Zionism

Originally appeared in In Jewish News Syndicate in www.jns.org, January 25, 2026

The new Nelech initiative offers a high school program with Israeli students as an immersive introduction to the realities of life in the Jewish state.

When 25 10th-graders from Orthodox Jewish day schools across the United States and Canada arrived in Israel on Jan. 20 to begin their semester of studies alongside their Israeli peers at two schools in Gush Etzion in Judea, they embarked on an initiative that aims to change how American Jews understand and relate to Israel. 

These pioneers, here to participate in the new Nelech program, will spend six months learning, going on trips and eating pizza, playing basketball, and spending Shabbats with Israeli peers and their families. 

The 13 girls and 12 boys—from Phoenix, Nashville, Dallas, Philadelphia, Toronto, and various communities in New York and New Jersey—will then return to their schools and communities in North America to complete their high school studies and serve as ambassadors for the Jewish state they experienced up close. 

Their Hebrew fluency and nuanced understanding of Israel will serve as a base for their future relationship with Israel, which may or may not include future aliyah.

Tamar Krieger Kalev, executive director of Tzemach David, a foundation supported by funder David Magerman, explained that the idea for the program grew out of discussions by focus groups with heads of religious schools.

“They were looking for out-of-the-box solutions for people who wanted to stay in Israel after their gap year,” she said.

By the time they complete their post-high school year in Israel, they have often committed to universities in the United States, she said. “One crazy idea came up (in our focus groups)—come to Israel earlier and experience it earlier.”

Krieger Kalev observed that “so much of the American high school experience is focused on resume building, taking AP (Advanced Placement) courses and getting into college.”  

Participating in the Nelech program, which will run for a semester in its pilot year and ultimately operate as a year-long program, may expand the thinking of students and families about post-high school and ultimately future options. These may include studying in Israeli universities, serving in the army and ultimately making aliyah.   

The name for the program, Nelech, which means “Let’s go” in Hebrew, comes from the first chapter of the biblical book of Joshua. The Israelites ask Moses if they could remain on the other side of the Jordan River. He told them they had to first be chalutzim, or pioneers, and only go back after the rest of the nation settled in Israel.  They never went back—they kept their promise to Moses and said, “Wherever you send us, nelech; we will go!”

‘Taking the big idea, applying it to the real world’

The program is headed by Rabbi Rick Schindelheim, a recent American immigrant with extensive experience in Jewish education, Jewish camping and school psychology.

Before moving to Israel with his wife and four children in August 2024, Schindelheim said he was considering jobs in education but “was not totally sure what to do.” Many colleagues had cautioned that, as an Orthodox Jewish educator, he would “need to choose between aliyah and staying in Jewish education in America.”

He noted that, unlike his dentist wife, for whom career options in Israel were clear cut, he was committed to Jewish education and said, “Let me see what I can do.”

He began teaching English as a second language in an Israeli school and teaching classes for the Tikvah Fund. While Schindelheim admitted that teaching English “was not my passion,” the experience taught him that he could connect with Israeli students.

Before he knew it, he said, “An opportunity to run a program came my way. David Magerman had a dream of American kids becoming more rooted in Israel.”

Schindelheim said he was excited about the job, which involves “taking the big idea and applying it to the real world.”

In addition to arranging top-notch speakers, planning trips and creating opportunities to interact with Israeli peers, he will be responsible for such day-to-day tasks as making sure the dorms and meals run smoothly and that there is a plan in place when school is cancelled on short notice.

He added: “My job is to take 25 mid-year students and figure out how to get credit for school and continue without missing a beat.” 

Schindelheim and Tzemach David are partnering with Ohr Torah Stone, a network of 32 educational institutions headed by Rabbi Kenneth Brander, who serves as its president and rosh yeshiva. The formal learning for the Nelech students takes place at two schools that are part of the Ohr Torah Stone network.

