April 1, 2011

Welcome to Y2I 2011! Our exciting adventure of a lifetime is just around the corner, and we welcome you with open arms to what will truly be a life-changing experience.

Thanks to the generosity of 705 donors, who donated more than $451,000, 80 teens from 15 cities and towns on the North Shore will depart for Israel on July 10, 2011. Special thanks to the following major donors of Y2I 2010: the Goldhirsh Family Foundation; the Jewish Federation of the North Shore; Andrew and Diane Lappin; Richard and Dotty Tatelman; Arthur Epstein and several donors who wish to remain anonymous.

"We are family" is a phrase you repeatedly hear in Y2I. You will meet dozens of Jewish teens in our community and many more in Israel, when 27 Israeli teens join Y2I 2011. Though strangers at first, within minutes you will become friends, and by the end of our Y2I adventure, we become family.

The Y2I experience will help you to better understand why it is so special and so cool to be Jewish, and to stay Jewish. As it has done for the past four decades, Y2I will strengthen your link in the Jewish chain of tradition that has existed for thousands of years.

Be prepared to fall in love on Y2I! You will love the Land of Israel, our Family, and pretty much everything Jewish. Y2I will open your eyes to all that is awesome about our heritage.

Expect to see miracles in Israel! Israel is a modern day miracle, and miracles are around every corner in Israel. From Abraham to Moses, from the Maccabis to modern day Israel, you will marvel at the accomplishments of our Family and of this small country, our ancestral homeland. The dessert blooms, the people shine, and the country is a beacon of light to the world.

At our pre trip meetings, we explored some of Israel's contributions to all fields of human endeavor. You learned that early cell phone technology and instant messaging were pioneered in Israel. In 2007, a groundbreaking discovery in the field of artificial intelligence, conducted by two Tel Aviv University academics, and Israeli research into treating Parkinson's disease, were selected as the greatest advancements in science by a top U.S. periodical. And this is just a snippet of the accomplishments of Israel. Israel is a place where scientific discoveries excite the world as much as archaeological discoveries, and brainpower is as precious as solar power.

You will have countless “WOW!” moments from the day you arrive to the day we leave. Everything about Israel is WOW! The ancient streets we will walk upon, the ancient walls we will touch, the tunnels we will explore and the mountains we will climb. You will be wowed when you float on the Dead Sea, the lowest spot on earth, and you will be wowed when you zip line down a mountain. You will shake your head in disbelief at how Masada was built. You will be especially wowed when you experience the old and the new Israel, intricately linked and seamlessly existing as one of the most magnificent places on earth.

The people will wow you, too, as you discover the diversity of our Jewish Family, including the amazing story of our Ethiopian brothers and sisters, like the one that Yarden Fanta shared with us about her unbelievable journey to Israel from Ethiopia. Our time in Israel will help you understand that no matter where we live, as Jews, we are Family, responsible for one another. We are sure that before our Y2I trip ends, you will feel the connection and love we talk about.

We encourage you to make the most of your Y2I adventure by taking full advantage of the wonderful opportunities awaiting you. Beginning July 10th, your family and friends can follow our Y2I 2011 adventure in words and pictures at www.jewishadventures.com/Y2I.

Get psyched and get ready for the experience of your life!

Sincerely,
Robert Israel Lappin, Trustee
Deborah L. Coltin, Executive Director