Campus Corner: Onward Israel

This year, the Chicago Onward Israel Program sent 87 young adults to Israel for summer internships. After many adaptations, changes, and incredibly patient participants, the group was able to fly to Israel to begin a bold new chapter of their lives. While every Onward summer brings novelty and thrill, this summer stood out.

“I was signed up for Onward last year in 2020, and when my plan was flipped upside down due to a pandemic, I knew right away I would sign up again,” said Anya Eydelman, a sophomore at the University of Michigan.

After postponing the 2020 Chicago Onward Israel Program, JUF staff shifted into high gear to ensure a meaningful, on-the-ground 2021 summer experience. From establishing COVID-informed housing, to developing two Birthright Israel trips scheduled to accommodate Onward Israel participation, staff worked around the clock to make sure the program would happen while keeping everyone safe.

Through collaboration between JUF, Onward Israel, and the trip provider “Israel Experience,” all 87 students were able to have a rich summer of work, fun, travel, and deepening connection to their Jewish identities, as well as reinforcing their personal relationships with Israel.

“With Israel having only recently opened their borders [in June] for outside travelers,” Eydelman said, “we, the American youth, came in at a pivotal moment in history…we were their first visitors in 16 months.” For Israel, which typically sees year-round Birthright travel, educational groups, family travelers, and millions of people in and out every year, the pandemic quieted the country’s typically bustling streets for over a year. The arrival of Onward Israel participants was a welcome return to pre-pandemic normal.

This past summer offered all that Onward is known for: résumé building, Jewish connections, and relationship with Israel. But more than that, it also gave these young people the experience of bravery as they set out into the world amidst a host of unknowns. “In a way, we were all molding into self-sufficient human beings: a lesson that unfortunately can only be learned when we are thrown in the fire. Thank you so much, Onward Chicago,” Eydelman said.

As the Onward participants made their way back to in-person school this fall, they have brought their Onward experiences with them, enriching their lives, and ensuring strong connections to both Israel and the Jewish community.

Emily White is the Director of JUF’s Israel Education Center in the Department of Campus Affairs & Student Engagement.