The girls are studying at Ulpanat Neve Channah in Givah Tzehuba, near Alon Shvut, while the boys are learning at Yeshivat Neve Shmuel in Efrat.  Both schools are ranked as top 10 high schools in the country.

Brander said he was pleased that more than 100 youngsters applied for the inaugural year of the Nelech program. He foresees an impact of the North Americans on their Israeli peers as well as on their schools.

“Our young people in the two schools and the faculty will be influenced by seeing a larger swath of the Jewish people,” he told JNS. “In a world in which there are so many challenges, to have young people go back with firsthand experience and serve as ambassadors will help us in Israel.  I hope they will look at Israel to continue their post-high school experience!”

Choosing Nelech

The students and parents who accompanied them were visibly excited and a bit nervous about starting their pioneering experience. 

Amalia Strosberg, 15, from Nashville and a student at the Ida Crown Jewish Academy in Chicago, shared, “I chose Nelech because it will allow me to be part of the Israeli high school experience and challenge me academically. I’m really excited to meet the other girls and to build meaningful friendships. Most of all, I hope this year helps me grow in my learning and strengthen my connection to Hashem and the land of Israel.”  

Saul Strosberg was pleased that his daughter “gets to join this cohort of Jewishly motivated high schoolers for what promises to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to immerse in an Israeli-Zionist school in the Gush.”  

Laeya Zaila, 15, of Phoenix and a student at Shearim Torah Academy, said she chose Nelech “because there aren’t many programs that integrate you into Israeli society as this one does.”

She said she was looking forward to forming relationships with Israeli peers, growing Jewishly and becoming more independent, though she acknowledged that she was “slightly nervous about living away from my family and friends.”

But, she added, “I know that as much as I will miss them. I’m going to be having an incredible six-month experience in the Land of Israel, and I’ll see them when it’s over.”

Her mother, Randi Zaila, shared Laeya’s enthusiasm, saying that the “perspective is exactly who our family is, which in our educational community of Phoenix has been difficult to find a perfect match for in high schools. We are so excited for this experience for her and how it will direct her future.”

Her father, Sam Zaila, added, “We are genuinely looking forward to the next six months as she grows in her connection to Israel, deepens her spirituality and matures through this incredible experience.”

‘I am hopeful they will be like rock stars’ 

For Magerman, the funder of the initiative, the key to the program is to expose participants to Israel in a meaningful way before they have committed to universities, when it can be difficult to change course.

In an interview with JNS, Magerman said, “People are getting turned on to Israel as a destination late in their thought process—when they are already accepted and ethically bound to attend college.”

He cautioned that those who stay in Israel after already accepting college offers for American universities would hurt the day schools.
“Universities will be less likely to accept future students if current students don’t honor their commitments.  I want to get parents and day schools on board at the middle school level,” he said.

Magerman suggested that the students who return to North America afterwards, deeply committed to Israel, would have a positive impact both on their peers and their schools.

“If the social leaders in day schools are the basketball players or love Gemara, their peers notice,” he said. “I want to create a set of advocates for Israel. I am hopeful they will be like rock stars. They will go into their junior years and talk about it and influence this generation of high school graduates, and it will trickle down.”

Meanwhile, the pioneering cohort of Nelech students is off and running. The group went straight from Ben-Gurion International Airport to the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City, and is already immersed in their semester of learning and experiencing Israel.

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Originally appeared in In Jerusalem Magazine in jpost.com, January 15, 2026

Explore Jerusalem from the Spirit of Herzl Hotel, where Zionist comics line the halls and history meets comfort in a central location.

It took three days at a centrally located Jerusalem boutique hotel and a conversation with reservations manager Rabie Dabit to finally understand the story behind the large, framed comics featuring great Zionists of the 1990s, portraits of Herzl and Dreyfus, an assortment of lesser-known Zionists, and a coffee-table-sized book for sale behind the reception desk in three languages – English, Hebrew, and French. The book titled Herzl: If You Will It, It Is No Dream, by Abraham Bilah. Welcome to the Spirit of Herzl Boutique Hotel.

