A Taglit shalom and bon voyage
IT’S the trip of a lifetime for 160 young adults from Sydney and Melbourne, and as they prepared for their visit to Israel on the Taglit-Birthright program through the Zionist Federation of Australia (ZFA), the groups met for a send-off last Thursday.
IT’S the trip of a lifetime for 160 young adults from Sydney and Melbourne, and as they prepared for their visit to Israel on the Taglit-Birthright program through the Zionist Federation of Australia (ZFA), the groups met for a send-off last Thursday.
The participants, aged 22-26, will leave for Israel next month on the Taglit-Birthright Israel trips, organised by Hagshama, the ZFA’s young adult department, which will be sending the Australian delegation on two buses.
The buses, funded by Gandel Philanthropy – the principal Australian supporter – will enable young adults, some of who are largely unaffiliated with the Australian Jewish community and have never visited Israel, to experience Taglit-Birthright.
Gathering at the Lamm Jewish Library in Melbourne, the departees met Gandel Philanthropy chair John Gandel and Pauline Gandel, as well as Vedran Drakulic, CEO of Gandel Philanthropy and two of the organisation’s trustees. Sydneysiders gathered to join in the event by Skype.
John Gandel stated: “My family strongly believes in supporting programs that foster and enhance Jewish continuity and identity, and help develop the future leaders in our community. Evidence shows that the Taglit-Birthright Israel program has been a major contributor to strengthening Jewish continuity around the world. We are very proud to be associated with it.”
Four participants spoke at the pre-departure sessions – Lillian Pearce and Cameron Levy from Melbourne, and Keir Wilkins and Marissa Belinfante in Sydney.
Pearce talked about how the trip would help strengthen her connection to Judaism and Israel, given her extended family has largely married out over the years. She said her family’s Pesach seder was the one remaining tradition reminding them of their Jewish heritage.
In Sydney, Belinfante, who grew up in an area of Sydney with very few Jews and did not go to a Jewish school, said the Taglit-Birthright Israel trip was a great way for her to meet more young Jewish people and to feel more a part of the community.
The travellers received Taglit hats and T-shirts for them to wear as gifts for the trip.
Multiple studies conducted by the Cohen Centre at Brandeis University showed that 71 per cent of participants marry Jewish partners, compared to 49 per cent among non-Taglit participants. Taglit participants are also 35 per cent more likely than non-participants to feel confident in explaining the situation in Israel after their 10-day trip.
AJN STAFF
Pauline and John Gandel (centre) with the Melbourne Taglit participants.
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