Icnext 11 End of Trip Reflection by Zach Schoenbrun

Over the past 12 days, my life has completely changed. In fact, so much has happened that I can only write a brief synopsis of this amazing journey. In my pre-mission blog I stated that I thought the journey would be “strictly business” and would have no room for fun. Much to my surprise, I could not have been more wrong. I think a great metaphor for this trip is a half-tucked in shirt. On the surface, we seem like a put together, serious group of people. But if you see the other side, we are a silly bunch of teenagers who are the farthest thing from that. Over the past two weeks, the bonds I’ve formed with my fellow Cohort members have grown stronger and stronger. I genuinely care and appreciate every single one of them and am so grateful that I had the opportunity to meet them.

But you are not reading this blog to hear about our tomfoolery and inside jokes. You probably want to hear about the content of the trip, another thing which I complained about in my previous blog. Every single tour, landmark, and experience held a significant role in understanding Israel and exponentially grew my knowledge of the state. From lighter things like the graffiti tour to the heavy places like Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum, I left feeling more connected to the land of Israel and better in touch with my Jewish identity. But the most significant place I went had to be the Western Wall. As a kid who is part of a VERY reform Jewish family (I have not been bar mitzvahed, for example) seeing the holiest site in all of Judaism was extremely meaningful to me. As I approached the giant stone slabs of the wall, my senses were heightened like never before. I heard the chants of an orthodox man with a scraggly beard, felt the contrast between the cold stone and hot sun, smelled the faint aroma of coffee and bread, and even could taste the Judaism. Right then and there I knew I was in the right place. It was as if something had always planned on me being there at that exact moment, with those people, on this trip. While I still am unsure in my belief in god and Judaism as a whole, the Western Wall certainly made me feel connected to the community. It was unlike any other place I’ve ever been. 

I would like to dedicate this portion of my reflection to the shinshinim, Tina, Jill, and Amnon. It is crazy to think that three random adults and six kids from Israel could organize such an amazing experience. But, they did that and more. Just like the kids on the trip, I have a special bond with each of them and am so glad I met them. They have inspired me to explore my Jewish identity, ask questions, and most importantly, relax and have fun. The leadership they have shown was especially present when our flight from Toronto to Cleveland was canceled. Even before I found out, Tina and Amnon had already arranged new travel plans. Tina was the calmest person in the room. Her tranquility and optimism spread to the rest of us, longing to go home in any way possible. 

The food in Israel was interesting to say the least. I’d like to start this portion by saying this: Israeli energy drinks taste like soap. Over the course of the trip, I tried 5 different brands of energy drinks and all of them tasted like dawn dish soap (if you are wondering why I know what that tastes like, that is a story for a different time). But the actual food in Israel was like no other. From juice to shawarma to falafel, every morsel of food I ate was incredible (excluding Ori’s attempt at making pudding, but I would not even classify that as food). In every bite, I could taste the fresh ingredients used; a rare sensation in the United States. 

The scenery of Israel was surreal. The amount of pictures I have of random mountains, bodies of water, and even birds is incomprehensible. Half the places we visited seemed like they were strait out of Star Wars. The rich diversity of Israel’s ecosystems left me in awe every time. 

In conclusion, this trip has transformed me into a new person. Two weeks ago, I was only Jewish so I could go to camp. But now, I feel inducted in the rich, historic peoplehood of the Jews. I have formed lifelong bonds with people from across the globe. 

I’d like to leave you with a list of inside jokes that only the cohort will understand:

    ⁃    Dubai 
    ⁃    The wind blows
    ⁃    Memememe 
    ⁃    Clan Wars
    ⁃    Enav’s Hebrew lessons
    ⁃    Boker tov 
    ⁃    Happy Chanukah 
    ⁃    Peaches and bagels 
    ⁃    Fire burning
    ⁃    # icnextgetscancelled2023 
    ⁃    “It burns”
    ⁃    David Goggins
    ⁃    Indiana Jones
    ⁃    The Blocker Family
    ⁃    Pigeons
    ⁃    Infrastructure
    ⁃    Sleep pictures 
    ⁃    Feet
    ⁃    SENDY 🤙
    ⁃    Stray cats
    ⁃    Zach’s friend Mahmoud 
    ⁃    Talias ability to cook 
    ⁃    “Hey man that’s not cool”
    ⁃    The script
    ⁃    4.5 gpa
    ⁃    AMNON OPHIR
    ⁃    The party never ends 
    ⁃    Ted’s list of incidents 
    ⁃    Jaden’s shawarma 
    ⁃     Speed walking
    ⁃    “GOODBYE GOODBYE”
    ⁃    50 shekels
    ⁃    Destroy lonely 
    ⁃    6:2 ratio
    ⁃    The 7-step process
    ⁃    JCC daycare 
    ⁃    Borat
    ⁃    “No fighting on Shabbat”
    ⁃    Israeli Shaq
    ⁃    Bob Marley 
    ⁃    Did ted graduate???
    ⁃    General Education Degrees from University School located in Hunting Valley, OH
    ⁃    TSA vs Protein Powder 
    ⁃    Ice cream break on June 19th at 6:23 pm
    ⁃    “Amnon I frew up”
    ⁃    Ted’s kickback