The Hillel Experience: Reflections on the ICC 'Sixty At 60' mission

If the purpose of my first two trips to Israel, in the winter of 2004 and summer of 2005, was to paint me a marvelous picture of the country, and to enable me to affirm my support for the Jewish state, then the purpose of the Israel on Campus Coalition (ICC) "Israel at 60" mission was to give that picture a frame.

That frame, of course, came in the form of meetings with scholars, visits to controversial locations on the ground, and talks with people who in some way represent the "other side," with points of view that are suitable for only the most mature, open-minded audiences.

Every one of the 41 students on the trip - Jewish campus leaders who represented 25 colleges and universities from the United States, as well as 32 ICC member organizations which span the political spectrum from Americans for Peace Now to the Zionist Organization of America - share the common bond of a love for Israel and support of the right of the Jewish state to exist in peace and security.

The trip was not about convincing us to be Zionists; on the most fundamental level we all already were. The trip was about showing us, in as objective a manner possible, the challenges that Israel faces as it moves into its seventh decade as a country. It was about hearing, from their own mouths, the differences between Palestinians and Israeli Arabs. It was about furthering our understanding the changing demographics of Israeli cities and towns and how the changing birth rates among Jews and Arabs raise some serious concerns. It was about struggling with the incredibly complicated question of how to maintain both a Jewish state and a democracy.

The mission was not about giving us the answers - every time I learned one thing, I had two more questions - but it was about enabling the 41 of us to understand and begin to engage the problems.

This trip was not Birthright Israel. It was not for people who have yet to make up their minds in support of Israel. A requirement for acceptance on this mission was having traveled to Israel at least once. For most, this was a third, fourth, or even tenth visit. Many students spoke Hebrew fluently. Some had spent extended periods of time studying in Israel. And a handful even carried both US and Israeli passports.

This was a trip for a group of students who could see the issues we encountered not only through an emotional lens, but also though a lens of intellectual inquiry. We began to realize that the issues facing Israel are not uncommon for many new countries. We took the opportunity to compare Israel to other countries that have faced - and some that face today - similar problems at such a relatively young age. The United States, our group recalled, had not yet even had its Civil War sixty years after its founding fathers declared its independence.

While for many, it would be upsetting to have to accept that Israel is not perfect by any means, and that it faces a myriad of challenges, but for me there was almost a certain degree of refreshment to hear and see these challenges first-hand.

That is not to say that I am happy Israel faces such challenges - I am not - but it was very encouraging that the trip's organizers feel confident enough in today's Jewish campus leaders to show us the other parts of Israel. The parts that provide the frame, not just the picture, which one needs to fully understand Israel in the context of the Middle East, a young country, and the world.

Joseph Rosenberg
New York University
Gallatin School of Individualized Study, Class of 2010
Chair, The American Jewish Committee's NYU Society

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