HUMANS OF #ISRAELED 5776

Welcome to Humans of #IsraelEd 5776!

Inspired by the original Humans of New York, this collection of stories features humans as the true subject of education and illustrates that a room full of people can be rich in resources.

Some questions to consider while you are reading:

• What led each person to share a personal anecdote?

• How might the conversation have developed?

• What text would appear next to your picture if you were featured in a "Humans of" project?

We hope Humans of #IsraelEd 5776 will inspire you to elicit personal anecdotes, stories, and reflections from those around you.

Shanah Tovah!

1

When I began to learn Hebrew was when I really learned to build relationships with Israelis. When I returned home, on Erev Rosh Hashanah, I went to services and for the first time in my life, could understand what was going on. That changed everything–I was a part of it. –Josh Gibbs

2

In 4th grade I had to pick someone famous to write a letter to. I picked Levi Eshkol, a former Prime Minister of Israel. He wrote me back. I was the only Jewish kid in the entire school and everyone wanted to know who he was. Most people picked people who didn't write them back. But he did, and he even signed the letter by hand. I was really proud, and I taught the other kids a little bit about Israel. –Vanessa Ehrlich

3

I only drank coffee once in my life, and it was with Golda Meir. She served coffee at a meeting, and I didn't want to refuse it. The coffee made me sick, but it was worth it!–Barry Chazan

4

I met the best version of myself while in Israel at 17. And every time I meditate, I return back to that special space. To life, to love, to a good heart ( ). –Erin Rachel Doppelt

5

It's addicting, that feeling of knowing that you are able to help others become passionate about the things that you yourself are so driven by. There are lots of places I'd love to travel, but only on Israel trips can I have such an impact on other people's growth, in addition to my own.–Jeremy Levin

6

I was born Herschel. But I was only 4 lbs. and my parents thought that Herschel was too big a name. So they took my middle name, Broder, and started calling me Brodie. I can tell how well someone knows me based on what they call me. And I have flexibility in what I choose my name to be when I become a rabbi.–Brodie Aberson

7

If I could transport to any period in time in Israeli history I would have once said the Second Aliyah because of all of the experimentation, the rawness, the special feeling in the air. But now I would choose a more fun time–the 70s. Fashion, films, music–it was a period of revival, art, and festivities. Just like the Second Aliyah, I can't think of the 70s without connecting to the trauma of 1973. But that's a part of the magic, that each period in Israeli history is marked by both highs and lows. And that balance of Israel is what resonates with me as a growing person.–Yehudit Werchow

8

Today my son turns three weeks old. His name is Netzer. In Hebrew it means "dynasty"– being a part of a long line of people. It also refers to the first sprout of a tree. It was important for us to connect the past with the future. Netzer!–Shlomi Edelshtein

9

Three quarters of my heart arrives to Israel by the third day of a trip. It's only when I go through the tunnel to enter Jerusalem and see the Bruchim Habaim sign that I feel whole. I always leave a piece of my heart in Jerusalem so that it's there waiting for me when I return.–Danielle Natelson

10

My most memorable Chanukah was spent on an army base near Netanya. We were working in a bunker and suddenly everyone paused to light candles and eat sufganiot. The bunker was underground and there were no windows, so we brought a lot of light to an unexpected place. –Rebecca Bigman

11

If I had one hour free in Israel I would go hang with friends in a coffee shop. My relationship with Israel is first and foremost because of my relationships with people. I value most those relationships, and no matter how many times I have visited or continue to visit, that's what makes Israel so special to me. –Michael Soberman

12

There's no good shwarma where I live outside of San Francisco. All of my family lives in Israel, and when I go, the first thing I want to do is pick up shwarma to eat with my safta in Kiryat Bialik.–Leeaht Segev

13

I believe there are places between this world and another world that are thinnest. The Kotel is one of those places for me.–Devra Aarons

14

I had this gourd with my name on it made in Argentina. Yerba mate is the herb in it. You put some hot water and then drink. It's a cultural thing, it has a lot of caffeine. I can't wake up without this in the morning. People in Argentina share it with friends–it's social and cultural. My father, a Holocaust survivor, moved to Argentina where I was raised, but he didn't drink mate. Neither did I as a kid. I got this tradition when I arrived in the States. It was bringing a part of home with me to my new home.–Tamara Donnenfeld

