Cultural learning
Jewish students travel to Israel to experience heritage up close

By Bethany McCormack
Staff Reporter

When Jessica Hartson, a freshman ballet and biology major, decided to travel to Israel during the recent Winter Break, she said she was aware of the recent conflicts in Israel, but she said she didn’t really understand the situation.

After returning from the trip, she said she had a better understanding of the country, her heritage and the regional conflict.

Hartson, along with Amanda Wilsker, a sophomore economics major, participated in the trip as part of Hillel, a worldwide Jewish organization located on campus.

The TCU students traveled with 16 other Texas students as part of Regional Hillel of North Texas and about 300 other students from various regions.

Because of the conflict occurring in Israel, some of the students were a little anxious about safety, said Joel Schwitzer, director of Regional Hillel of North Texas.

“When we got there and they saw that it wasn’t like what they saw on CNN, they were put at ease quickly,” he said.

Hartson said she never felt in danger on the trip. The group was in constant contact with the Israeli government and had two armed guards with them the entire time, she said.

“At first it felt kind of weird seeing soldiers with guns, but after a while it didn’t bother me,” she said. “I felt safe knowing that they were there to protect us.”

Schwitzer said the only time violence was ever a factor during the trip was when a bomb went off in the city of Netanya the night before the group was scheduled to visit.

Hartson said the media often makes the conflict in Israel appear worse than it is.

“The media tends to be one-sided and doesn’t show both sides of the story,” she said. “People think it’s an all-out war, but it’s not.”

However, Wilsker said she does not believe the media misrepresents the situation.

“(The media) can’t make it seem like there is nothing going on when there is so much controversy,” she said.

Wilsker said while some people on the trip supported the idea that Israel must be under Jewish control, she does not. She now favors a peace agreement.

“Honestly, I didn’t think much about the conflict before the trip,” she said. “But going and seeing people worried — something needs to be done.”

Wilsker said one highlight of the trip was visiting the Western Wall, also known as the Wailing Wall, in Jerusalem during a mass prayer for peace. She said she saw hundreds of people praying out loud in Hebrew.

The Western Wall was one of the most religiously significant events of the trip, Hartson said.

Hartson said she chose to go on the trip to learn more about her religion and meet other Jewish students from North Texas. She said the experience made her interested in having a better relationship with God.

The trip was part of the birthright israel program. Schwitzer said the program sends Jewish adults on a free trip to Israel, provided they are between the ages of 18 and 26 and have not previously visited the country in an organized group trip. The program began in December 1999. This was the third cycle of trips for birthright israel.

Bethany McCormack
b.s.mccormack@student.tcu.edu