This Spring Break marked the first-ever Kellogg Trek to Israel. With the help of JUF’s JCRC/Hillel Israel initiative, 29 an interfaith group of second-year students and spouses, most of whom had never been to Israel before, packed their bags and headed to the Promised Land. Inspired by peer schools like Harvard, Wharton and Stanford, which have had Israel Treks for several years, second-year Israeli students and Jewish Business Association (JBA) co-chairs Mickey Gafny and Aner Ben-Ami, and Melissa Renny wanted Kellogg students to have the chance to experience Israel through the eyes of their Israeli classmates. Based on the trip’s overwhelming success, the JBA is working to make sure that the Israel Trek becomes a yearly Kellogg tradition.
The trip began in Jerusalem, the city of gold, where we enjoyed our first, of many, five-course Israeli dinners, explored Christian, Jewish and Muslim religious sites, met with the Governor of the Bank of Israel, Stanley Fischer (Ben Bernanke’s thesis advisor!), tried Israeli falafel for the first time, and wandered through ancient markets and thousand-year old tunnels. Then it was on to the Mediterranean city of Tel Aviv, where we met with entrepreneur Yossi Vardi and political analyst Gidi Grinstein, spent a day lying on the beach, drank Cava on the sidewalk before dinner, and partied into the early hours of the morning.
We then headed north to the lush green hills of the Golan, where we visited the historical cities of Nazareth and Tzfat, learned what a Kibbutz is and how it works, hiked to a waterfall, and sampled Israeli wines. The highlight here was a visit to the Syrian border, where we learned about Israel’s political and military history, and saw Syria and Lebanon from the heights of Mount Bental.
Next we traveled south to the desert, and experienced weightlessness as we swam in the Dead Sea – the lowest point in the world – which is so salty that you float immediately upon entering the water. After mud baths, we traveled to a Bedouin encampment, where we rode camels, learned about Bedouin culture, and slept all together in one giant tent. The next morning we rose early (4am early!) to hike up Masada, an ancient fortress, in time to see the sun rise.
On our last day, we visited an Israeli Air Force base, and got a behind-the-scenes tour of the Israeli military, as well as an up close view of F15s and F16s. Finally, we headed back to Tel Aviv, for one last five course dinner and a final night out on the town. Thanks to JUF’s Israel Initiative for being so supportive of this trip – we hope to work together again next year!
Melissa Renny will graduate in June from the Kellogg School of Management. While at Kellogg, she majored in Marketing, Strategy and Social Enterprise, and was the President of the Jewish Business Association. Prior to Kellogg, Melissa worked for the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee in as Assistant Director of Board Relations, and after Kellogg she plans to work for Kraft Foods as an Associate Brand Manager.
She and her two Israeli co-chairs conceived of the trip last spring, when they realized that Kellogg students traveled all over the world, but not to Israel. In an attempt to change this, they put together a trip and opened it to the student body. It sold out in 2 hours. The result was 29 Kellogg students from all backgrounds, races and religions, traveling together for 10 days and learning about Israeli history, modern Israeli culture, and each other.
