6 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG MARCH 3, 2017 MARCH 3, 2017 CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 7 Advertisement Advertisement Welcome to ic.news – pages cultural perspecti ves of Jews and Israelis, the akivacleveland.org. writt en by, for, and about realiti es of the Israeli confl ict, and more. There In “more.teen.news” @akiva presents dif- will be photos that document their 10-day ferent teen programs in the community. From more.teen.news Cleveland’s Jewish teens! Mission during the summer of 2016, and those preparing students for the challenges that will In the secti on ti tled “ic.news” israel. that document current events, whether in face them on their future college campus, to cleveland.next (icnext) parti cipants refl ect on Jewish Cleveland or Israel. icnext is a two-year learning Hebrew and how to advocate for Israel; My Testi mony their 10-day Mission to Israel in June, 2016, program that educates Cleveland’s Jewish high from theater (testi mony.theater.cleveland) to and comment on current issues of interest to testi mony.theater.cleveland is an educati onal and school students from all denominati ons in the music (HaZamir Cleveland), there are so many Cleveland’s teens. They are creati ng an ongoing dramati c encounter between teens and fi rst, second and core issues of Israeli society and the geopoliti cal opportuniti es for our teens to form a special source of news about the community, Jewish third generati on Holocaust survivors. The program meets situati on in Israel today. icnext is a project of the community. Most importantly, this program- teens and Israel, inspired by knowledge gained weekly for rehearsals and culminates in a performance Jewish Federati on of Cleveland, administered ming fosters an incredibly strong connecti on to based on the survivors’ stories. For more informati on about from the icnext program. They will talk about through @akiva. For informati on about or to Israel, and trains teens to be Jewish leaders. the program, contact Sheri Gross: 216.409.6295 or email Jewish identi ty, changing politi cal, social, and ic.news apply for icnext, contact Tina Keller at tkeller@ [email protected]. Being of European descent and a third genera- ti on holocaust survivor on both sides of my family, I fi nd myself greatly impacted by the Holocaust – always have. I am fascinated by textbook narrati ves about the Holocaust, yet they cannot compare to the raw, personal stories that I feel so privileged to have heard from Holocaust survivors themselves. I recently parti cipated in Cleveland’s fi rst year of the program “Testi mony Theatre”, where real stories of six completely diff erent survivors were brought to life in a play writt en by a group of high school students, pared questi ons for our interviews with survivors, gen- is a powerful feeling; it will give you the energy to including myself. The goal of this play was to bring erati ng informati on that would later become the play. fulfi ll your dreams”. That is exactly what he did, and light to the biggest revenge Jews have against the Each survivor was able to meet with us at least once to he survived. My experience in testi mony theatre was Nazis - life. These six individuals, all from diff erent tell us their holocaust survival story, answer questi ons, one that I will never forget. From interviewing each areas of Europe, are just a small percentage of the and bring us into their lives. Aft er we interviewed all survivor, all the way to our fi nal performance this was greatest revenge of all, and they touch the hearts of the survivors, Sheri Gross, the director behind “testi - one of the most impactf ul and powerful experiences right? If we form positi ve memories describe the trip is as a gateway. It was in the center. A commander starts shout- In the end it’s all every person they meet. mony.theatre.cleveland”, combined the stories into a of my life. that we connect to Israel, we connect an introducti on to Israel, even for those ing, in Hebrew, “left right left ” as soldiers The “Testi mony theatre” process began as we pre- about connecti on,in with others and tell them about it, and of us who had been there before. We begin to march, marking the start of the cohesive play that came together as a story of strength - Shai Paz, Cleveland this forms a positi ve and bright view of met new people, tasted new things, ceremony. The graduati ng pilots perform and survival… the stories came to life in front of our Israel and Cleveland - Israel and Judaism that we will hold onto learned the history in a new way, and what they’ve learned for us. From hang- very eyes. A small audience of survivors att ended the refl ecti ons throughout our adulthood. ulti mately got multi ple, diff erent, new ing from a rope on a helicopter, to taking last rehearsal to give their seals of approval before we From Israel advocacy, leadership training and I didn’t expect this. With that, it all makes sense. The perspecti ves on the country and its off in a large plane within only a few me- performed their stories in front of the community. I

I didn’t expect that each person on the someti mes frustrati ng seminars…the citi zens. These new connecti ons opened ters, I was amazed at their skill. I watch portrayed Albert Pollack, a brave man from Poland, college prep for Jewish students to HaZamir crazy logisti cs…it’s all about connecti on. up doors that would otherwise have a plane travel 100km/h and then hear icnext Israel trip would become a new whose story really touched me. Albert, being around Cleveland Choir and original Jewish theatre, friend and that we would fi nd common That’s what makes icnext amazing. remained closed. None of us can say that the terrifying whoosh two seconds later. @akiva off ers Hebrew and so much more! We were each so diff erent. Some of us they don’t want to go back aft er this trip, The amplifying sound hits hard. It makes my age at the ti me of the war, did anything and interests that would bond us together. I @akiva is a benefi ciary agency of the Jewish didn’t expect that I would develop new religious, some secular. Some of us love and there is so much more for us all to it clear how real and serious Israel’s everything