Hundreds of students from all over the U.S. traveled to Israel on their spring break this March. They came to work on several community projects and help bring optimistic joy and a cheerful attitude to the unfortunate and under-developed communities in the Negev region. They are participating on the Alternative Spring Break (ASB) program sponsored by the Jewish National Fund (JNF).
JNF donors helped sponsor the trip, but the participating students had to meet a minimum fundraising requirement of $975. The money raised goes toward the JNF’s Blueprint Negev campaign to develop a sustainable Negev. The students had the help of an easy online program that made it simple to communicate with people about their trip and explain its importance. 
A student from Boston University, Jacob Sufane, noted that his campus Hillel helped him meet the minimum requirement and made it possible for him to participate.
Jordan McEwing, a sophomore at Temple University in Philadelphia, talked about her experience on ASB: “It’s been a life changing experience and has made me appreciate the comforts of America and the lifestyle that I live. I have grown as a person and I now understand the diversity of the Jewish people and all the people we have affected. It has put everything into perspective.”
“I really wanted to come to Israel and help the people of Israel. For a country that had given so much to me, this trip was amazing and I did not realize what would happen along the way,” said Jordan, who has decided to make Aliyah (immigration to Israel) after her trip to Israel with ASB.
The students volunteered their time in different communities in the Negev, as well as at the Sederot indoor playground, an ongoing JNF project. The Sederot playground has four bomb shelters that double as play areas for children. The students say they made an impact on many lives there as well as acquiring many memories along the way.
Another project in which they participated and worked on was an ongoing task in Be'er Sheva. The students traveled to an Absorption Center in the city, where they made mud benches for Ethiopian immigrant families who have been developing their own communities in Israel. “That day we did a lot of gardening and making benches out of natural materials like mud, water, sand and hay. It was a lot of fun. Also, all the Ethiopian school children came outside to play with us during the day and it was great,” said Gabe Toran, a third-year student at Temple University.
In addition, the students painted at low-income housing projects, covering up graffiti on walls and buildings. They also picked grapefruits for an organization called Table to Table (MiShulchan L'Shulchan), which distributes the fruit daily to needy families. The students said that their projects throughout the whole trip made more than just a minor difference; they made these people’s lives one step easier than the day before. They affected many lives as well as made a difference in the communities they helped.
Gabe Toran elaborated on one of the volunteer projects in the program: “One day we went to a place called Aleh Negev, which is a huge facility for people with special needs and disabilities. It really is a special place. We volunteered there by playing with children with special needs, and gardened to make the outside desert area look nice.”
"Everything Counts... It's Magical"
A student from the University of Virginia, Amanda Brody, had much to say about her time in Israel: “This trip is overwhelming at times because it’s a huge task, but at the same time words can not describe it. It seems like we are so small sometimes and how could we possibly make a difference being such a small portion of people that actually help out. At the end of the day we see how we have affected people and we have been able to see direct results, which is something you are not accustomed to seeing. You are skeptical but after participating you realize that everything counts. It’s magical.”
After speaking to the students, it's clear that not only are they going home with a greater love for Israel, but also with greater appreciation for life and Judaism. They all had the option to do other things on their spring break from college, yet they signed up to help Israel and its many infrastructure projects.
Jacob Sufane summed it up, saying, “It feels great knowing that I’m using my free time to do something worthwhile. Even though I am having fun, I am also doing something that has an impact on other peoples' lives.”
Over 250 participants are coming to Israel with the JNF ASB program this spring. For more information, click here.