I remember standing outside of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, hearing the muslim call to prayer, and all the while being in the Jewish state. That was the moment for me, in which I realized I wanted to bring a little bit of the Holy Land back home. When I came back to UCLA, I reached out to our Hillel and together we put on a Shared Shabbat. Jewish and Christian students got the chance to break bread together, sharing in each other’s faith and culture.
Go to Israel. I don’t just mean going to see the biblical sites; I’m talking about engaging the culture and learning about Israel as a modern state. Passages helped facilitate this experience for me. This new and growing organization gave me the opportunity to hear from speakers on all sides of the issues Israel faces. They gave me a trip that was well-rounded spiritually and educationally on both ancient and modern Israel alike. Students, if you ever get the chance to travel with Passages I promise you will not regret it, and if you’re like me, it will truly change your life forever.
Since my return, I have realized I am not the same person I was upon my departure for Israel. I have a new drive to stand with Israel, sensing that God’s plan for my life post-college is to support the Holy Land in my future occupation. My heart is filled with a passion to be united with Israel thanks to Passages, and I know my life has forever been touched by the generosity of you. I find myself speechless for the wonders I have seen, as they are far greater than words can describe.