Meet your #Bus447 Staff
Get ready for an amazing adventure! #Birthright #Shorashim
*All pictures are either from your staff’s first trip to Israel, in general or as a staff person, or one of their favorite places*
Lital Shaltiel
Why is it important to you to have Israelis on the trip for all 10 days?
I think it's important to have Israelis with us for the whole 10 days because they are part of the process we pass together. This journey is for them too because they are getting to know Israel in a different way of thinking thanks to the American participants.
What's a fun fact about yourself?
I love extreme activities like bungee jumping, rafting, skydiving and more. I love feeling the adrenaline in my body. I'm also a hula hoop dancer, a new skill that I picked from India two months ago.
What's your favorite site to go to take participants to and why is it your favorite?
My favorite site is Masada because I love the view over the Dead Sea from Masada mountain, I love to tell the incredible story the happened there and most of all, I love the powerful feeling the desert gives me.
What's the best piece of advice anyone has ever given you?
The best piece of advise anyone ever given me was this sentence that write down on my inspiration wall: Happiness is not a destination, it is a way of life.
What do you love most about Shorashim?
It reminds me that I'm in the right place.
What's your favorite city in Israel and why?
My favorite city is definitely Tel Aviv because everything is happening there. Reminds me of New York. If you are looking for action, TA is your place.
What's your favorite Israeli food and where is your favorite place in Israel to get this dish?
My favorite Israeli food is masbaha and the place to get the best is Abu Hassan restaurant in Jaffa.
What's your favorite thing about Israel?
My favorite thing about Israel is the unique feeling I have when I travel in Israel. I think it's belongs to the fact that a lot of important stories happened in Israel and I feel like I'm part of it. I feel a strong connection to the views Israel has to offer.
What's your favorite place that you have ever travelled to and why?
My favorite place that I have traveled to was a mountain in India named Treyoned. It is my favorite place because it's the only place in the world I saw clouds under me and not from an airplane.
What are your words of wisdom for your future participants?
Come with love in your heart, have a lot of patience for each other and for the program, try to arouse your curiosity. Don't be afraid to ask questions and most importantly, see yourself as integral part of the whole group and the program.
Anything else you want to share?
Can't wait to meet you!
Rebecca Gold
Where are you from originally and where do you live now?
Born in Wilmette, Illinois, left the Land of Lincoln at 18 to attend Princeton University, lived in NYC for 4.5 years after college, back in Chicago as of October 2014.
When did you go to Israel for the first time?
In 2000, when I spent the first of several childhood summers at CAMP SHORASHIM in Israel! The camp was comprised of an equal number of Israeli and American participants; the idea was that it was an American-style summer camp on a kibbutz during the week, and then on the weekends we would venture out on tiyulim (trips) throughout Israel. It was the best.
What’s a fun fact about yourself?
I'm training to become Tel Aviv Matkot Champion 2016. After that, it's a straight shot to Rio #OlympicMatkot
What's your favorite place to visit in Israel?
Every minute that I've spent hiking and experiencing **nature** in Israel has been completely enjoyable. I think I could spend the rest of my life camped out in a valley in the North, or in the middle of the Negev.
What's your favorite place that you've ever travelled to and why?
Aside from Israel, which is the *actual* favorite place, my time spent backpacking in Vietnam is a close second.
What's your favorite Israeli food and where is your favorite place in Israel to get this dish?
Jachnun, with the spiciest skhug. Great jachnun joints can be found in every Israeli city (or, of course, in the kitchen of your favorite Yemenite grandmother).
If there was one aspect of Israel that you could bring back to America with you, what would it be?
I would bring back special golden glow of the light there, and the feeling that everyone is "in it together." I am also passionate about getting American youth and families off of their cellphones and into the Great Outdoors! Israeli family culture and the Israeli school system provide a great model for this.
What's the #1 reason that you recommend that your friends and family should go on Birthright Israel with Shorashim?
Out of all the Birthright trip providers, Shorashim is the one organization with a real sense of mishpachat-iut, a kind of family spirit, and no other provider comes close in terms of forging real connection between Israeli and North American participants.
What /who is your spirit animal and why?
My spirit animal is the sea otter, because they are *GOOD VIBES* all the time, and are known for their calm and creative problem solving.
What's the best piece of advice you've ever been given?
"Always be kind, always recycle, and never litter."
What are your words of wisdom for your future participants?
In Hebrew, the way you tell someone to "have fun" is "taa'seh chaim";in English, this literally translates to "do life". I've always thought that there is something kind of deep about this. In English, our fun is something we experience passively ("have"), but in Hebrew, fun is enacted by actively "doing". So, on your trip, remember to have fun by DOING LIFE! Try to experience as many new things as possible, remain aware of the special-ness of the trip, and rise up to meet every moment with joy!
Anything else you want to share?
When you're boarding your flight, just imagine all of the Babylonian conquerers, Roman soldiers, and countless other historical aggressors who would *never* believe that in 2015, a plane full of vivacious Heebs would be headed to the modern State of Israel! It's a mental gobsmack.
Greg Hershman
Where are you from originally and where do you live now?
I'm from Delaware but live in Washington, DC.
What do you do for a living?
I work in the United States Senate for Senator Tom Carper, the senior Senator representing Delaware. I'm currently in my third job for Senator Carper, working as a Press Assistant for him on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. One of the coolest parts of my job, if you're a bit of a nerd like me, is running into Senators who you would normally only see on TV - I used to see Senator John McCain a lot, but recently I've seen a lot of Senator Bernie Sanders whose office is right down the hall from mine.
When did you go to Israel for the first time?
I went to Israel for the first time two years ago on my own Birthright trip. My older brother and I went together. We were also caught in the biggest snow storm Israel had seen in 50 years. Somewhere, there's a video of me dancing in a hail storm in Jerusalem. Aside from my terrible dancing, it's one of my favorite memories.
What’s a fun fact about yourself?
Despite never rowing before, I, one day, decided I wanted to row in college, so I actively sought colleges with rowing programs. I showed up on day one, rowed all four years, and was team Captain my senior year. And in my opinion, coxswains - the guys who everyone thinks just yell "row" - are the most important person in the boat. They can make an ordinary crew, extraordinary.
What's your favorite place to visit in Israel?
Instead of a favorite place, there is a very specific place I still need to visit. I've been just off the beach in Tel Aviv, looking out at the water, but have never actually been in the water. And surfing in Tel Aviv is on my bucket list.
What's your favorite place that you've ever travelled to and why?
I always answer Munich, Germany when asked this question. And it's almost as much about how beautiful the weather was and how much fun our Irish tour guide was on our cycling tour of the city - tour guides can make all the difference in the world! (But a fake Irish accent doesn't necessarily make a tour guide great)
What's your favorite Israeli food and where is your favorite place in Israel to get this dish?
There is just something about the hummus in Israel that is just not possible to replicate in the U.S. Whether it's from the fanciest restaurant or a gas station, it's always awesome. Oh, and fresh olives are better than candy. And dates are candy.
If there was one aspect of Israel that you could bring back to America with you, what would it be?
Other than the hummus? Definitely the Israeli sense of humor.
What's the #1 reason that you recommend that your friends and family should go on Birthright Israel with Shorashim?
As much as Birthright is an individual experience, it can always be made better by the people you share it with. Shorashim always finds a way to bring together amazing people that make each experience truly unforgettable.
What are your words of wisdom for your future participants?
Come with an open mind and an open heart and you'll leave with unforgettable memories.