15

Kerri: I found out that I was going to Israel with Birthright Israel the day of the flight. I packed my bags and a few hours later I was at JFK.Annie: I had a bit more notice – a few days. My sister packed for me but didn't warn me that the security was going to question me. I had no idea what was even in my bag.Kerri: (Laughing)–The Handel sisters

16

My mom gave me this necklace this year which has the Sh'ma on it. My Zeidi commissioned for a Torah to be written in memory of my Bubbe, a Holocaust survivor. We read the Sh'ma together as a family the first time we opened the dedicated Torah. It was a very memorable moment for me and my family, and my mom got me this necklace to remember that forever.– Cari Schulman

17

I got into education because I had a teacher who changed my life. She intentionally had a personal relationship with me and with each of her students –she catered to each of our needs to help us grow as human beings. This is what led me to be the educator that I am today.–Ariel Thebert-Wright

18

I read about cross-stitching in the New York Times a few years ago and thought it would be a good hobby. So I started cross-stitching things like Star Wars for my kids. Now I'm stitching Leviticus 22 as part of a larger project called Torah Stitch by Stitch. A woman in Toronto has over 1000 people from around the world cross-stitching different Torah portions. Once completed, all the panels will be assembled together to recreate the whole Torah and likely showcased in museums. You only get 6 months to complete the panel so I need to get moving!–Heather Erez

19

The focus on my thesis was Hebrew poetry. I used it as a way to connect to my father.–Ariel Naveh

20

One of my favorite memories growing up was jumping barefoot in the barn on my kibbutz. After harvesting cotton, farmers remove all the seeds and put it in a huge pile in the barn. A child's dream: a giant pile of fluffy, white cotton seeds– like warm snow. You can do anything you want in this pile of cotton. I was reminded of this memory because it speaks to my work as an educator–knowing that there's a safe place to play in.–Nadav Savaia

21

This is my dog, Herzl. –Tamara Caplan

22

I love watching my participants take that first bite into a tomato, cucumber, or strawberry. There's this burst in their eyes like, "Pakow! This is what fresh produce tastes like!" In America there are so many chemicals found in our food. Shvil HaSalat found a way to give them a real taste of Israel!–Nomi Mitchell

23

Radical amazement. We discussed this idea in a session, and it's the notion that you look at the world through a different lens–the lens that everything in the world has the possibility of being amazing. I am someone who is always questioning things, and I see things that sometimes others don't. So I appreciated putting a term to it, and don't want to take this idea of amazement for granted. –Arielle Rosenberg

24

I need a dreidel with a sham on it because my kids are in Israel and only know of the po. They don't realize there is another version.–Marc Rosenberg

25

The first Voices piece I wrote for The iCenter was called A Light in the Darkness. It was about figuring out how our individual lights can shine in the world. A huge part of my motivation for making aliyah later this month is to shed light on and help develop the bonds between the Jewish community that I grew up in and the greater global Jewish community who's existence is felt most vibrantly in Israel. It's coming full circle for me this month.–Alex Feder

26

How incredible life would be if we stood in front of a person and didn't assume we knew everything about them. My biggest life lesson is that physical appearance is misleading. How many more meaningful experiences would we have if we were more open?–Mayana Branigan

27

My wife and I met on March of the Living in Tsfat. Tsfat holds a special place in my heart for that reason. Her name is Anabelle and she's Israeli with a Tunisian and Romanian background. I'm so blessed to have her in my life–she helps me grow. – Misha Clebaner & Anabelle

Harari

28

I think this training will impact me beyond just the Israel experience. I'm hoping to take away techniques, learn about the roles of an educator, and it will help me with relationship skills and leadership that can apply to all assets of my life. Jewish education is shaping up to be something I'm interested in exploring further both personally and professionally.–Chaya Bar-Chaim

29

My roommates weren't what I was expecting when I studied abroad in Israel. Some were Druze and some were Muslim, and they spoke mostly Arabic in the apartment. They were so welcoming and friendly–they invited me to their homes to meet their parents and made Druze food for me! When something happened in Israel that brought up our political differences, it was difficult, but it didn't stop our relationship because of the strong friendships we had built. That is the true strength of Israeli society. –Amanda Herring

