Three local teens spent an amazing summer in Israel. Pictured l. to r. Noah Spigel, Benny Yazdian, Jonah Hirt

As previously reported, three Nashville area Jewish teens participated in The Jewish Agency for Israel’s Southeastern Consortium Hadera-Eiron Partnership2Gether trip to Israel. This was the first time the annual trip included teens from Nashville who spent a memorable two weeks touring and learning with their counterparts in Israel. Our local participants were: Noah Spigel, Benjamin Yazdian, and Jonah Hirt. Each one was asked to answer questions about their experiences, and to share their reflections. Below are their answers in their own words:

Benny Yazdian, age 18, and a student at University School of Nashville. He attended religious school at Beit Miriam at West End Synagogue, and camp at 6 Points:

Was this your first trip to Israel? If so, what were your overall impressions. If not, what made this trip different from previous visits?

This was not my first trip to Israel. Something that made this trip different than my previous visit was that I was with a group of teenagers compared to going with my family. This trip was also different because we looked at more religious attributes of Israel compared to my previous trip.

What were some of your most memorable moments and/or experiences during the trip?

A memorable moment that I experienced during the trip was the hike to Masada, along with going to the Dead Sea.

What are some key takeaways, or lessons learned from this trip?

Some key takeaways that I learned from this trip was an appreciation for Israel and its history.

Jonah Hirt, age 18, a student at the University School of Nashville. Jonah attends The Temple.

Was this your first trip to Israel? If so, what were your overall impressions. If not, what made this trip different from previous visits?

Yes, this was my first trip to Israel. Overall, I enjoyed the experience a lot. It was amazing being in a place where the culture is so accepting of being Jewish.

What were some of your most memorable moments and/or experiences during the trip?

One of the most memorable moments from the trip was being in the Bedouin tents where we got to experience a new culture. I also really enjoyed going to a waterfall near Haifa, where we got to go under it and get drenched. Not only were lots of the other things we experienced when sightseeing, but most of the memorable things came from when the American and Israeli teens did simple things like just spending time on the bus. Despite our different backgrounds, it was so special to come together and learn about our similarities.

What are some key takeaways, or lessons learned from this trip?

One key takeaway I learned from the trip was that people are more similar than different, despite growing up in very different positions. Another lesson I learned was to not to go into the Dead Sea with a cut!

Anything else you’d like to share in the way of reflections, thoughts, or feelings about your experiences?

I just want to say thank you to everyone involved in setting up the trip, because it is an experience that I will never forget.

Noah Spigel, age 17 years old, attends the University School of Nashville. Noah and his family attend the Temple Congregation Ohabai Sholom.

Was this your first trip to Israel? If so, what were your overall impressions. If not, what made this trip different from previous visits?

This was my first time going to Israel. I enjoyed experiencing the country as a whole and getting to know a lot about it.

What were some of your most memorable moments and/or experiences during the trip?

My most memorable experiences from the trip were getting to stay with Israeli families as well as staying in the Bedouin tents/hiking Masada/going to the dead sea.

What are some key takeaways, or lessons learned from this trip?

Some of my key takeaways from the trip are that Israel is a great country and I want to go back there in the future. I learned that if I were to go back to Israel, I’d go with my family or a different group that allowed me to experience Israel as everyday teens there would. I would want to do the activities that people my age do that live there with more free time rather than doing a ton of tour guide trips and things like that.

Anything else you’d like to share in the way of reflections, thoughts, or feelings about your experiences?

I enjoyed the free time in the communities/cities and I wish I had more of that.