UK Teens Flock To Israel
Despite the ongoing crisis in the north of the country, two more youth movements set off for Israel this week to join 1,000 teenagers already on summer schemes there.
Israel Experience, a partnership of the UJIA and Jewish Agency that oversees the tours of several youth movements, currently has more than ten groups in Israel boasting a total of 1,350 participants.
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As a result of security and safety concerns the programmes of the tours have changed on a daily basis and have been directed away from the north, where the rocket fire is concentrated, and are now focused in the centre and the south.
However, Goldberg insisted that Israel Experience, together with the individual movements, was “working very hard to not have the educational integrity of the programme compromised”.
Due to the changes in itineraries, concerned parents are being updated of their children’s whereabouts on a regular basis, with twice-daily emails informing them exactly where their offspring are and what they have been getting up to.
Emails from the individual movements have also included messages from children telling families back home how much they have been enjoying themselves.
Benjy Sanford, 17, from Borehamwood, is currently in Israel with Bnei Akiva.
He said: “Despite the situation in Israel at the moment, it has made the group feel stronger and want to be here more. It is really enhancing the time we are having as everything has so much more meaning.”
British tourism to Israel has also remained largely unaffected. Adam Huberman, General Manager of Issta Travel, said: “We are operating flights as normal, and so far have had no cancellations, with only a handful of people changing their dates, and most of our flights continue to be almost full.”
Moreover, the Israel Government Tourist Office reported very few cancellations of holidays although some holidaymakers who were planning on travelling to the north are now choosing to stay in central Israel.
Yael Katsman, Director of Communications for Nefesh B’Nefesh, an organisation that takes western Jews to Israel to make aliyah, said the current crisis had prompted only a small number of postponements but no cancellations.
Speaking ahead of a flight that was due to take 230 olim from New York to Israel on Wednesday, she added: “People are even more determined and looking forward to the flight tomorrow.”
In a message to concerned parents, David Goldberg added: “The kids are having a fantastic time and we are guided by the excellent security advice from the Jewish Agency security department, and we are modifying the programmes as and when necessary.”
Meanwhile, Jewish News columnist Rabbi Yitzchak Schochet, who is heading a U30-strong UK delegation on a Birthright tour of Israel, said: “Out of 200 Europeans due to come, only around 50 from Germany and Hungary pulled out.
“There’s a certain air of trepidation, but there’s an overwhelming sense of defiance. Wherever we visit, the locals are so pleased to see us and thank us for coming.”
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