30

This picture was taken outside Yad Vashem. It's a picture of me and one of the Israelis on the Birthright Israel trip I was leading. It represents two fronts critical to Jewish survival: the physical side and the spiritual side. We're brothers in arms– fighting the same battle on two different fronts. And my dad was in the IDF so I feel I'm continuing what he began and that's incredibly meaningful.–Eliyahu Benhiyoun

31

Raising four kids is like running a CIT program. You give them growth opportunities which just happen to coincide with other parenting needs that go unattended. –Avi Orlow

32

It's the old cliche, "It's not a sprint, it's a marathon." I've run three marathons in my life and it definitely relates to Birthright Israel. It's about keeping your eye on the end goal. It's exhausting, but the end goal that you can accomplish is attainable, and that's to help the participants connect to Israel and their Judaism; it's to help people like me find that personal connection.–Dena Weinstein

33

In the Bay Area I'm part of a community called Wilderness Torah. They put on festivals throughout the year, and they go down to the desert in Southern California on Pesach. We volunteer, do workshops, wilderness encounters, drumming, etc. all through a Jewish lens. Out in the desert under the stars– it's where I feel connected to the earth and a larger community. It's the foundation for a spiritual experience. We do the same thing for Sukkot, just on a farm instead of in the desert.–Danny Farkas

34

This necklace is from my grandfather. He had one made for my mom and her sister, but my mom didn't wear it. Years later when I was 16 I saw it in her jewelry box, and she gave it to me. I loved it, and I get tons of compliments on it. I have developed a personal connection to the Hebrew word Mazal as a result, and I love that name for my future child.–Jessi Pollock

35

When I first moved to Tel Aviv it was Erev Pesach, and I didn't know many people yet. So I took a walk down to the beach. I remember the scent of the ocean as I heard families beginning their Seders in all the apartments behind me, and felt my first sense of being home in Israel. –Aaron Bock

36

I got this wallet on Ben Yehuda Street in 1998 on Ramah Dorom's Israel trip. It's been my wallet ever since. In 1999 I moved to NYC and realized it's a great front pocket wallet for New York because the subway seats are hard. If you have a fat wallet in your back pocket while sitting on the subway, it's not that comfortable. I have a blue one just in case this one ever falls apart, but haven't had to touch it yet. Also, I like to tell people I got my wallet in the 90s.–Jon Adam Ross

37

The last time I did something for the first time was eight weeks ago, when I left my job. I had this sort of carpe diem epiphany to dedicate my time to the things I'm most passionate about. –Dan Tatar

38

There's a book called A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki. In it she writes, "Do not think that time simply flies away. Do not understand flying as the only function of time. If time simply flew away, a separation would exist between you and time. So if you understand that time is only passing, then you do not understand the time being." Education requires us to be present in the moment, while also evolving with time. –Jessica Ost

39

My wife and I have a few traditions every time we go to Israel. One of them is to visit these two hummusiot (hummus places) in Akko. They each claim to be the best in town, so every visit we have to taste test both to see which place is better.–Jan Katzew

40

My name is Liel Zahavi-Asa. Liel means "G-d is to me." My last name is a combo of both my parent's last names. My father's last name was Goldsmith, which translates loosely to Zahavi in Hebrew. Asa is my mom's last name which extends several generations to King Asa of Israel. My parents made aliyah when I was little. And quite humorously, Israelis have a difficult time (and are impatient) with the hyphen. So usually I am called Liel Zahavi when in Israel!–Liel Zahavi-Asa

41

In 2013, I moved to Israel and I was staying in Jerusalem with my friend while I was finding a place. Rosh Hashanah came around, and I still hadn't found a place yet. So he asked me to join him in Rehovot. It was the first time I was able to truly connect to the holiday. I was able to reflect on my heritage, religion, and how Israel fits in my life. It was the perfect start to my Israel experience.–Matt Lavi

42

I was staffing a trip, and we went to Yad Vashem. John, a participant, always wanted to know what happened to his Hungarian grandfather. We tried different spellings–nothing. Finally, we tried the last misspelling we could think of–and there he was. He died in a camp, and the testimonial was written from someone John had grown up hearing about. I then realized the power and role of the madrich– that it's about finding each special moment for each participant. I look at Yad Vashem differently now–it means something to me because it means something to him.–Matt Zappulla

