Melinda Hartz, 24, remembers being five minutes away from a 2016 terrorist attack in Nice, France, when an ISIS fighter deliberately rammed a truck through a huge crowd, killing 86 people.
While Hartz wrestled with her Jewish identity at the University of Miami, she began to cling more firmly to her culture after Oct. 7. When she had the opportunity to join a group of 23- to 25-year-olds on a Taglit-Birthright trip to Israel; the Austinite decided to go despite a strong possibility of war breaking out between the Jewish State, Hezbollah and Iran.
“After what happened in France when I was younger, it became clear that you can be in the right place at the right time or the wrong place at the wrong time,” Hartz told Unpacked.
“Some friends thought I shouldn’t go and said I would just be in bomb shelters the whole time, but I trusted Taglit-Birthright. My parents were supportive of seeing me go.
“I was tired of only watching things on the news, and I wanted to be there. It’s all about perspective. You can’t stop your life due to fear and you need to do things in life in line with your values.”
Unpacked spoke to participants of a Taglit-Birthright trip that arrived in Israel the day a rumored Iranian attack would hit the Holy Land. They expressed their fears of traveling during that time, but ultimately, why they decided to ignore their concerns and hopped on a plane to Israel.
Many fear traveling to Israel amid increased tensions with Iran, Hezbollah
Founded by Charles Bronfman and Michael Steinhardt in 1994, in conjunction with the Israeli government and the Jewish Agency for Israel, Taglit-Birthright provides free trips for Jewish 18- to 26-year-olds to see the Holy Land. These trips aim to strengthen participants’ connections to Israel and Jewish identity. It is estimated that 850,000 young adults from 68 countries have participated.
From Oct. 7 to Jan. 2024, Birthright trips were suspended. Many families have been concerned about their children going on the 10-day trip amid increased tensions at Israel’s borders.
While Hezbollah has been shooting rockets at Northern Israel for months, the terrorist movement and Iran have recently called for increased attacks against the Jewish State. Iran claimed there would be retaliation for the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, which took place in Tehran while he was in the Islamic Republic for the inauguration of the new president. The hit was believed to have been done by Israel, but it has neither confirmed it nor denied its involvement.
Why participants and leaders joined the trip despite threats from Iran
Uzi Pohl, 25, a West Virginia University graduate, decided to take his trip to Israel ahead of his new job working at the Hillel house at Michigan State University.
He said that since there were reports that Iran might attack on Tisha B’Av — a fast day that commemorates tragedies in Jewish history, including the destruction of the holy Temples in Jerusalem — he was apprehensive about traveling to Israel during that time.
“There was a bit of nervousness,” Pohl said. “But once we were in Israel, things changed and I was mainly thinking about the people I was meeting and the connection to the country.”
Pohl, who was raised in the Reform movement, said that a classmate had previously thrown pennies at him. Still, the Philadelphia native continued to wear his Jewish star necklace. He loved the experience of delving into Judaism during his Birthright trip and connecting spiritually with Israel.
He said the highlight was praying by the Western Wall, known as the Kotel.
“I was very present at that moment,” Pohl said. “A lot of people gave me prayers for them, so my prayer felt unselfish. When I felt the wind, I felt Like God was listening to my prayers. As for the trip, I’ll quote Hillel, who said, ‘If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am not for others, what am I? And if not now, when?’”
Aaron Herman, 45, had already led more than 14 Taglit-Birthright Trips before his most recent tour. However, now that he is a married father-of-two, Herman’s family was skeptical of him leaving Westchester, New York, to lead the trip to Israel as Iran promised retaliation. Other organizations had canceled their trips, and a few participants had dropped out of his tour group, but he was determined to continue with his plans as usual.
“We knew, of course there was a possibility of something but also a possibility that it would not happen. My sons were understandably worried and didn’t want me to go,” Herman said. “I give credit to my wife, Tani who told me she supported me going. It was an honor to lead the group. When I saw them show up at the airport, it filled me with joy to know this was happening. I am very proud.
“I think Gen Z sometimes is unfairly criticized as being only into social media and not thinking about the world. It’s not a challenge to do things when times are easy. It’s during tough times that you find out who you really are,” he continued, adding that he enjoyed working with his participants to volunteer and prepare 500 sandwiches for IDF soldiers with Revital Ben-Tzur.
Ben-Tzur, who lives in Tel Aviv, was thankful that the group went forward with their trip. She began Chamal Shel Revital, which has prepared Shabbat dinners for around 150,000 Israelis and sandwiches for those on active duty. She believes that the Taglit group’s efforts made a difference to the soldiers and everyday Israelis, who often feel isolated in this time of turmoil.
“I was shocked they came,” Ben-Tzur said. “It made me happy to see them. What we do makes soldiers feel that they are not alone. For this group to come, it lets us know we are not alone.”
Participants don’t regret going forward with their trip
Hartz felt that the trip was impactful, especially during the tension. She recounted that her most meaningful memories were speaking to an Israeli soldier who was wounded on Oct. 7, meeting Druze citizens, and speaking with Israelis who hoped more Americans would visit.
“I am really glad I went, and the trip made me feel more connected,” she said.
Pohl added that the trip is important for Jews to take and that he believes anyone who goes on a Birthright tour will feel a lasting impact.
“It was an unforgettable experience,” he said. “Far away, it’s easy to hear slogans and not be clear on what Israel is about. Being there, you see the diversity, you see the sacrifice, you see the hard work and the realization of living a dream that was promised. In a time with so much misinformation, I think it could not be more important for young Jews to make the trip because it will not only fill their hearts, it will empower them to speak from a place of first-hand knowledge.”
The importance of going through with Birthright
Daniel Mirinson of Ashdod, Israel, traveled with the group for five days and answered their questions about the Israeli experience.
“Their whole trip was a big question,” he told Unpacked. “Up until they came, I didn’t know if it would be canceled or not. I know they came when there was a major threat,” he said.
While Americans continue to fret about traveling to Israel, Sabras like Mirinson have trained their whole lives to remain calm when Hamas attacks.
“I am kind of desensitized. Since I was young, Hamas fired rockets at us and it meant I had to stay inside and play video games, but of course looking back, it is sad it became a normal thing,” he said.
Mirinson believes that the group benefited from traveling to Israel and seeing the country, even during a time of war. He added that Israelis look forward to Americans continuing to go on Birthright trips and hope that the visitors appreciate it as well.
“I think the group definitely appreciated being here, and you could tell the experience meant a lot to them. Israelis appreciate it when Americans visit,” he said
Herman and his trip returned to America about a week ago. The group leader said he prayed for the hostages and was saddened to hear of the news of the of murder of six hostages: Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi, Carmel Gat, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarisi, and master Sgt. Ori Danino.
Still, he hopes that the continuation of Birthright trips—even during times of war—gives Jews abroad the opportunity to support Israel. He believes that these trips are an opportunity to foster deeper connections between diaspora Jews and their homeland, emphasizing that allowing Americans to see Israel will only make their Jewish identity richer.
“I think there are times where it can certainly feel hopeless,” Herman said. “There are many things out of our control. But our ability to help and how we continue the connection to the land and our people is in our hands.”
