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Trip to Poland and Israel left impact

By Joseph Lipper, age 17 | September 1, 2017

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MEMORABLE TIME Joseph Lipper, a senior (and varsity baseball player) at Lamar High School, traveled in a group through Congregation Emanu El.

Last year, I participated in the Shirley Barish Memorial Israel Experience through Congregation Emanu El. SBMIE is a four-week, biannual trip for rising 11th and 12th graders, with one week in Poland and three weeks in Israel.

Even though our time in Poland was short, the sights I encountered and the lessons I learned will have a lifelong impact on me. Seeing concentration camps and memorials that have been put up around the country evoked many emotions from me that I had not previously experienced.

While I learned a lot from my few days in Poland, the trip would not have been complete without visiting Israel. From fun activities like floating in the Dead Sea to religious activities like celebrating Shabbat at the Western Wall, Israel had it all. We even participated in a circus! It’s amazing that one can experience four completely different cultures in the Old City in less than an hour’s walk.

The most memorable experience for me was our hike to the top of Mount Masada. We spent the day prior to our hike riding camels through the Negev Desert before spending the night in Bedouin tents. After waking up early, we hiked up the side of the mountain to one of the most beautiful views I have ever seen. The history and views surrounding the mountain make it one of the coolest places I have ever visited.

While on this trip, we also spent time many days doing community service for the country. One unforgettable experience was visiting the Ethiopian Refugee Center. While there, we played sports with the kids, among other things.

This trip was an opportunity for which I am extremely grateful. While we visited lots of places during my few weeks in Poland and Israel, there is a lot more that we unfortunately did not have time to see, and I hope that someday I will be lucky enough to go back and visit.

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