My Israel Story: Ori Z.

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This is the fourth installment of our “My Israel Story” series. All week, we’ll be sharing personal photos and stories from our staff about their connection to Israel in honor of Yom HaZikaron (Memorial Day) and Yom HaAtzmaut (Independence Day) on May 10-12. We look forward to sharing even more of our Israel stories and experiences this summer at camp!


“Israel is a big part of my life. I was born there, my family is there, my friends are there, I served in the army there, and it’s the place I call my home. With all of that, I never felt I had a deep connection to the Land of Israel, only to the people that I cared about who lived in Israel. All of this changed in the summer of 2013, when I spent my first summer at Eisner. During the summer, I had the opportunity to talk to young children and try to explain to them where I came from and what the Jewish State is all about. At first I thought it was an impossible job for me – I felt I had zero connection to the Land of Israel. It was only by sharing my story and looking at my country through the eyes of young campers at Eisner that I found my deep connection to the Land of Israel.

Thank you, Eisner, for showing me how beautiful my (our) home is.”


For more information about opportunities to travel to Israel, check out our Eisner/NFTY Israel trip or URJ Kesher: Birthright Israel