Rutgers student finds ‘homecoming’ on visit to Israel

by Jill Huber
NJJN Bureau Chief/Monmouth

When Melissa Ragovin, 20, arrived at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, courtesy of Taglit-birthright israel, she immediately felt a sense of solidarity with the Jewish homeland.

“When we got to Tel Aviv, the tour guides were waiting for us with open arms,” she said. “As we got off the bus, they all said, ‘Welcome home.’”

Ragovin, a Marlboro resident attending Rutgers University in New Brunswick, toured Israel last month on the birthright israel program, which offers free 10-day trips to Jewish young adults. Her Jewish identity was already firmly established; she was a camper and counselor at a Jewish overnight camp for many years, attended Hebrew high school at the Marlboro Jewish Center, and was a member of United Synagogue Youth during her high school years. Touring Israel, however, brought her even closer to her heritage, she said.

In response to her heightened sense of identification with Israel, Ragovin said, she plans to join Rutgers Hillel this semester and to proudly display a reminder of her trip — an Israeli flag that she bought after coming home.

Jewish activists on several campuses acknowledge that they look at birthright israel as a marketing tool for their own organizations. Students who say they’re “not interested” in anything Jewish are nevertheless often eager to sign up for a free trip to Israel. Those who do take part, according to a 2005 Brandeis University study, feel a heightened sense of Jewish identification years after their trip.

Ragovin’s visit to Israel came as the six-year-old birthright program approaches a milestone; nearly 100,000 young Jewish adults from 45 countries have gone on the free trips to Israel.

Since birthright’s inception, more than 700 young people from Monmouth County have visited Israel through the program.

Funding for the trips comes from the Israeli government; North American Jewish federations, including the Jewish Federation of Greater Monmouth County; and private philanthropists. The cost of a trip is approximately $2,400 per person; roundtrip airfare, hotels, most meals, and other associated land costs are covered.

Ragovin applied for the trip last fall at the urging of her friends from USY. By Dec. 15, she was on her way with a travel group that consisted of 40 young adults from all over the United States.

The group traveled throughout the country with two group leaders, a medic/security person, a bus driver, and a guide who greatly enhanced the trip, Ragovin said. “Our tour guide was an Israeli woman who was extremely happy to have us there. She provided background information on every place we visited and told us stories about Israeli history and culture. She cared about us and wanted to share her country with us. I even learned a little conversational Hebrew from her as the trip progressed.”

And the trip progressed through a wide range of activities. After exploring Tel Aviv, group members discussed politics in Israel and the Middle East back at their hotel. In Jerusalem, they toured many sites in the city, including the Jewish Quarter of the Old City, the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum, Mount Herzl National Cemetery, and, of course, the Western Wall.

“The visit to the wall was very emotional,” said Ragovin. “I said a special prayer that came straight from my heart.”

The travelers headed north and visited with members of Kibbutz Merom Golan, who talked about life near the Syrian border. After spending time conversing with soldiers at an army base in northern Israel, the group explored the biblical town of Tzefat, including its ancient synagogues.

An archaeological dig and exploration of the caves at Beit Guvrin, along with a visit to a Bedouin tent in the Negev, were also highlights of the trip, Ragovin said.

“We explored caves that were 2,000 years old,” she said. “How often do you get a chance to do something like that? Then we spent the night in a Bedouin tent after joining in a traditional Bedouin feast. These were unbelievable experiences and brought us closer to the many things that make up Israeli culture and history.”

By this time, eight Israeli soldiers had begun traveling with the group — but not in an official capacity.

“They joined through Taglit’s office in Israel,” Ragovin said. “After the first day, they took off their uniforms and became tourists, just like us. We learned a lot about each other and got different perspectives on what it’s like to live in Israel and the U.S.”

As the tour neared its conclusion, the group watched the sunrise at Masada and went for a float in the Dead Sea.

And as she prepared to return home, Ragovin said, she began to recognize the full impact of the trip.

“I thought about it a lot after I boarded the plane that took us back to the States,” she said. “I learned so much about Israeli culture but I also got a strong taste of what everyday life is like there. I now know I’d like to return and grasp even more.”

Jill Huber

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