According to Dabit, a Christian Arab who has worked at the hotel for 10 years, the property was formerly known as the Shani Hotel – also the Rimonim Shani Hotel or the Lion’s Heart Hotel. It was purchased two years ago by none other than the book’s author himself. Bilah, a French Jew who, according to Dabit, “loves Zionism,” wrote the text for the book on display in the lobby and paid illustrator Kiran Babu to create all the artwork. Scenes from the comic book appear at the entrance and on every floor of the building, from the dining room on minus 1 to the synagogue and the hallways of the six floors containing the hotel’s 80 guestrooms.

Some of the less well-known Zionists you may read about during your buffet breakfast of cheeses, vegetables, eggs, cereal, pastries, and more include Reverend William Hechler (1845–1931), described as “a Christian Zionist who became an early supporter of Theodor Herzl and facilitated early meetings with key figures.” The description notes that “despite his significant contributions to the Zionist movement, Hechler’s role was largely forgotten, and he died in poverty.”

During dinner – which may include brisket, two types of chicken, rice, potatoes, soup, and several salads – you may read about Frederick De Bade (1826–1907), “Grand Duke Frederick of Baden, a German prince who was a key supporter of Theodor Herzl and facilitated access to Kaiser Wilhelm II.”
Downtown location, lots to do inside and out

The hotel is listed as being located at 6 Shamai Street, on a pedestrian-only street across from Dublin Irish Pub at Shamai 4. The entrance, however, is technically on Darom Street, between streets named after Hillel and Shamai, the famous first-century sages. The hotel sits around the corner from the Prima Vera Hotel at 23 Hillel and is a three-minute walk from shops and restaurants on and around Ben Yehuda Street, as well as virtually any type of store a traveler might need, from a laundry to a 24/6 convenience store and an Asian supermarket.

Promoting the face of Zionism at the reception desk. (credit: HOWARD BLAS)

The Spirit of Herzl features 80 rooms across six floors. When our Birthright autism spectrum group stayed there recently for five nights, the hotel was nearly full over Shabbat, hosting Birthright groups from Russia and Argentina, a group from Mexico, a bar mitzvah group, and a bride and groom celebrating a post-wedding Shabbat with 50 guests.

When the hotel reaches capacity, there is limited space in the lobby or elsewhere to relax, play cards, eat sunflower seeds, or hold a quiet conversation. The synagogue, lecture hall, small meeting room on the benonim (in between) floor, and the two meeting rooms just to the left of the entrance – accessible only from outside – were all in use by other groups.

On quieter weekday mornings and evenings, after Shabbat guests departed, Birthright groups had a choice of meeting spaces. Dabit noted that during the summer months, tables and chairs on the patio near the entrance also serve as a meeting area.

Safe room, safe in a room

My corner room on the sixth floor was very comfortable. Giant windows offered views in two directions – north toward the midrehov and west. A larger-than-expected refrigerator allowed me to store Shabbat treats, and an electric kettle and a Landwer coffeemaker with pods were a nice touch. As often happens in hotels, one item was missing: the pods did not arrive until several days into my stay. The room had been recently renovated, and the bathroom featured a spacious walk-in shower with a fully closing glass door – something I have come not to expect in many hotels, where wet floors are common.

Rooms measure 24 square meters and offer either a double bed or two single beds. The website lists “Classic” rooms ($121 per night on weekdays, $158 on Shabbat) and “Superior” rooms ($133 or $170), both suitable for singles or couples. The “Grand Classic,” measuring 27 sq. m., accommodates a couple and a small child or third adult ($151 on weeknights). A “Classic Family Room” fits a couple with two children ($158), while the Classic Suite, starting at $194, accommodates families of up to six.

