By Joanne Loiben, Yokneam Summer Camp Volunteer, St. Louis

The destination on my baggage: Tel Aviv. A sixteen hour trip with one stop in Italy. Then the Ben Gurion International Airport. Roughly two hours later and with a days worth of traveling behind me I arrived in Yokneam. Something as simple as a taxi ride became the last familiar part of my day, the last activity I could relate to my former world. The start of the summer brought me endless opportunities to discover a new town, new people, and a brand new atmosphere. Everyone has their story, and this is mine.

While the Israel experience would have been incredible no matter what, it would not have been complete without the best friends I was able to share it with. There were two other college students from Atlanta, Yokneam’s other sister city, who both volunteered with the summer camp program last year and anxiously awaited returning this summer. The three of us were inseparable and the Partnership 2000 program did the best they could to ensure that we were always happy and had the most amazing adventures, while still being able to give as much to the community as we could.

Not only did I have the perfect best friends, but I could not have asked for a better host family to stay with. The entire city of Yokneam welcomed me with open arms. The community proved to be more tight-knit and caring than I ever thought possible. Everyday, as I walked through the city center, I would wave hello to the owners of the falafel shops, the grocery store and I never walked onto a bus without knowing at least one person. The senior high school class invited my friends and I to their graduation party and I felt comfortable and at home knowing so many people there. Besides the amazing people that surrounded me, the town itself is breathtaking. Almost any street has the most incredible view since the city is built on mountains. I will never forget sitting on the porch at my host family’s house that overlooks the city, whether it was getting in water balloon fights with my host sister, watching the sun rise and set with my friend, and eating dessert on the patio table with one of my host brothers while the other one would ride up in a cloud of dust with his motorcycle.

The best part of the whole experience was getting a chance to give back to the community by working with the children at the camp. The kids were so excited to play with the volunteers. They did not speak English, and before this summer I did not speak Hebrew, but that did not make a difference. After a few minutes the language barrier was forgotten and there seemed to be no lack of communication. They were always quick to hold my hand, play a clapping game, or teach me more Hebrew words in a minute than I could remember. Saying goodbye to them on the last day was heartbreaking, but I know I will be back to visit.

I am so thankful for the opportunity to have this unbelievable experience. It would not have been possible without the help of St. Louis Hillel, the Jewish Federation, and everyone who made my trip reach its full potential in the Partnership 2000 office in Yokneam. I could have never imagined that in seven weeks, I would learn so much about a culture, language, my faith, and myself. Living in Israel solidified my Jewish identity in immeasurable ways. The moment my summer in Israel all came together was at an unexpected time when I was out for the night with a few friends. The pub filled up so quickly and soon there was no standing room available. In any other situation this fact would not have been significant, but as I looked around the room, I realized there was a good chance that most of the people in the crowded bar were Jewish. The thought flooded my mind that for the first time in my life, I was living in a place where I was not deemed the outsider for my religion and culture. It was that instant when I grasped the true beauty of Israel and its extreme importance in the world, as well as its place in my life.