Ten young adults, ages 27 to 40, who were selected from a competitive application process to participate in the 2010 Rubin Israel Experience, are on their way to Israel for the first time. They leave Sunday, Oct. 3, and return Wednesday, Oct. 13. Now you can see Israel through their eyes on the website and Facebook (Rubin Israel Experience).
Throughout the trip, Rubin participants will sum up what they see, hear, feel, taste, learn and who they meet in Israel on a blog with updates on facebook. Everyone who’s on the Rubin and Facebook pages will receive automatic updates. Both the blog and Facebook postings will be maintained by Rubin participants, Ed Reggi and Jeremy Lieb.
This is the third annual Rubin Israel Experience, organized and staffed through Jewish Federation of St. Louis, and offered and underwritten by philanthropists and visionaries, Ron and Pam Rubin. The Rubin Israel Experience is modeled after Taglit-Birthright Israel, which offers 10-day trips to college and post-college students aged 18-26 at no cost. The Rubin trip is similar but fashioned for older young adults (27-40) who have never been to Israel and are willing to share their Israel experience with peers and the community after they return. The Rubins believe that sending young adults to Israel where they see and learn first hand about our Jewish roots is what will connect our next generation to the Jewish community and aid in Jewish identity.
The group, led this year by Wendy Rosenblum, Federation assistant director of development who manages the operation of the Jewish Community Foundation, includes: Brad Snitzer, 2010 Rubin chair; Robin Brody, Keith Cohen, Burt Garland, Jeremy Lieb, Daniel Platschek, Ed Reggi, Abbey Small, Dorie Sher and Jennifer Growe-Soshnik. Once again, the group represents a mix of occupations, interests, denominations and a wide range of community involvement.
Rubin participant Jeremy Lieb, 31, said it’s a big honor to be chosen for this opportunity. “I’ve always dreamed about going to Israel. It just feels like the natural progression in a Jewish person’s life that he or she should visit the holy land, see where we came from and what all the history is about. I know that upon returning — from what I believe will be a trip of a lifetime — I’ll be even more connected to my Jewish roots. I look forward to sharing my experiences and new knowledge with the Jewish community.”
For information about the Rubin Israel Experience, contact Margo Newman at 314-442-3865 or mnewman@jfedstl.org.