I appreciated the presence of a safe, though it was too small to hold even my very small computer, and it was broken – something I discovered minutes before Shabbat began. The front desk, sensing the urgency in my voice as I was carrying 24 Birthright passports, responded quickly and sent a technician before I returned to my room. When he ultimately informed me that it could not be fixed, I was directed to the front desk to receive a special key.

The hotel features two elevators, one set to Shabbat mode. Both were large enough to accommodate a wheelchair, which was regularly used by one of our participants and her attendant. We were pleased to find the hotel largely accessible – until we attempted to access the benonim floor with the synagogue and discovered that this floor alone lacks elevator access, a fact that had not been shared with us in advance.

Zionist pride is evident everywhere. (credit: HOWARD BLAS)

We were also surprised that, given the recent wars and the possibility of future attacks from Iran, there were no signs indicating the location of a miklat (bomb shelter) or ma’amad (safe room). After considerable inquiry, we learned that guest room 611, and presumably similar rooms on each floor, serve as protected spaces. The minus 1 dining room is the preferred shelter, as is the stairwell. We were still uncertain about the best option for our participant who uses a wheelchair in the event of an azakah (alarm).

A comic journey

Despite these minor flaws, the hotel was comfortable and conveniently located. Birthright participants loved being able to walk to a kosher McDonald’s or Pizza Hut, or purchase a kippah or necklace, all within five minutes. Within 12 minutes, they could enjoy mouthwatering rugelach at Marzipan in the Mahaneh Yehuda shuk. During heavy rains, they appreciated free Wi-Fi and the wide selection of channels on the large television.

And if they grew bored or wanted to learn more about Zionism in comic form, they could wander the halls and read.

The hotel’s owner, also the comic’s author, describes his journey to Israel in 1983, his career as a lawyer, and his financial struggles as a writer. He writes playfully, “I have a knack for wasting a lot of money with all my artistic creations, and I have to get back to business if I am to fund my next fad.”

He explains his decision to write about Herzl, noting that “the dialogue is drawn from both Herzl’s diaries and President Georges Clemenceau’s memories,” referring to France’s prime minister from 1906-09. Bilah concludes,

“Some continue to utter hideous slander about Herzl for ideological reasons. This book is my humble contribution to the man to whom we owe today the ability to live independently on our ancestral land.” He does not explain how he acquired the funds to purchase the hotel.

While visiting Jerusalem and exploring the ancestral land, the Spirit of Herzl is hard to beat at its price point, historical significance, and terrific location.

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Original article published in the Jerusalem Post

“If I stayed, there would have been too many temptations, so we decided to come here. It has been a fantastic roller-coaster experience!”

When Jonathan Balkin traveled from South Africa to Israel in 1971 to participate in Hadracha, a course that included participants from Betar, Bnei Akiva and Habonim, he had no idea he would meet his future wife on the plane, make aliyah, spend his entire professional medical career at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem and live in Alon Shvut, surrounded by supportive and loving community members.

On the plane from South Africa to Israel, Balkin became friends with Terri, a female Habonim participant from the town of Stellenbosch near Cape Town. After two years of writing letters (“There was no Zoom or even TV in South Africa, and calls were very expensive”), Balkin reports, “The friendship blossomed into a meaningful relationship.” Jonathan and Terri eventually married and made aliyah in January, 1977, the day after he “qualified” (completed his studies) in medicine. Despite coming from a prominent medical family where both his father and grandfather were doctors – and a likely promising career in South Africa – Balkin knew it was the right time to make aliyah. 

Balkin concedes, “In South Africa at that time, it was paradise if you were white. I personally came from a family where my grandfather was one of the premier physicians in Johannesburg and had taught all of my teachers. He was an active communal person, and was very involved in setting up and running the hevra kadisha [Jewish burial society], which was really the tzedakah of the community. I had a fantastic career open to me there but I wanted to come to Israel!”

