Back from Birthright Israel Blog

Back from Birthright Israel Blog

Meet Alumnus Jacob Weiner

(Alumni Stories) Permanent link   All Posts

Mr. Weiner

When did you go on a Birthright Israel trip and with which organizer? How was it?: I went with on Birthright in December with Shorashim and, in short, it was epic. From the organization of the trip, to the shwarma, to the incredible history of the country, as well as the history of shwarma, it was amazing. And the extraordinary knowledge that our guide, Yossi, had of both Israel and shwarma spots made for a fantastic and unforgettable experience. Falafel was also on point.


Why did you decide to go to Israel: So, full disclosure, I had actually been to Israel before when I was 7 or 8, but I was told that doesn’t really count because I wasn’t old enough to appreciate the trip... or ride a camel aka the Uber of the desert. Therefore, I wanted to go back while I was still eligible for the trip and didn’t have too many responsibilities in the States.


What is your favorite trip memory/funniest story: Favorite memory from the trip would have to be seeing the Western Wall, taking a step back and seeing all my friends’ initial reactions. It was incredibly powerful for the religious to nonreligious alike, being connected to a focal point of our history. In addition, my other favorite moment was probably seeing our friend Max dive into some water on one of our beautiful hikes to rescue Natalie's Ray Bans. His form was flawless and in that one moment, he became the undisputed MVP of Birthright. 

You are from: Lincoln Park, Chicago


Where are you living now: Wrigleyville, about 30 seconds north of the field. It was a fun place to be this year.


How do you pay the bills: I work at Google on the platform that makes those ads follow you around the internet.


Favorite food from Israel: This is the most important question you can ask on the trip. See above, but my real favorite is one I can’t pronounce/write and I found it by following our Tour Guide, Yossi, and asking him what I should get that I can’t get back in the States. 


Your claim to fame/fun fact: You can usually find me on a bright orange scooter (vespa) named The Slice and I plan on starting a Scooter gang. It will be like Sons of Anarchy, but if everybody had a 401k. If interested, feel free to reach out and we can have a power struggle over who will be the leader.




comments powered by Disqus

NEWS FROM OY!CHICAGO