Alum Story: Dudley Rosenblatt
"Israel seems like home"
In the summer of 2008, I came upon an opportunity to travel to Israel with the Taglit Birthright program. Sounded great! Why not?
That’s when a shift began. Coming from Brazil, I knew very little about Israel or what to expect when I arrived. I was overwhelmed upon arrival, and the country surpassed every single one of my expectations. I couldn’t believe its beauty, its gorgeous landscapes, the incredible sights I saw, and the warm people I met.
I endlessly interrogated both my tour guide and my madrichim with my numerous questions. I had so many: especially those related to the Arab-Israeli conflict. Thanks to the knowledge and patience of my leaders, I was better able to answer the questions of my curious friends from Brazil upon my return.
And as the perfect end to that trip, we visited Jerusalem. That’s where everything started to make sense. It felt as though it was not my first time there. I felt something difficult to explain; it seemed that my body filled with some kind of energy that was a mixture of immense happiness and complete satisfaction.
When I returned to Brazil I was brimming over with excitement. I told every single person how wonderful Israel was, how very different, and better it was than what it seemed from the insufficient information published about it in the local newspapers.
My parents were amazed at my experience, and curious about what I told them. They were so intrigued, that they decided to travel to Israel themselves for the very first time in their lives.
And just like a miracle, in the winter of 2010, I was invited by Birthright to go back, both as a representative of Brazil, and as a proud Taglit alumni.
The Decade Alumni trip changed my life completely; even more than the first time. I asked just as many, if not more, questions, and got just as many, if not more answers and questions back.
The Alumni Trip fostered a deep cultural, political and educational bond to Israel for me. It further clarified the situation of the country, and that of the modern Zionist movement. As an educator from an international school, I valued the deep investment made in our acquisition of knowledge on this trip.
Also integral to this experience was the particular group of alumni, chosen from all over the world. We maintained a constant exchange of ideas, and took part in countless profound discussions about the future of the Jewish people. The Alumni even further strengthened my newfound bond to my origins, and incited me to action in my own Jewish community as a leader in these challenging but exciting times.
My connection to Israel and to the Jewish people is now stronger than ever before. For the first time in my life, Israel seems like home. I plan to learn Hebrew, go back to Israel to practice it, and visit the incredible and passionate friends that I made there...my new mishpacha!
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