Terri was less certain. “We had discussed coming to Israel in our letters, and sorted out a lot,” notes Balkin, acknowledging that Terri was less certain in those days about coming to Israel. “If you asked her in those days, she would say she didn’t want to come. But having come, she is eternally grateful.” 

Dr. Balkin adds thoughtfully, “If I stayed, there would have been too many temptations, so we decided to come here. It has been a fantastic roller-coaster experience!”

An Israeli flag [Ilustrative] (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)

Balkin’s family of origin was always committed to Israel and Zionism. “I was encouraged to be a Zionist, probably almost from birth. My grandmother was a member of the Women’s Zionist League in South Africa, she was in WIZO (Women’s International Zionist Organization) and came to Palestine in 1935 as a WIZO delegate. She came by boat! It took about six weeks just to get to Palestine at that time, and back. So I was brought up with a very Zionistic influence.” 

Balkin was active in Bnei Akiva while growing up in Johannesburg. “I became religious as a result. The first Shabbat I ever kept was in Bnei Akiva. I realized that Shabbat can be kept in a modern world.” He adds, “Bnei Akiva had a tremendous influence upon me and upon my outlook, and I’d already decided during my studies that I wanted to make my life in Israel.” His wife was affiliated with Habonim growing up. 

Prior to coming to Israel and Kibbutz Rosh Tzurim in January 1977, the Balkins and others had set up a garin (small group) of professionals. “We called it ‘Garin Snoopy.’ We were naïve and innocent. They were a traditional kibbutz where you worked in the lul [chicken coop] or nagaria [carpentry shop]. They had no concept of what a professional is. After a year, we realized that, unfortunately, it was not for us.” Things might have worked out differently had they made aliyah years later. “Ten or 15 years later, kibbutzim woke up and realized they couldn’t survive without professionals.” 

After a year on Kibbutz Rosh Tzurim, where their first child was born, the Balkins moved in 1978 to Alon Shvut and Balkin started his medical internship. “I was fortunate to do cardiology. My mentor was the late Prof. Monty Zion, also from South Africa.” Dr. Zion, who died in 2016 at age 91, was chief of cardiology at Shaare Zedek and a clinical professor at the Hebrew University. “He was an old-style cardiologist with a tremendous understanding of the physical examination as well as being open to new ideas which were happening at the time, especially in cardiology.” 

Balkin admired Zion’s commitment to traditional medical practices as well as his openness to new ideas. “When we started the department of cardiology in 1978 or ’79, there were lots of new things happening, and he was open to that, while at the same time, to continue teaching in a traditional fashion with an emphasis on hands-on, history and examination and understanding the patient.” 

Balkin has followed in his mentor’s footsteps and is now respected by others for his distinguished cardiology career. He served as director of Shaare Zedek’s Intensive Coronary Care Unit, which is responsible for accurate diagnosis and initial acute care of cardiac patients, and for actively working to prevent coronary damage in his patients.

Balkin has seen the hospital grow from being housed in its original 1904 building (“the physical conditions were awful until 1980”) to its current building. “It has been an unbelievable change, offering fantastic impetus for development.” 

He raves about his nurse colleagues and about working in a religious hospital. “The nurses really have dedication and love for caring for people.” He adds, “Coming to work in a religious hospital was a real change. The atmosphere at Shaare Zedek was totally different from anything I experienced before. The modesty and behavior were very different from what I experienced in South Africa. This was an amazing thing.” 

Balkin is similarly pleased with the caliber of doctors he works with – and with their extraordinary training. “It is amazing to see what has happened in Israel over the last 45 years – in medicine in general and in cardiology in particular. In the ’70s and ’80s, they were sending their best guys to the best places in the US for fellowships. Almost all heads of all departments are Israeli-born and spent time at the best institutions in the US. Israel is now at a world-class standard in almost all fields. It has been a wonderful experience to have been part of that. I’ve had a fantastic career here in Israel.”

