Meet your #Bus78 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*
Yariv Ofer
How long have you been a tour educator?
Sixteen years.
Why is it important to you to have Israelis on the trip for all 10 days?
To form strong personal relationships.
What's a fun fact about yourself?
I used to own a bar.
What's your favorite site to go to take participants to and why is it your favorite?
Hikes in the desert and the Bedouin tents.
What's the best piece of advice anyone has ever given you?
Live to love and love to live.
What's your favorite city in Israel and why?
I equally like Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
What's your favorite Israeli food and where is your favorite place in Israel to get this dish?
Fresh salad that I make.
What's your favorite thing about Israel?
The diversity and pluralism.
What's your favorite place that you have ever travelled to and why?
The Himalayas/El Pauhi.
What are your words of wisdom for your future participants?
Come open-minded.
Adam Polacek
Where are you from originally and where do you live now?
Originally from Cincinnati, Oh now I live in Madison, WI.
What do you do for a living?
I am the IACT Coordinator at University of Wisconsin Madison Hillel. As a part of the IACT initiative, I coordinate the campus Birthright Israel trip for UW Madison. Additionally, I am focused on strengthening Jewish life on campus by employing the Birthright Israel trip as a tool to not only engage students, but to facilitate a deeper development of Jewish journey.
When did you go to Israel for the first time?
Definitely Safed. There is definitely more going on then meets the eye here.
What’s a fun fact?
I can play two and a half songs on the piano: "My Hear Will Go On" from "Titanic," a song from "The Lord of the Rings," and half of "A Whole New World."
What's your favorite place to visit in Israel?
My first time in Israel was senior year of college (2014) when I traveled on the University of Florida Hillel's Birthright Israel trip. I took this trip knowing that only three months later I would be living in Netanya, IL teaching English to elementary school students as a part of MASA's Israel Teaching Fellows program.
What's your favorite place that you've ever travelled to and why?
Park City, Utah. One of my closest friends took me skiing a few winters ago. We ended up at Deer Valley the same day as Kim and Kanye.
What's your favorite Israeli food and where is your favorite place in Israel to get this dish?
Falafel. The best place to get it is at a place called Falafel Moosa in Netanya. Tell Mr. Moosa that Adam sent you, he's my "Ah-Chi".
If there was one aspect of Israel that you could bring back to America with you, what would it be?
As a whole, I feel that Israelis know the importance of being connected with each other. People are much more divided in America, as each person is on their own rat race to achieve the American dream. From the get-go Israelis have had to work together to not only make the desert flourish, but also to protect this land from people that want their destruction. Israel is not perfect , but this phenomenon in Israeli society contributes to my belief that Israel is the most advanced society in the world.
What's the #1 reason that you recommend that your friends and family should go on Birthright Israel with Shorashim?
A huge part of any travel experience is the level to which one is immersed in the culture of the place they are visiting. Shorashim fosters this aspect of the experience by having Israelis on the trip for all 10 days. On my Birthright Israel trip, one of the saddest parts of the trip was when our Israelis had to leave after only five days together. This is a non-issue on a Shorashim trip.
What /who is your spirit animal and why?
"Probably a liger, it's pretty much my favorite animal. It's like a lion and a tiger mixed... bred for its skills in magic."
What's the best piece of advice you've ever been given?
When you know how to listen, everybody is the guru.
What are your words of wisdom for your future participants?
The biggest thing to remember when participating in the Birthright Israel trip is to stay open-minded and present. This trip is a gift, and its up to you to experience it fully. You never know, where it could lead you!
Anything else you want to share?
I will leave you with a quote that is posted in my cubicle and that works to empower me everyday, even though I am only beginning to comprehend what it means.
"I am without form, without limit. Beyond space, beyond time. I am in everything, everything is me. I am the bliss of the universe, everything am I." - Ram Tirtha
Shirly Gill-Raiz
Where are you from originally and where do you live now?
Originally fron Jerusalem. Now in Madison, Wisconsin.
What do you do for a living?
Now, I am the Israel Fellow at UW Hillel. Back in Israel, I was a Foreign News reporter, the spokesperson of the Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem, and worked for SPNI.
When did you go to Israel for the first time?
I am an Israeli.
What's a fun fact about yourself?
Even though I am Israeli I don't like hummus, tahini, or falafel.
What's your favorite place to visit in Israel?
Jerusalem- I love the unique atmosphere there and the connection between the three big religious.
What's your favorite place that you've ever travelled to and why?
Laos- it was amazing to see a different way of living. People are much less occupied by technology, and there is less of a priority to make money.
What's your favorite Israeli food and where is your favorite place in Israel to get this dish?
Shakshuka. The best place to find it is in the "Shakshuk" restaurant in Shuk Mahane Yehuda.
If there was one aspect of Israel that you could bring back to America with you, what would it be?
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?
To spend a night in Tel-Aviv is amazing experience!!
What /who is your spirit animal and why?
Squirrels!!! I am afraid from cats, the Israeli version to squirrels, so I am in love with the American squirrels and think we should export them to Israel.
What's the best piece of advice you've ever been given?
Let it go.
What are your words of wisdom for your future participants?
Take ownership on this trip and make it yours! Don't be afraid to enjoy the moment along with asking yourself hard question.