to live; he taught us that “determinati on views on Israel advocacy, that this trip USY, while others love NFTY or BBYO. learn about everything. situati on is. It makes it clear that these Federati on of Cleveland Some of us lean politi cally right when it Because aft er all, even when you sleep skills are strategies. It makes it clear would teach me things truly aren’t as Zachary Nosanchuk - Editor in Chief and a partner agency comes to Israel, while others are more for 3 hours a night, there’s only so much how dangerous this is. Yet, I haven’t met they seem, and that I would change my David Gold - Executi ve Editor of the Jewish Educati on left . Yet, with the special odd magic cre- you can do in ten days….. any Israeli who wasn’t proud of or too views on the current confl ict as a result Lilly Rothschild - Creati ve Director ated by icnext and, inherently, Israel, we - David Gold, Israel scared to go to the IDF. The way Israelis Center of Cleveland. of what happened within these 10 days. Ari Sternberg - Managing Editor can become one. And that really is what talk about the army is casual, with the For more info visit I didn’t expect that I would eat delicious We sing together….. Roz Madorsky - Jewish Culture Editor Israel is…an assembly, a connecti on of questi on, “what do you want to do in new fl avors, while learning about Israeli Like many things on this trip, this mo- Jessica Linden - Senior Editor www.akivacleveland.org. Jews, diff erent but the same, ready to the army?” sounding equivalent to how teen and family society. I didn’t expect ment was not originally on the iti nerary. Gabrielle Sudilovsky - Associate Editor that I would come back from this trip face the world. It was our last night in Israel and Amnon casual “what do you want to study in land for a year with our quirky community). Do they wanti ng even more. But I do. icnext doesn’t create a Cohort. It cre- let us know earlier that day that he college?” is in the states. know English well? Will they wanna be friends with This trip made our separate group into ates an Israel within itself. decided we are going to do the four- At the end of the graduati on, everyone our icnext group? Are we going to be as close with them as we are with the current shinshinim - Zachary Nosanchuk, Israel a cohesive whole that learns, educates, hour roundtrip ride from Tel Aviv to the stands up, preparing to sing Israel’s na- (Itamar, Lotem, Noam and Yuval)? and leads together. I remember one I never really got the opportunity on Negev. Tucking my bag underneath my ti onal anthem. It is quiet and all you can I remember how we met them…our icnext group was traveling through Jerusalem and sud- parti cular moment in the trip. I was tak- our trip to fi gure out what it was all seat, I went onto the two hour bus ride hear is the fl ag fl apping in the wind and denly our bus pulled to the side of the road. In step our new best friends – Orel, Zev, Michal ing a bite of delicious freshly fried falafel about, what kind of trip we were on, knowing only the basics: that we were clashing against the fl agpole as the sun and Itamar. As we said our hellos, I immediately sensed they would be a remarkable group of in Sderot, smothered with tahini sauce, what the single purpose of it all was. on our way to see air force pilots gradu- begins to set. Once the music begins, all Israelis to have in our community, but I never guessed we would become so close so fast! A fries – or chips as Israelis call them - and Were we another tourist group, moving ate from their three year training. the voices become one. I feel united as week later we said goodbye to them at Ben Gurion airport, and everyone couldn’t wait to see spicy Harif. Others around me wanted from place to place to see the sites? Or I step off the bus onto the Negev I sing Hati kvah. I don’t sing with them, them in Cleveland in the fall!!! to try. Without hesitati on, I gave them was it all about the learning…the many ground, and we are truly in the middle of because we sing together. Now their year has passed. I truly feel connected to these new friends - “shinshinim” - icnext is a 2-year program that educates students in the core issues my sandwich, and we passed it around, lectures we had on advocacy, history nowhere. However, as we walk further - Erica Kahn, Israel and I can’t believe their ti me in Cleveland is already coming to an end. It feels like just yester- of Israel today and prepares them for Israel related/anti-Semitic everyone eati ng some. In that moment, and identi ty? Were we there to make onto the base, it becomes alive with Saying Hello and Goodbye day that our bus pulled over to the side of the road. challenges on college campuses. Included is a 10-day Israel Mission. we were all together, trying this essenti al connecti ons with the people we met, people. Soldiers. Family of soldiers. to the (Former) Next Shinshinim Orel, Michal, Ziv and Itamar have had a huge impact on us and will always be remembered in Applications are now being accepted from current freshmen and piece of Israeli food. We were one. Even friendships that will sti ll be important Friends of soldiers. And then us. Being Looking back on last summer’s Israel our icnext group, Hebrew school and community. sophomores for Cohort 6 which begins Fall 2017. those of us who had enti rely opposing years down the road? Or did we simply Thank you guys for making our ti me together one of a kind, and I hope something that you the only tourists make me feel more trip, I remember the excitement of For more information contact views, some left and some right, had travel 5,000 miles just to get a taste of like an Israeli. We take our seats in what waiti ng to meet the 2016-17 shinshinim, too will never forget! found a way to connect. some delicious Israeli falafel? looks like half of an amphitheater with a Itamar, Ziv, Orel and Michal (AKA the - Ari Sternberg, Israel and Cleveland Tina Keller 215-367-1388 or [email protected] In the end, that’s what it’s all about, Looking back, I think the only way to long airplane runway and giant projector Israelis that would be living in Cleve- icnext is a project of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, administered through @akiva