BALKIN ACKNOWLEDGES that his family’s early years in Israel were “quite tough.” They had no close family in Israel to help with child care or with other situations requiring support – no easy task with his busy medical schedule and Terri working as a physiotherapist. He reports, “The Alon Shvut community is amazing,” and credits them with helping out in many crucial ways. “When my wife was on bed rest many years ago for two or three months, I came home from work and found food on the table, laundry done and the place cleaned – by people I had never met. That’s when I realized this community is wonderful and it is a real privilege to be part of it.” 

The Balkins are proud parents of four adult children who all live in Israel and are “all frum [observant], in very different ways.” One daughter, a biologist, lives nearby in Alon Shvut. One son is a teacher, one son is an actor and another is a teacher turned medical student. Balkin recounts the story of his soon-to-be-a-doctor-son with obvious pride, given this will make four generations of Balkins in medicine. “His wife said he should be a doctor, and he is almost done with his studies.” 

While the Balkins always spoke with their children in English – and are trying hard to make sure their grandchildren understand and speak English – they are proud of how hard they worked to master Hebrew. “I was determined to speak Hebrew. I broke my teeth and am still breaking my teeth 40 years later. People at work laugh but I was determined to write notes in Hebrew, speak to patients in Hebrew and make presentations in Hebrew. I still make mistakes but people appreciate the effort. You can’t really be part of life without Hebrew. It is part of being in Israel. I think it is a good thing for us.”

The Balkins truly love living in Israel and experiencing all that Israel has to offer. “Israel is a land of olim. And the people I’ve had the privileged to meet – Holocaust survivors, people from North African countries, the Soviet Union, people who have come with nothing and built a life for themselves – make this place such a great country. People just accept you.” 

Balkin acknowledges that many immigrants had difficulties mastering Hebrew and this prevented them from working in their fields – despite excellent educations in their home countries. “Then you see the second and third generation and how they have changed. It is just wonderful.”


Jonathan BalkinFrom Johannesburg, South Africa to Kibbutz Rosh Tzurim, 1977, to Alon Shvut, 1978

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Original Article in the Jerusalem Post

As the bus rolls up to the army base, A., one of the participants on the first ever Amazing Israel: Ramah Tikvah trip, begins to cry.

“No, there are soldiers here and they’ll have guns,” she moans. “No, no, no, no.”

Staff member Liz Offen speaks quietly and calmly.

“I know this is difficult for you,” she tells A. “We’re here for you. I know you can do this.”

A., holding hands with a friend, cautiously gets off the bus. At first she won’t even enter the large warehouse where special needs Israeli soldiers are folding army uniforms. She sits down outside, her friend with her, but she has stopped crying.

The participants on this Birthright trip, most of whom have attended the Tikvah program at different Ramah camps in the US, have a wide range of disabilities, both physical and emotional. They have come to the Bilu army base in Rehovot, outside Tel Aviv, to meet Israeli soldiers who also have disabilities and who are part of the Special in Uniform project.

The project takes more than 300 young Israelis with significant disabilities and trains them to do simple jobs in the army. It starts when the participants are still in school, which they attend until age 21. They can then volunteer for the army, and, if found suitable, can be inducted. 

The Bilu army base is a logistical base for the Paratroopers Brigade. Today, the students are folding army uniforms and tying them together in stacks of five. They come one day a week as part of their school program.

“The goal is to integrate them into Israeli society,” said Tiran Attia, a retired lieutenant-colonel, who runs the program. “It is good for them, but it is also good for the regular soldiers. It teaches them to become more compassionate.

The army runs a separate program called Ro’im Rahok (Seeing Far), which integrates young high-functioning adults with autism in Israeli intelligence units.

The young uniform folders carry tables outside so that the Birthright participants can help with the folding. A few participate, but most just watch.

The Birthright participants enjoy putting on Israeli army uniform shirts and hats. One young man proudly says that his father served in the army and he is happy to be visiting an army base.

