Finding Meaning in Giving
Chevy Carmel, LCW ’28, Shares Her Experience Visiting Israel on a Touro Trip Over Midwinter Break
It was a week filled with holiness, a week of getting my hands dirty, a week of learning and most of all, it was a week of connection. This semester break, I didn’t hit a beach, a ski slope or even a restaurant. Instead, I headed to Israel with fellow Lander College for Women (LCW) students to contribute to the land and people who had lost so much over the last two years and to take in hot spots of another kind. While we didn’t stop to relax for a minute, we left restored and fulfilled.
When I first heard that LCW was partnering with Israel Free Spirit Birthright to organize a student chesed mission during midwinter intersession, I immediately knew I had to join. I had been in seminary in Jerusalem just last year, but I already missed Israel deeply—just like many other girls on our trip. The chance to give back while experiencing a different side of our Jewish homeland was exciting to all of us. Over the course of the trip, we took part in a wide range of volunteer opportunities—from farming in the south, to raising morale in nursing homes in the north, to spending time with children from troubled homes in the heart of Israel, Jerusalem.
“I liked that there were so many different things we could do to help other people,” my roommate, Elisheva Shalmiyev, an English major from Philadelphia, told me.
Besides the hands-on volunteering, we also had the zechut to hear from passionate and inspirational speakers, all of whom are contributing to Israeli society in their own ways, whether it’s on the political, educational or Torah fronts. It was an array of stars, including Dr. Neil Lazarus; Rabbi Zev Leff; Rabbi Dovid Gottlieb; Mrs. Batya Weinberg; and Holocaust survivor Rebbetzin Rena Quint.
We toured meaningful and unique sites around Israel, such as the Jerusalem Tunnels, the Golan Heights, the agricultural museum and farm known as the Salad Trail, and even the site of the Nova festival.
One of the highlights for me was volunteering at an after-school program for children from challenging home environments. I was nervous at first—worried about saying the wrong thing or that the kids might not want my attention—but four elementary-school boys welcomed us immediately. We learned about each other, played games, and worked on an art project together. When it was time to leave, I was genuinely sad. I said goodbye, and the boys thanked me and told me they would miss me. I was shocked. All I had done was play a few games and help one of them make a porcupine out of a pinecone and sunflower seeds—yet somehow, that meant something to them. On the bus ride afterward, I kept thinking about how meaningful small gestures can be for children. Whether it's offering a toy or saying something kind, these tiny acts can bring real joy. It made me appreciate how much my friends and I might have given them in such a short time.
The Touro–Birthright trip was an incredible experience that far exceeded my expectations. Each of us had meaningful, memorable moments that we will cherish forever. We learned more about old friends, made new friends, and gained a deeper understanding of everything it takes for Israel to be the beautiful country that it is. Most of all, knowing that we were able to make even a small impact on Israel and its people was the best part of the trip. It still feels unreal that we accomplished so much and had so many new experiences in such a short amount of time.
I am so grateful for this opportunity and want to express my thanks to Lander College for Women Dean Dr. Marian Stoltz-Loike; Associate Dean Dr. Toba Singer; Racheli Elozory; Touro Israel Dean Shmuel Klammer; Touro LCW Guidance Counselor Dr. Ditza Berger; and, of course, Israel Free Spirit Birthright.
