by Jill Huber
NJJN Bureau Chief/Monmouth

March 17, 2009

Six Israeli teens came a long way to deliver a familiar message: Teenagers in Israel and the United States have a lot in common.

The Israelis visited Monmouth County from March 5 to 12 as part of a teen exchange program sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Monmouth County and local synagogues.

All hailing from the Arad/Tamar region near the Dead Sea — the federation’s sister community under the Partnership 2000 program — the teens paid visits to local Jewish day schools, public schools, and synagogue schools.

In their visits they delivered unfiltered perspectives on the recent war in Gaza, life on a kibbutz, and the often surprising similarities between the lives of Israeli and American teens.

“We’re thankful to the synagogues and teens that were involved in this program,” said federation executive director Howard Gases. “It’s a wonderful tool that enhances relationships between teens here and in Israel, along with relationships between the participating synagogues and the federation.

“It’s the best form of hasbara — a way to share positive information about Israel with the Jewish and non-Jewish communities,” he continued. “By speaking at local schools, these young Israelis are building Jewish relationships with Jewish and non-Jewish teens.”

The travelers were impressed by questions coming from students at the schools they visited, which included Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Monmouth County in Marlboro, Solomon Schechter Academy in Howell, Matawan Regional High School, Manalapan High School, Red Bank Regional High School, and the Ranney School in Tinton Falls.

The Israelis also talked with religious-school students at the four host congregations: Monmouth Reform Temple in Tinton Falls, Congregation B’nai Israel in Rumson, Temple Beth Ahm in Aberdeen, and Temple Shaari Emeth in Manalapan.

Some of the students they talked to asked about the war in Gaza, said Matias Medina, 16, adding that the questions seemed to arise from curiosity and genuine concern for the Israeli people.

“I told them Arad was not bombed,” he said. “We are far from the area where there was fighting.” He said that his family “hosted people from the Gaza region and students from that area who came to Arad to study. Everyone was welcome; all Israelis are family.”

Sixteen-year-old Inbar Krief’s grandfather, who lives near Gaza, came to stay with her family in Arad during the hostilities.

“The area where he lived was bombed a lot,” she said. “The building next to his was hit by a missile.” She told NJJN that she wanted the American students to know “that Israelis felt the impact of the war, even if they didn’t live near Gaza.”

Local students also asked about mandatory military service in Israel, said Ariel Tamir.

“We are proud to serve our country,” she said she told them. “The army is a big, important part of our lives. It’s a way to give back to the country that has given us so much.”

She also talked to the students about Israeli kibbutzim, including Kibbutz Ein Gedi, where she lives.

“It’s like being part of a big family,” she said. “Everyone is committed to making the land flourish.”

But it was the similarities of the lives of Israeli and American teens that often surprised their Monmouth County audiences, Miri Hazanov, 16, said.

“They asked if we have shopping malls at home, and I said, ‘Of course we do. We have the same stuff you have.’ During one address, one of our cell phones rang, and the kids were really surprised that we had mobile phones in Israel.”

In fact, cellphones became ubiquitous in Israel years before they caught on in the United States.

The local teens also learned that their Israeli counterparts share their love of pop culture and enjoy many of the same American TV programs, including the CSI franchise, Friends, and Grey’s Anatomy. And school exams make everyone nervous.

“Absolutely, final exams scare us, but we study and work to get through them — just like students here,” said Inbar. “That’s something we definitely have in common.”

The Israelis’ command of English impressed their audiences.

“They were surprised we knew English so well,” said Almog Ben-Mordechai, 17. “But we begin to study English in the second grade by learning to sing the ‘Alphabet Song.’”

Almog, in turn, was impressed that “many of the small kids we talked to here obviously had big intelligence.”

The variety of schools the teens visited was an important aspect of the trip, said first-time chaperone Ofra Nathan Betzalel.

“I think the schools coped well with our visits, and we learned a lot from them,” she said. “They have different facilities and their programs often depend on the economic situation. Israelis understand this very well.

“But before the next exchange, it would be good if the schools give us more details about themselves,” said Betzalel. “I think it’s a more effective way to share information and learn what we have in common.”

“We feel like ambassadors,” said Matias. “When Americans see pictures of Israel, I want them to see us — people they’ve met and learned to like.”

Also taking part in the trip were Ariel Tamir, 17, and Jonathan Leon, 17.

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