York JCC York Jewish
Community Center

Since my teen years, I’ve had the “travel bug.” World Cultures was my favorite subject in school and I found it fascinating how so many different kinds of people there were in the world. I had many wonderful adventures (mostly in my teens and 20s), but nothing can compare to the experience I had in… read more »

People will say, “You don’t know/understand until you experience it.” That was me. I have been doing diversity and inclusion work for the IDEAS Center/York JCC for over 6 years and I’ve never been to Israel. I’ve had family and friends who have gone, but it wasn’t until I went back in November 2019 that… read more »

Going to Israel was an incredible learning experience. I grew to better understand and appreciate Jewish culture and religion. I knew several cultures and religions call Israel home, but I never knew just how vastly diverse it is. The experience opened my eyes to so many different ethnic groups and cultures within Israel that I… read more »

The months lagged as I waited in anticipation for the adventure of going to Israel to come to fruition. I looked at it as an opportunity to experience the history and culture of the Jewish peoples in Israel. What I got was so much more… I had no idea that the trip that included co-workers… read more »

Going to Israel was a blessing. I am lucky to be part of such an amazing facility that would offer this to their employees. Ever since I was a young girl my grandmother wanted to go to Israel. When I was asked to be part of the JCC team that was going, I initially said… read more »

Before this trip, it was difficult for me to imagine what life was like in Israel. I usually try to step outside of my own perspective, but Israel seemed like a world away, different customs, different food, different language, different people, etc. Where would I even begin? Without experiencing it first hand, all those differences… read more »