Jewish Life Digital Edition October 2015 | Page 23

men joined hands in dancing, thanking
Hashem for the gift of Shabbos.
In Eretz Yisrael, the holiness can be felt in
the air that you breathe – it truly is G-d’s
palace. Encounter opened my eyes to the
tangible connection that all Jews share. We
may live across the globe, but we are brothers and sisters, and therefore we can feel
each other’s pain, rejoice in each other’s
simchas, and feel connected, no matter how
many miles separate us. As I pack my bags
now to return to Eretz Yisrael to spend a
year there studying in seminary, I know
what I am going to, as I had this incredible
opportunity on Israel Encounter to experience and get a taste of our holy land.

HADLEY SHAPIRO

(Rosh Hanagah, Betar Southern Africa)
The Encounter programme truly is an
amazing opportunity for any student to
partake in. I have been fortunate enough
to partake in it, both as a channie as well
as a madrich now. The programme is designed to give young adults a very brief

HADLEY SHAPIRO
yet balanced view of what Israel has to offer. The Encounter programme is held
over a very short period of time relative
to the action-packed schedule. Channichim (students) tour the entirety of Israel and are shown the very best in what
she has to offer. They have the opportunity to experience her natural, historical
and religious beauty, while simultaneously opening doors for future programmes
once they finish school.
During the tour, channichim are taken
to iconic locations that include The Old
City of David, Jerusalem, and the Dead
Sea. They are also exposed to world-renowned universities and technikons, and

even underground munitions factories,
giving them a first-hand look at the diverse culture of Israel. Personally speaking, as a channie, this programme
changed my views not only about Israel,
but the entire Middle East conflict. Having experienced Israel at such a pinnacle
age of development, I developed a deep
love for Israel, which inspired me to
spend more time there, as well as wanting
others to experience it too. The Torah refers to Israel as “the land of milk and honey”, and for me nothing could be truer.
Having a programme like Encounter really reinforces this and allows young adults
to experience this first hand. JL

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