This is the first time that Birthright Israel has partnered with Tikvah of Camp Ramah. Tikvah is a program for campers with special needs at each of the Ramah camps. The Camp Ramah spirit infuses this trip, which includes daily tefillot, or morning prayers, as well as a spirited version of “Rise and Shine” complete with hand gestures.

Howard Blas, the director of the National Ramah Tikvah Network, and one of the organizers of the special needs trip, says they made some changes to the traditional Birthright itinerary, while still hitting up the major sites in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, the Golan Heights, Masada and the Dead Sea.

For example, the group did visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem, but kept to a few of the smaller exhibits, rather than the main museum, which can take several hours to go through and is difficult to exit once you begin.

“We did a lot of things that are very multi-sensory like chocolate making, a jeep ride in the Golan and tree planting,” he said. “We also tried to do as many things as possible with animals because they love animals.”

Birthright has so far brought 600,000 Jews on free 10-day trips to Israel, including 2,000 adults with special needs.

Birthright CEO Gidi Marks says it is committed to bringing every young Jew who wants to visit Israel on a trip.

“OFFERING SPECIAL needs trips fits in with our broad mission of enabling each and every young Jew around the world, regardless of their circumstances, to take part in a once in a lifetime trip to Israel and connect with their Jewish heritage and identity,” he said. “These trips include all the hallmarks of the usual Birthright Israel experience: heritage sites, Israeli peers and countless special moments allowing them to connect with Israel and the Jewish heritage. Additional staffing and educational content customizations are made when and where necessary.”

For the parents of these young adults, it was a chance for their kids to be just like their neuro-typical siblings.

“I don’t think he would get an opportunity like this any other way,” Aron Wolf, whose son Danny has cerebral palsy and limited verbal ability, said. “I was skeptical that it would come through but it did. As far as I know, this is the first time that somebody with Danny’s disabilities has been included in any Birthright trip.”

Birthright Israel funded a caretaker for Danny, as well. His parents, like the parents of all the young adults on the trip, were thrilled to see the photos posted on Facebook each day. They also checked in with the caretaker frequently by phone.

“It sounds corny but he has the same birthright as any other young adult who is Jewish to experience Israel independently without his parents,” Danny’s mother, Michelle Wolf, said.

This is the first time that Danny has been so far from home. While he attends Camp Ramah in California, Michelle says that she is just a short flight away. She says she was concerned about sending Danny so far away alone.

“The idea of him being so far away from me was difficult,” she said. “I would have never even considered it if he hadn’t spent all of those summers at Camp Ramah.”

Tour guide Doron Kornbluth specially requested to guide this Birthright group. While most Israeli tour guides compete to stuff in as many sites and as much content as possible, Kornbluth said he had to take the participants’ disabilities into account.

“YOUR EXPECTATIONS have to be completely different,” he said. “A tour guide who is really invested wants to start early, end late, pack in a lot of information, teach a lot of history and that’s just not doable for this group. You cannot do as much at all.”

Another challenge is the range of disabilities of the participants. While all of them, except Danny, are able to walk, and most are able to speak clearly, a few are higher functioning.

Rachel Tracosas, 22, from Madison, Wisconsin, has high-functioning autism.

“It’s been an amazing experience to connect with my roots here in Israel,” she said. “I loved going donkey riding and going to the Kotel, which is what my brother did when he did Birthright last summer.”

The participants seemed to connect deeply with each other. Tracosas fed Danny at a lunch stop when the participants were given a budget and could choose what they wanted from a kosher food court in a local mall. Even that small independent step was exciting for them. They looked at all possible choices and discussed them before making their final decision.

Michelle Wolf said Danny’s caretaker told her that he is popular and that the participants all wanted to push his stroller. During lunch, several of the girls gathered around him, feeding him and smoothing his hair.

And every morning, when Danny managed to pull himself onto the bus by himself, his new friends gave him a spontaneous round of applause

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