Israel, and other exciting things upcoming

[chanaleh]

Fun Brandeis fact of the day: President Jehuda Reinharz has not only an "LJ" (jehuda), but also a "fan club"!
[channeling the future Rabbi Breindel:] "Je-HUDA Reinharz!"
"Yeh-who-da WHAAT?"
"Je-HUDA Reinharz!"

Free (or dirt-cheap) 2 weeks in Israel! Katya Myer, program director at MIT Hillel, wrote me yesterday to let me know that MIT Hillel is hoping to run a Birthright trip to Israel June 14-28. However, they are short of interested people, and unless they get enough, the trip cannot happen! For those unfamiliar with Birthright, it is an amazing program of FREE 10-day trips to Israel for young Jewish adults ages 18-26 (who have never toured Israel before). I asked Katya if people over 26 could join in; she said anyone into their early 30s can come for only a small additional fee on the order of $200-300. The trip covers roundtrip airfare, hotel, transportation, most meals and other associated land costs, so it's still a pretty amazing deal. I am so totally thinking about this. Anyone else? I would have to work it out with my office -- but I have the vacation time coming, and it looks like for once in my life I could actually swing it... at least, assuming I put off both my parents for another month or more... *sigh*

Still have to make arrangements to get to msmidge's nuptial festivities, of course. And figure out if I can make it to 1776 in the next two weeks. (Thursday 5/6 at 8pm, anyone?) And mitgsp's GenComm meeting is this weekend. And I ought to send my niece a present for her impending 6th birthday. Oy gevalt!

And last night, instead of going to bed at 11 when I was supposed to, I stayed up and devoured more than half of the book red_queen lent me months ago, Jennifer Weiner's Good In Bed. It is AWESOME! I am a total new fan. I wonder if I can syndicate her blog to LJ? (Her website also has great advice for aspiring writers. I am taking note.)

And, now that I have wasted the first 20 minutes of my lunch hour on LJ, I should go get something to eat. :-) Shabbat shalom, y'all.

Comments

interested?

[lonebear.livejournal.com]

yes!

i didn't know that i could go with such a small additional fee. would have to put a rush on a new passport though.

the problems i would have are: age (i'm not 'early' 30s) and i live in MD.

Re: interested?

[chanaleh.livejournal.com]

Age: Katya says "The Birthright age eligibility is 18-26, for the non-Birthright people the upper bound should be early 30s, although there is not strict boundary." Mail her and ask? Tell her you're an out-of-town friend of mine.

Location: I didn't ask specifically, but I'm assuming the arrangements would be to fly out of Boston. You could certainly come here to sync up with the group, though.

Personally, I try to maintain a valid passport at all times, Just In Case. ;-)

[goljerp]

Tempting...

My problem is that, while I'm still "Early" 30s (and frequently pass for 27 when people don't know me), I have been to Israel before. I didn't tour Israel -- I was working in Jerusalem for about a year, and didn't really get to the rest of the country, other than the obligatory Masada trip and a weekend to the Kineret. Oh, OK, a couple of Sundays in Tel Aviv. So I probably wouldn't qualify, would I?

[chanaleh.livejournal.com]

"It depends. birthright israel strongly believes in the value of the peer trip experience. Therefore, if you have been to Israel before but only with your family or on other personal business, you are still eligible. However, if you have been to Israel as part of a touring group, educational program, study program or an organized extended residential program since you were 12 years old, you are not eligible. If you were born in Israel or are an Israeli citizen you are only eligible if you left Israel before the age of 12."

Not sure how you fit into this scenario... but worth looking into, maybe?

[goljerp]

Hmm...

However, if you have been to Israel as part of a touring group
No
educational program, study program
Err... I was a postdoc at Hebrew University. I don't know if they'd consider this an "educational program" or a "study program". I was a researcher, not really a student... I sent them an E-mail; we'll see what their response is.

Of course, whether I can actually afford to take off for 10 days in June is another question...

[zvalium.livejournal.com]

ok this is very tempting... and I'm not 30 yet :-)
I dont understand how the heck I missed out on Birthright... how come I didn't know about it till a few years ago (when my brother went)....*grumble*

very tempting though.. and sounds fun too

[msmidge.livejournal.com]

Really, they're letting over-26s go? I might be interested too. Not that I have tons of money or anything, but I'd find a way to scrounge together $300 for a ten day trip to Israel. Let me know if you decide you really do want to go. :)

[memerath.livejournal.com]

I just finished "Good In Bed" a few days ago! Good book. My family is from that part of Philly/New Jersey so there were tons of similarities.

[memerath.livejournal.com]

Also...do you have to be affiliated with Brandeis to take the trip? I will turn 26 in a few days and now that I am unemployed...

[chanaleh.livejournal.com]

It's MIT Hillel's trip, but no, I don't think you have to be a student/affiliate. She did invite my congregation, whose boundaries are, y'know, VERY loosely defined ;-) Go go go! Send mail to katyam@mit.edu! What good is being unemployed and 26 if you can't seize these opportunities?

[memerath.livejournal.com]

Heh. I will inquire. :) The main thing that has prevented me from ever doing the Israel trip (I've known about it for a while) is that I have this slight anxiety about BEING BLOWN UP ON A BUS. Y'know. But I'll email. I'm not doing anything else in June. :)

[goljerp]

Thinking of terrorist attacks is scary. On the other hand, more people die every year in plain old car accidents in Israel than in bus bombings. I would actually suspect that the tour group wouldn't be taking public busses for the most part, as it's difficult to keep a group together in that way. On the other hand, there are always risks...

[deguspice.livejournal.com]

On the other hand, more people die every year in plain old car accidents in Israel than in bus bombings.

Have you seen how they drive?  I'm not surprised that more people die in car accidents than bombings.

(I'd add a smiley face, but I'm not sure it's appropriate when talking about car accidents and bombings)

[greenlily.livejournal.com]

I read Good In Bed too...I didn't like it all that much, but then again my taste in literature runs to wizards, explosions and violent crime, so no big shock there. :)

[besamim.livejournal.com]

I'd love to go to Israel again sometime. I've been twice, in 1985 (with family, 2 weeks) and in 1986 (a teen group tour with my synagogue). For me, what's ruling out a return visit is not fear of terrorism (less of a concern there than it was before Sharon took office), but money. Needless to say, I'm ineligible for Birthright because of the above-mentioned group tour, as well as my age (I turn 35 next Wednesday, go me).