43

I switched to working in summer camp. It's a playground for new ideas. I get my "congregation" for two months of the year and together we play, discover, and explore. I grew up at OSRUI and Kutz and it's wonderful being back in this world as a professional.–Miriam Burg

44

In Israel, I didn't hear about programs that taught about world Jewry. It was more studying Judaism for religion. If I want to work with global Jews I need to learn about Judaism in communities around the world. That's why I decided to pick up and go to Boston to study in the Hornstein Jewish Professional program. –Tamar Shachaf Schneider

45

When I was with NCSY we collected gifts and toys for the holidays and handed them out to sick kids, Jews and non-Jews, in Chicago. The NCSY kids that took part walked out feeling so empowered about their ability to give to others and to give to themselves. That impact made for a very special Chanukah for me.–Yehuda Polstein

46

I got this necklace about five years ago while on a trip in Jerusalem with the HUC-JIR Executive Masters program. I wear it almost every day. My daughter is 16 and we have very little in common right now, but I love that we both wear these necklaces. However, if I ever pointed out to her that we both wear them all the time, she would stop wearing hers!–Stacy Rosenthal

47

One of my first addresses in Israel was at 8/6 Koreh HaDorot in Jerusalem. We had the most incredible downstairs neighbors, the Chen family. My daughter was only two when we moved from that address, but years later she saw the show Beit Sefer HaMusica on TV. One episode featured the grandchildren of the Chen family. She was so excited! Me'od meragesh!–Shalom Orzach

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QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

The questions and prompts below were inspired by the personal stories of Humans of #IsraelEd.

1. What significance does Hebrew play in your life?2. Who is someone that you would like to reach out to, despite the unlikelihood of receiving a reply?3. When was a time that you let yourself feel discomfort for the sake of a greater opportunity?4. When you reflect upon the best version of yourself, what do you tend to return back to?5. Where and how are you able to impact others’ growth, and your own?6. What is the story of your name?7. If you could transport to any period in time in Israeli history, when would it be?8. What is one way that you feel part of the Jewish dynasty?9. What is something that connects you to Israel?10. Has there been a time when you brought light to an unexpected place?11. How has your relationship with people influenced your relationship with an experience?12. If you could eat your food of choice in Israel, what would it be?13. What is one landmark that is especially significant to you?14. How do you bring a part of home with you where you go?15. What is a spontaneous adventure that you took?16. What jewelry or memorabilia do you have that tells a story?17. Which of your teachers had a strong impact on you, and why was that person so impressionable?18. Reflect upon a time when you played a significant role in a group project, and what it meant to be

part of a group’s success.19. What is a way that you were able to connect with somebody that you otherwise had difficulty

connecting to?20. Where do you make room to play in your work?21. Which photo on your phone would you share with someone when telling them about yourself?

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22. Reflect upon a time when you witnessed someone have a burst in their eyes.23. What is something truly amazing that you recently discovered?24. Can you recall a time when you realized that you were part of something much larger than you had

originally thought?25. Think about an individual in your life whose impact is far reaching. 26. When have you been wrong about a first impression that you formed about somebody, and how

did that impact your relationship with that person?27. Which city holds a special place in your heart, and why?28. What opportunities have helped you determine what you are interested in exploring?29. Reflect upon a time when you were able to get past a disagreement with someone for the sake of

the relationship. 30. What is one tradition in your family that you hope to continue?31. How have you given others the opportunity to grow?32. Recall a time when you kept your eye on the end goal, despite the obstacles along the way.33. Reflect upon a time where a physical setting directly impacted your experience.34. What Hebrew word do you have a personal connection to?35. What scent do you associate with a specific memory?36. Do you have any souvenirs that you have collected that help you remember a significant trip?37. What is something that you recently did for the first time? 38. Can you recall a time when you were present in a moment? 39. What are some of your traditions that you’ve established for when you travel to Israel?40. What is the significance of your last name, and what story does it tell about your family?41. What is one way that you benefitted from taking a risk?42. How have you found significance in a person, place or event through someone else’s story?43. In what ways have you played with, discovered, and explored Judaism, and what did you learn as

a result?

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44. How far have you gone to pursue something you’re passionate about? 45. Reflect upon a time when you felt empowered by your ability to give to others.46. Do you have any secret forms of connection with someone you admire? 47. Take a few minutes to think about what your neighbors are up to in life, and see if and how that

excites you.

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THE iCENTERfor Israel Education