I never really got the opportunity on our trip to figure out what it was all about, what kind of trip we were on, what the single purpose of it all was. Were we another tourist group, moving from place to place to see the sites? Or was it all about the learning…the many lectures we had on advocacy, history and identity? Were we there to make connections with the people we met, friendships that will still be important years down the road? Or did we simply travel 5000 miles just to get a taste of some delicious Israeli falafel?
It’s hard to sum up our 10 day trip in just one sentence, and even harder to try to describe what it was supposed to be about. That’s not to say it wasn’t a wonderfully crafted trip, filled with purpose and meaning in every place we stopped, but it’s just impossible to explain how all of this was accomplished. How, in ten days, did we get so much done? Looking back, I think the only way to describe the trip is as a gateway. It was an introduction to Israel, even for those of us who had been there before. We met new people, tasted new things, learned a new history, and ultimately got multiple, different, new perspectives on the country and its citizens.
However, each of our experiences was only the beginning, an invitation to do more. The new connections we’ve made have opened up doors that would otherwise remain closed. No pun intended, but our trip was just a little ‘taste’ of what Israel has to offer. None of us can say that they don’t want to go back after this trip, and there is so much more for us all to learn about everything. Because after all, even when you sleep for 3 hours a night, there’s only so much you can do in ten days.