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by ASHLEY DAVIS
Assistant Online Editor
Claire Pardo had multiple reasons for her anxiety to grow as Jan. 1, 2009 approached. The first day of the New Year marked the departure date for Pardo’s two daughters on a ten-day trip to a nation in the middle of a flaring religious war.
Appalachian State University senior biology major, Joanna F. Pardo, had been planning her trip to Israel for three years, the entire time, her family grappling with whether or not the trip was a safe idea.
She said it was coincidental that her time for departure and the strikes in the Gaza Strip arrived at close to the same time.
“Like all Jewish mothers, mine freaked out,” Pardo said.
However, Pardo wasn’t discouraged, because the trip she was
embarking on a unique opportunity to travel to Israel for ten days, the
expenses completely taken care of by the Taglit-Birthright Israel
Foundation.
“By that time, I figured it was now or never,” Pardo said. “And
if the Birthright people thought it was safe, I felt it was worth a
shot.”
The Taglit Foundation offers Jewish young adults between the
ages of 18 and 26 the opportunity to visit Israel for “first time, peer
group, education trips,” according to the Foundation’s Web site.
By allowing Jewish young adults the chance to travel to Israel,
the Foundation said it hopes to close the division that has grown
between Israel and other Jewish communities worldwide.
Individuals register for trips through various trip organizers connected through the Taglit-Birthright Israel Web site.
Jared A. Fehr, a senior history major, hopes to take his
birthright trip in the summer of 2009 and wants to select one of the
trips, which is more focused on outdoor activities.
Each trip has a strict itinerary ensuring travelers an optimal education while abroad.
“Since our trip was only ten days long we went through Israel at
such a pace that we were completely worn out at the end of each day,”
Pardo said, listing Svat, Tiberias, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv among places
she visited.
Fehr said he, like Pardo, had been hoping to take the trip for years.
“The value of this trip is enormous, a free trip to some of the
most beautiful and holy sites in Israel, I think, speaks for itself,”
Fehr said.
To save for the trip, Fehr said, he had labeled a jar as his
“Israel Savings Account” and had been adding to it for almost two years
in order to have spending money.
Luckily for Fehr he has extended family in Israel so if he were
to decide to extend his stay he ha family that could arrange free
lodging.
In the event travelers opt to stay longer than the allotted ten
days the individual is only required to pay a fee determined by the
airline for extending the return flight.
While Pardo was not able to stay longer than the ten days, she
said the experience was still life changing, showing her not only more
about the Jewish people but also about the interconnectedness of
mankind.
“I’ve never felt like I’ve belonged to anything as strong as Judaism,”
Pardo said. “Which is incredible for someone who has only been involved
in it for a few years.”
An active member of Appalachian’s Jewish community, Hillel,
Pardo said she had plenty to share with the members who have yet to
travel to Israel and are undecided about making the trip with Taglit.
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