On Sept. 14, an article headlined "Young American Jews feel less connected to Israel" was published in Jewish News. This article presented an interesting relationship between the low connection of young adults to Israel and how many times they have visited the country. It stated that about 42 percent of young American Jews who had never gone to Israel before felt a low connection to Israel. This percentage however decreased to only 17 percent after a single trip. It then went on to say that 52 percent of young Jews feel a high connection to Israel after two or more trips.
These statistics shocked me, I was not aware of how many young Jews my age do not feel the same connection to Israel as I have. This past summer, I traveled to Israel for six weeks. The experience gave me a closer connection to Israel and my Jewish heritage. However, I felt very connected to Israel even before I went. My connection to Israel can probably be attributed to my Jewish day school education from preschool through eighth grade and my involvement in BBYO, a Jewish youth group.
Being involved in BBYO made me realize how important Israel is to the Jewish people even before I went there. It helped teach me about my heritage and it gave me an idea of what kind of experience I was going to have in Israel. After my trip this past summer, I feel an even stronger bond and connection to the Holy Land. I learned so much from the trip and there has not been one day since I have returned that Israel has not been in my thoughts.
The reason Israel is a vital key to Jewish survival is something that I now understand better. Israel holds so much of our history and is such an incredible destination.
I feel that the statistics in this article sadly reflect how the majority of the teens in Phoenix who have never been to Israel feel. Any teen who travels to Israel on a program similar to mine, such as Passport to Israel or Taglit-birthright israel, is sure to gain a strong, deep connection to Israel. I hope that each teen has an opportunity to take this life-changing trip and will gain a better connection and appreciation for our homeland. I personally cannot wait to go back to Israel; I plan on spending at least a semester there during college.
This low attachment to Israel in the younger generation in the United States will be detrimental to Israel's future. I believe it is my duty to get Jews my age involved in Israel, and encourage them to travel to this incredible place. My generation is fortunate enough to not know what it is like to live without a Jewish homeland; which may have hindered their appreciation of the state.
With just one trip, I know that Israel isn't just some place halfway across the world, but it is another place I can call home. I hope for every other teen my age to feel the same way after their first journey to Israel.
Rachel Groetsch is an 11th-grader at Chaparral High School in Scottsdale.
