Members of the Common Ground Mission, on steps leading up to the Old City in Jerusalem, include, from left, center of second row, Jared Benoff, Jeremy Steeger, and Alex Trier.
February 05, 2008
Nine Jewish teens from Pennsylvania’s Lower Bucks County are back home after finding common ground in Israel with 32 other Jewish, Christian, and Muslim teens from throughout the Delaware Valley.
The students took part in a Common Ground Mission, a pilot program sponsored by the Eastern Pennsylvania office of the Jewish National Fund.
The Dec. 26-Jan. 6 trip took the diverse group from Jerusalem to Ein Gev to Akko to Tel Aviv. They observed kabalat Shabbat in the Old City of Jerusalem, studied with Muslims in Abu Gosh, and visited the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Church of the Beatitudes.
The mission was designed to deepen the teens’ tolerance, respect for diversity, and sense of personal identity, according to Evan Levitt, a JNF campaign executive.
“This is the first time JNF has ever done something like this,” Levitt said during a recent phone interview. “It was a tremendous success on many levels. It inspired people to be more tolerant, and it took people to Israel who probably never would have gone.
“The Jewish, Christian, and Muslim kids were thrilled to be in Israel,” he said. “They learned about each others’ faiths and they learned to reconcile their differences. It was a great way to promote Israel and to promote tolerance.”
Alex Trier, a 15-year-old sophomore at Council Rock High School North in Newtown, said he found the experience “priceless.”
“We all made friendships that will last forever,” said Alex, who attends Lubavitch of Bucks County in Newtown. “The trip was just incredible — a life-changing experience for everyone.
“My favorite part was when I put on tefillin at the [Western] Wall,” he said. “That was the best experience ever. Also when we went to the Dead Sea.”
It also meant a lot to learn about religions other than Judaism, Alex said. During the evenings, the teens participated in panel discussions, telling each other about their religious upbringing and what it meant to them. “Now that we’re home, we’re still asking each other questions,” he said.
Beth Weed, another 15-year-old sophomore at Council Rock, said she didn’t know much about other faiths before going on the mission.
“It was just an awesome learning experience,” said Beth, who attends Congregation Kol Emet in Yardley. “We got to see other teens, too — Arab and Jewish teens. They’re trying hard to get along just like we’re trying to get along in the United States.”
Jeremy Steeger of Newtown, a 17-year-old junior at the same school, said he welcomed the opportunity to learn more about other people’s religions in a very personal context.
“Over the course of the trip, I gained a much deeper understanding and empathy with all religions, and that was really cool,” said Jeremy, who attends Shir Ami-Bucks County Jewish Congregation in Newtown.
Jared Benoff, left, and Alex Trier enjoy a camel ride in the Judean desert after spending the night in a Bedouin tent.
Everyone on the trip was searching for spiritual enlightenment, he added. “It was really successful in finding common ground with all of us and our different religions,” he said. “We really realized we weren’t that different from each other at all. We’re all searching for the same thing.”
For Becki Zaritsky of Langhorne, who participated in the Common Ground Mission together with her brother, David, the high points of the trip were visiting the Western Wall and sleeping in a Bedouin tent in the Judean desert.
“It felt really good” to be part of the mission, said Becki, a 17-year-old junior at Neshaminy High School in Langhorne — “just getting to meet people of different faiths in a land holy to all three.”
Jared Benoff of Newtown, a 15-year-old sophomore at Council Rock High School North and a member of Shir Ami, said he has felt the impact of the mission every day since he’s been home. “It opened up my eyes to diversity. I’ve been trying to advocate for diversity — tolerance and respect and acceptance — to all my friends.
“Everything about it has taught me new ways to look at things,” he said. “I think it’s going to affect me for the rest of my life.”
Other Lower Bucks County teens who participated in the mission were Dara Gever of Langhorne, Adam Kofsky of Holland, and Emilie Seckel of Yardley.