The annual Hebrew class exchange program trip to Israel was canceled this year because of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. The trip was supposed to take place over the Thanksgiving break and last for 13 days. Students throughout the various levels of Hebrew classes, along with Niles North’s Hebrew teacher, Anna Raiber, are disappointed and hope that the trip will be resumed when the war ends.
“What is unique about [the trip] is that it’s all about Israeli culture. It’s all about using the Hebrew language,” said Bowen. “I really enjoyed seeing the different parts of the land, the country itself, and how such a small country had diversity.”
This trip to Israel is a very unique thing. In fact, it is the only such exchange program with Israel in any public school across the nation, according to Raiber. During this trip students have the opportunity to stay with a host family in Israel, travel the country, and practice their Hebrew. A year after the trip, Niles North students then host Israeli students who come here for a similar experience.
When asked about his initial reaction to the trip’s cancellation, sophomore Spencer Pearl explained his sadness: “I was crushed. Ever since she told us I was looking forward to going on this [trip] and then the war started and stopped it,” said Pearl.
This trip started in 2017, chaperoned by Raiber and language department director Todd Bowen. Throughout the visit, participating students have the chance to see different parts of Israel, including Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, Tel Aviv, Haifa, and many others. In fact, some of the places that are included in the trip are places that students learned about in their Hebrew classes, making the experiences even more unique.
This year, however, the trip was unfortunately canceled amid safety concerns over the ongoing Israeli-Hamas war. Prior to this, the journey has not been held over the last couple of years because of COVID-related fears. The last time it happened was in 2019.
“I’m very upset [about] the students not being able to go on this trip this year,” said Raiber. “I think this exchange program is a big part of the Hebrew program [at Niles North]. I truly hope that when the war is over, we can continue to travel to Israel and host Israeli students here.”
Here are some pictures that Raiber shared from past trips:
