Long Grove woman tells of life-altering trip to Israel with college group

For Long Grove resident Becky Savitt, a Stevenson High School and University of Illinois grad, a Birthright trip to Israel the summer of 2013 when she was 20 was a life-changing experience.

“It was during this trip I learned how to let go of my perceptions and immerse myself in a completely different culture,” she said.

“I became so comfortable in the amazing country that is Israel and felt at home. I am a completely different person today because of the Birthright trip.”

She decided to study at Tel Aviv University her junior year. She spent six months taking courses in Jewish Studies and Israel-related subjects, then interned in the school's Donor Recognition Program.

Because the trip made such an impact on her, she was chosen by Taglit-Birthright as its April Birthright Ambassador as part of a monthly program, this year marking its 15th anniversary, of offering free, 10-day Birthright heritage trips for Jewish young adults.

Birthright is funding 40,000 trips a year at a cost of $3,000 each. It has 25,000 individual donors, as well as support from the Israel government, the Jewish Federation, the Jewish Agency and Keren Hayesod.

Savitt, who has a degree in communication, is currently looking for work in the Jewish nonprofit space. She attends Congregation Beth Judea in Long Grove. This is an edited transcript of an email interview.

Q: What did it mean to you to be chosen a Birthright Ambassador? What did you have to do as ambassador?

A: When I found out I was chosen to be a Birthright Ambassador, I could not be more thrilled to know that my Birthright experience could help encourage many young American Jews to not only participate in the program, but gain a greater appreciation for Israel.

As an ambassador, I have had to portray how one 10-day trip made such an impact on me when I returned home, and how it continues to affect me every day. There is a much deeper meaning to Birthright than just a free trip to Israel, and that is something I realized the minute I stepped off the plane at Ben-Gurion Airport.

I hope that I can use the title as Birthright Ambassador to exemplify how one young American Jew's perception of Israel instantly changes after Birthright.

Q: When you first decided to go, what got you over the edge? Free trip, chance for an adventure, interest in exploring your heritage?

A: It is very common for girls in my sorority to attend Birthright during the summer before their junior year of college. My friends were going and my parents highly encouraged me to sign up as well.

Since I hadn't been to Israel since 2004, I had no idea what to expect. I thought of this as a free trip with my friends to a country I had learned about for years in Hebrew school. I was excited to experience it with them, and I knew from the girls a year older than me that we would have a blast.

Q: Can you think of a couple of things that really struck you in your first days there?

A: I will never forget stepping off the plane and hearing the Israeli soldiers shout the word “achim,” meaning brothers, multiple times while jumping around in a circle.

Our trip leader instantly told us that we should join in, and we could not have felt more uncomfortable. We had no idea what this word meant and we were extremely embarrassed to be jumping up and down in the middle of an airport.

However, this dance became the highlight of our trip, and by the end we learned to let go of all embarrassment. We learned to laugh at each other, which made us more comfortable as a group. It also became a requirement at every site we went to. To this day, my friends and I continue to shout “achim” every once in awhile.

Our first hike together as a group in the Golan Heights was our first chance to get to know one another. Although the majority of us were from the University of Illinois, many of us were still not very close. Little things like slipping on rocks and falling into giant puddles of water instantly gave our group something to laugh about throughout the 10 days.

Spending a few hours hiking together encouraged us to start conversations with those we did not know before, and it helped us get to know the Israelis on a different level. We were able to see them without their uniforms and share stories about school, the army, and home life.

Q: How did the trip alter your view of Israel? Do you thing about emigrating?

A: Many young Jewish Americans feel as though they will have trouble relating to Israel and its people if they are not religious. It is very common for them to assume there will be no connection. They also tend to focus on what they see in pictures rather than taking the time to travel throughout Israel and see all of its beauty.

After participating on a Birthright trip, I learned that it did not matter what my Jewish background may be. All that mattered was my love and appreciation for Israel. Not everyone in my group was close with one another, and not everyone shared the same views on Judaism, but the love we shared for the country and its people gave us a connection.

After both my Birthright trip and my study abroad experience in Israel, I came to the realization that I wanted to help the country and its people in any way I could. I wanted to make a career out of this by getting involved in a Jewish nonprofit specifically dealing with Israel. I want not only Americans, but others around the world to see how important the country is.

I don't plan on emigrating, but I would love a career that brings me back and forth from Israel. I hope to connect Americans and Israelis with my experiences in the amazing country.

Q: You say you became “a completely different person.” Can you give an example or two?

A: I became more appreciative of both Judaism and Israel. When traveling to a different country, it is important to step out of your comfort zone and accept the fact that there are people who do not live the same lifestyle that you do.

I learned to not let my past perceptions of Israel affect my Birthright experience. This trip showed me that in order to get the full experience of traveling in a different country I have to completely immerse myself. While on Birthright, I made sure to get to know the Israelis and learn from them. I also grew to love the culture and accept the differences and similarities we share.

This trip sparked my interest in going back to Israel for six months the next year for a study abroad program. I became fascinated with traveling and learning to live in a different country independently. It can be a very scary, yet eye-opening, experience to travel outside of the United States, but after Birthright I felt as though I was ready to take on any obstacle with a sense of courage.