infected.

Over the past decade, the band have built up a global following with their particular brand of music – think Israel's answer to Orbital meets British dance act Underworld and you'll get the idea. The two-piece, who hail from Haifa, consist of Erez Aizen and Amit Duvdevani, who have worked together as Infected Mushroom since 1998. So far, they've released five albums, from 1999's The Gathering through to IM The Supervisor, which came out in 2004.

Erez, the younger member of the group (he was born in 1980) began making trance music when he was 15, having learned to play the organ at the age of four. Amit was born in 1974 and began playing piano when he was seven. After spending time in Haifa-based punk band Enzyme, he and Erez began making music together in 1998 under the name Shidapu and Duvdev before Infected Mushroom (named after one of Amit's favorite punk bands) were formed.

If you want to see them live, then you're in luck, as they're playing dates all across the world over the next few months. They have U.S. dates in California, Denver, Illinois and Philadelphia. (Something Israeli)

Listen to a sample of Infected Mushroom's music here.

In Israel, We Are All the Shalits by David Brinn

Everybody can identify with the Shalit family as they wait to hear word of their son's fate, because we've all either been in the army, or have parents, children or neighbors serving. There's no distance whatsoever when you see Shalit's photo flashed on the TV screen or in the newspapers, or that of his father stoically standing outside the family home in the Galilee. That's our son being held, that's us being interviewed - because it could happen to any of us.

Looking out at the sparkling group of 70 boys and girls at a local 6th grade graduation, I was struck by the thought that in six short years, they would be Gilad Shalit, wearing uniforms, carrying weapons, and defending their country.

Imagine the transformation they would be going through in these next six years to turn them into soldiers, I thought. Or maybe not.

Perhaps Gilad Shalit, held today in captivity, with his condition and fate cloudy, has a lot more in common with the 12-year-olds who were dancing and singing on the basketball court of the schoolyard than is apparent. When did he stop playing with Pokemon cards, or action figures? Maybe five years ago? Maybe less. (Israel21c)

Launching a Rocket at Ashkelon Is an Invitation to War by Ze'ev Schiff

The firing of a rocket from the Gaza Strip to Ashkelon's center on Tuesday constitutes an unequivocal invitation by Hamas to war. The Palestinians who launched the rocket apparently are members of the Hamas military wing, but it's quite possible that either an Iranian or Syrian element interested in intensifying the military conflict with Israel spurred the move.

The firing is the longest-range rocket attack to have taken place from Palestinian territory. Rockets previously have hit Ashkelon's outskirts, and were generally aimed at the area's power station, but Israel refrained from cutting off electricity to Gaza. Tuesday's rocket hit a parking lot of an empty school, but it could have landed anywhere in Ashkelon at any time of day. (Ha'aretz)

Remember What Happened Here by Charles Krauthammer

On the very day of Israel's final pullout, the Palestinians began firing rockets out of Gaza into Israeli towns on the other side of the border. And remember: those are attacks not on settlers but on civilians in Israel proper, the pre-1967 Israel that the international community recognizes as legitimately part of sovereign Israel, a member state of the U.N. A thousand rockets have fallen since.

For what possible reason? Before the withdrawal, attacks across the border could have been rationalized with the usual Palestinian mantra of occupation, settlements and so on. But what can one say after the withdrawal? Gaza is free of occupation, yet Gaza wages war. Why? Because this war is not about occupation, but about Israel's very existence. (Time)

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