I thought young American Jews don’t care for Israel anymore. This doesn’t make any sense, then.
Instead of spending their winter vacation with their families, 120 American college students have come to volunteer in the Negev – despite the proximity to the war in Gaza.
The students, participating in the Jewish National Fund’s weeklong Alternative Winter Break, had to raise a minimum of $950 each toward construction of a JNF protected indoor playground in Sderot, set to open later in 2009.
“Even though there’s a war, I wanted to show my support and that I wasn’t going to be afraid to go to the place that I love,” said Jesse Golodner, 23, from Philadelphia. He studies at the University of Central Florida, and arrived in Israel on Tuesday night.
Golodner and his fellow students spent the day painting inside a community center in Arad, and were personally greeted by Mayor Gideon Bar-Lev.
“Everyone else was more scared for me than I was,” said Jennifer Schwarz, 19, from Rockville, Maryland, and a student at the University of Maryland.
Amazing how when American Jews show their solidarity, they do something positive. When American Palestinians show their solidarity, they attack American Jews.
We’ll give Jennifer the last word:
“My coming was an act of solidarity,” she said. “My Israeli friends are happy that I came, but still think I’m crazy.”
Update: You can donate to the Jewish National Fund, which sponsors kids like these, here.
I’m so in awe of these kids. This is but one more example of what it means to be Jewish. No matter how bleak things may seem we go on, we band together. And we live.
On January 20th, over one million Americans in uniform will give their total loyalty to a new President, regardless of the fact that he’s a Democrat. Can 60 million Democrats say the same thing about their loyalty for the President for the last 8 years? If they can’t, neither can they claim the title of Patriot.
The left loves to say that American Jews
are distancing themselves from Israel.
As you point out, that is simply not true.
And besides the Jewish people in America,
10’s of millions of TRUE Christians also
support the tiny, democratic State of Israel.
God bless them all, I belave some day (we may not witness) middle east will be world biggest force in the planet and one or tow generation will follows the steps of the majorities of israel sons whome revert to the pathe of mosess and ibraham .
And a good point – when was the last time a Jew attacked an Arab (or other Moslem) outside of Israel? There doesn’t seem to be such a thing as “Sudden Maccabee Syndrome.”
Good for them! And yes, can we lay aside the idea that somehow American Jews are losing their connection to Israel? Us young’uns relate differently, yes, but we love and we care.