Alternative Spring Break in Israel

Would you like to go to Israel for spring break? How would you feel if I told you that you could go for almost no money, plane ride included, and it doesn’t matter if you’ve already been to Israel a zillion times? Now what if I told you that you would get to meet Ethiopian Jews, play in a state of the art indoor playground, and pick fresh fruit and veggies from a farm in the middle of the desert? Would you think this trip was too good to be true? This is no ordinary trip to Israel. This is alternative spring break with JNF. Here’s how it works.

You probably know JNF as “those tree people.” You’ve received letters in the mail from them telling you that your grandparents donated money to plant a tree for you in Israel, or have seen those little blue tzedakah boxes located conveniently in every corner of your Synagogue. But what most people don’t know about JNF is that they do a lot more than just plant trees. JNF’s alternative spring break program focuses on one specific project of theirs, known as Blueprint Negev. This project is an effort to beautify the Negev, which makes up about 60% of Israel’s land but is only home to about 8% of the country’s inhabitants. By cleaning up the Be’er Sheva River walk and turning it into a hopeful tourist destination, building gardens in Ethiopian absorption centers to help these new Olim adjust to modern Israeli life, and working with local farms to help install water collection and drainage systems, the JNF hopes to one day turn this vast region into a place where Israelis would want to live.

So, you ask, what is a typical day on the ASB trip like? The mornings and afternoons are jam-packed with volunteer projects, such as building mud benches and gardens at an Ethiopian absorption center with an organization called Shvuat Ha’adama, picking fruits and veggies with Leket, an organization that donates fresh produce to soup kitchens and homeless shelters, and painting over graffiti with Amidar, an organization provides public housing to disadvantaged families. The evenings consist of trips around the Negev, such as the Sderot indoor playground and recreation center, the Be’er Sheva River Walk, and an IDF officer-training base. And of course, no trip to Israel would be complete without spending Shabbat in Jerusalem. It’s the perfect ending to a week of hard work.

Last year, nine very lucky Rutgers students had the opportunity to go on this program. This year, our goal is to have at least 20 participants from Rutgers. We will also be having JNF fundraisers on campus this semester, so you end up paying as little as possible if you decide to go on the trip!

If you are interested in spending spring break in Israel, don’t hesitate to contact me at shecht@eden.rutgers.edu or join our Facebook page for updates!