Decoding the calculus of a summer in Israel

There were also some extraordinary Shabbats, impactful shiurim (lessons) with rabbis and beautiful celebrations with dancing, along with our annual kumsitz at the Western Wall as Tisha B’Av drew to a close, where we really felt what this day means, and how it hovers between exile and redemption.

It is clear that program participants on the NCSY Summer Kollel have absorbed what it really means to be Am KeLavi, people who “rise like a lion” and meet the moment with perseverance, bravery and dedication.

This incredible transformation often happens on Israel programmes, though it is even more intense now due to the ongoing war.

Looking back, this aspect should have been more prominent on the list of factors we communicated in late June to parents and students when we were weighing whether the programme should go ahead as scheduled – a scenario suddenly made possible in the wake of the ceasefire between Israel and Iran.

This transformation is a true reward for going ahead with the programme while so many others, understandably, cancelled. This role of reward should not be overlooked by anyone weighing a trip or visit to Israel. It is an essential part of assessing and understanding the priority of safety.

Back in June, when we were still deciding if we would proceed with the NCSY Summer Kollel – one of several annual Orthodox Union-associated summer programs in Israel, which were attended by more than 2,000 participants from the United States and more than 1,000 Israelis this year – we stated in a message to participants and parents: “We decide on a programme’s viability based solely on the risk assessment.”

On this I stand, proudly corrected, as I neglected to think or communicate enough about the role of reward. There will always be risk, and it is of utmost importance to consider that fact.

However, with it comes reward, a factor often overlooked but needed to properly consider any situation. Risk stands on a continuum – never absolute, only more or less. As such, decision calculus is based on acceptable risk, not any risk. How do we know what is “acceptable?” It can only be the outcome of also weighing the other contributing factor: the reward.

That means that the reward – what students and other Israel programme participants will learn during their time there and the long-term effect it will have on them – should play a clear role in making the decision of whether to go or not. That doesn’t mean that the reward will always outweigh the risk when it comes to Israel or anything else. Still, programme coordinators, parents and participants should consider the reward.

This is especially true now, during these challenging times for Am Israel, the “Jewish nation.”

Spending time in Israel deepens one’s connection to Judaism, inspires a daily feeling of gratitude and imbues us with the strength needed to face challenges in the United States, including the ongoing increase in antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment.

Ironically, the war and the immensely difficult times that Israel is experiencing heighten the degree of reward that individual programme participants can experience, as they are visiting Israel at a time when its needs are great.

For today’s high school students, a generation that has already spent precious formative years wearing masks and enduring distance learning due to the pandemic – and who are constantly doubted by much of society as a cohort that wastes their time on screens and social media – allowing them such an opportunity for growth and to show their true potential is critical.

Safety is the first, but not the only, consideration

A better understanding of a program’s rewards is essential to more fully understanding the place of safety, and making decisions based on logic and not emotion or idealism. We frequently declare that safety is our number one consideration. This is true. As appropriate for such an important factor, it is the first consideration when we decide whether to run a programme and where a programme should run.

We independently determine a threat level before introducing how desperately we want an activity or program to take place.

However, these words – “number one,” “important,” “first” – are not synonyms of “only”.

While safety should be considered first, the need to think carefully and to take precautions does not mean that all programmes and trips should be outright cancelled. That is simply an emotional, rather than a logical, approach. At the same time, emotions and ideology should in no way cause anyone to overlook safety.

In many cases, taking safety seriously is what allows programmes to thrive and for participants to reap the rewards.

For example, we make sure we are always aware of and following the guidance and instructions of Israel’s Homefront Command, and that the students, too, are familiar with these protocols and their importance. Running the programme this way prioritises protecting life and allows activities to continue, ensuring the possibility of rewards.

In the summer of 2024, we had to make more major adjustments when frequent deadly Hezbollah rocket fire on the north and centre of Israel caused us to avoid those places out of safety concerns. Those adjustments are what allowed us to run a programme that made a major impact on participants, reminding them that safety comes first and that reward is connected to risk.

Running or participating in a programme in Israel is a journey that is not always short and not always simple. But it has been a summer like no other. And it only happened because we took a leap of faith—not to ignore risk or safety, but to set our emotions aside and weigh risk in terms of reward while keeping safety top of mind.

Rabbi Moshe Benovitz is managing director of day-school educational excellence at NCSY, a division of the Orthodox Union.