8/14/2019 Masa Israel Alumni Profile: Lindsay Litowitz

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Masa Israel Journey is a project o the Government o Israel and the Jewish Agency or Israel and is madepossible by the generous support o the Federations o North America and Keren Hayesod-UIA

Israel. a Better stImulus Plan.

lInDsaY lItOWItZ, lIVnOt JOurneY

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As a student o international relations at the University o Florida,Lindsay remembers envying her peers who planned to return homea ter graduation and work in their ancestral communities. But youcan do that too, a riend rom Sierra Leone said. Go to Israel.

A ter a Taglit-Birthright Israel trip stirred Lindsays Israel kick, as hermother calls it, Lindsay did not need urther convincing. She choseto participate on Livnot ULehibanots Five-Month Program becauseshe was interested in hiking and community service, and wanted to

learn about her religious heritage.

While living with 10 other Jewish young adults rom North America, Lindsay learned Hebrew, builtrelationships with her neighbors and explored the country with other newcomers. We all learnedso much rom each other and about ourselves through our interpersonal relationships and ourinteraction with Judaism, says Lindsay.

During their ve months in Israel, Lindsays group spent extended periods o time bringing ood toneedy populations in Jerusalem and organizing games or children at the Ethiopian absorption centerin Tz at.

A ter the Livnot program ended, Lindsay stayed in Israel or an additional three months, enrolled inan intensive Hebrew Ulpan course and rented an apartment with a riend rom Livnot. I was in themiddle o a real love a air with Israel and I just didnt want to leave, Lindsay remembers.

When Lindsay returned to the United States, she set out to do just as she had plannedand began towork amongst her people. In addition to opening South Floridas Birthright NEXT ofce and servingas its Director, Lindsay led the rst Birthright NEXT trip to the Ukraine and ounded the Four CornersProject, a lm series and website exploring young Jews identity in Diaspora communities around theworld ( ourcornersproject.org).

Be ore experiencing Israel on Livnot, I didnt understand the big picture o what it meant to beJewish, says Lindsay. Im really grate ul to Livnot or teaching me basic Jewish concepts, giving me areal appreciation or being Jewish and empowering me to pass it on to other people.