Israel. A Better Stimulus Plan.

lINDSAY lITOWITZ, LIVNOT JOURNEY

As a student of international relations at the University of Florida,
Lindsay remembers envying her peers who planned to return home
after graduation and work in their ancestral communities. “But you
can do that too,” a friend from Sierra Leone said. “Go to Israel.”

After a Taglit-Birthright Israel trip stirred Lindsay’s “Israel kick,” as her

mother calls it, Lindsay did not need further convincing. She chose
to participate on Livnot U’Lehibanot’s Five-Month Program because
she was interested in hiking and community service, and wanted to
learn about her religious heritage.

While living with 10 other Jewish young adults from North America, Lindsay learned Hebrew, built
relationships with her neighbors and explored the country with other newcomers. “We all learned
so much from each other and about ourselves through our interpersonal relationships and our
interaction with Judaism,” says Lindsay.

During their five months in Israel, Lindsay’s group spent extended periods of time bringing food to
needy populations in Jerusalem and organizing games for children at the Ethiopian absorption center
in Tzfat.

After the Livnot program ended, Lindsay stayed in Israel for an additional three months, enrolled in
an intensive Hebrew Ulpan course and rented an apartment with a friend from Livnot. “I was in the
middle of a real love affair with Israel and I just didn’t want to leave,” Lindsay remembers.

When Lindsay returned to the United States, she set out to do just as she had planned—and began to
work amongst her people. In addition to opening South Florida’s Birthright NEXT office and serving
as its Director, Lindsay led the first Birthright NEXT trip to the Ukraine and founded the Four Corners
Project, a film series and website exploring young Jews’ identity in Diaspora communities around the
world (fourcornersproject.org).

“Before experiencing Israel on Livnot, I didn’t understand the big picture of what it meant to be
Jewish,” says Lindsay. “I’m really grateful to Livnot for teaching me basic Jewish concepts, giving me a
real appreciation for being Jewish and empowering me to pass it on to other people.”

www.Abetterstimulusplan.org
Masa Israel Journey is a project of the Government of Israel and the Jewish Agency for Israel and is made
possible by the generous support of the Federations of North America and Keren Hayesod-UIA