By Sarah Speilberger

The morning of our last full day of Etgar 36 started off early as we left our hotel in Camp Springs Maryland at 8:00 in the morning. It was a silent ride to what would be our very last meeting as we were all still half asleep. I was especially excited for our meeting because it was with one of my favorite groups A.I.P.A.C .

A.I.P.A.C is a pro-Israel lobby with the primary goal of keeping the Israeli-American relationship strong.  Part of this includes them lobbying congress for the more than three billion dollars in foreign aid America gives to Israel. It was particularly interesting for some people to learn that unlike J-street and other pro Israel lobbies, A.I.P.A.C doesn’t take a stance on Israeli politics. Instead of pushing their ideas onto the Israeli government they back whatever Israel thinks is best for itself.

After our meeting we boarded the bus and rode to the Jefferson Memorial. At the memorial Billy gave us all an evaluation packet to fill out about Etgar 36. One of the questions was “What has been your over all experience on Etgar 36”? I struggled with this question for a few moments wondering how on earth I was to sum up such an incredible summer into a few short sentences. After finishing the packet we all got together for a group shot in front of Jefferson and got on the road for a seven hour journey to Charlotte North Carolina. We stopped for lunch at a Wawa’s along. Also on the way we watched “ School Of Rock”. Before Etgar I just saw the movie as a funny flick about a washed up guy who stole his friends teaching job and started a band with kids. But after having learned about the importance music and rock has played in things like civil rights I have a new appreciation for it. To me the movie now represents free speech and not taking no for an answer.

Once at the hotel we had some pizza and began our wrap-up party. We all spoke about our experiences on Etgar. It was really bitter sweet for that to be our last time wrapping up. On on hand we get to go home and rest. On the other hand tomorrow marks the end of an incredible summer journey. However something Billy and a few others have re-iterated for the past few weeks has stuck in my head. This journey, this challenge, does not end when we step off the bus tomorrow. Instead tomorrow is when it all begins. It is easy to be informed when your on a trip all about being informed. It is when the meetings and the conversations on the bus are no longer there that the real challenge begins. The end of Etgar 36 marks the beginning of leading a productive, informed, and fulfilled life. The real meaning of this trip is what comes after. It is how you, how we, make a difference.

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By Peter Danis

Today was our last full day of museums. We started off the day with a visit to the Holocaust Museum. Although I had already been there, I still got a lot out of it. The architecture of the museum really adds to the overall experience. It has this uncomfortable undertone to it and has wood and iron to feel like a concentration camp.

After the Holocaust Museum, we headed over to eat lunch at the food court in the “Air & Space Museum.” We then had a choice of either staying there, or going across the street to the “Smithsonian Art Museum.” I decided to stay there. The planes, spacecrafts, and missiles were all cool to see in person.

Next, we went to the “Newseum.” This was one of the neatest museums I had ever seen. It is amazing how much news has influenced society. On the top floor, is a balcony that overlooks the Capitol Building in the distance. It was nice just to stand there and get a nice overlook of D.C.

The highlight of the day came after dinner when we went to an old fashioned movie theatre. This theater had only one huge theatre with a giant screen and we saw the final Harry Potter movie. Overall, today was a great day and I am sad that this trip ending soon.

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By Nicole Schlosberg

We started off the meeting with the National Coalition for the Homeless. Some things the National Coalition does is lobby for civil rights and register people to vote. We met with two men, former homeless people- Steve and George. They each shared their stories with us. Their stories were an inspiration and changed my view on homeless people. Before today, I thought of the homeless as lazy and scary people, and I would just continue walking when one begged for money. But, after hearing the stories of regular men who made only one terrible decision, I now see that they are just going through a hard life. Steve told us the worst thing about living on the street was people treating him invisible. He also gave us advice to carry a gift card to McDonalds with us. I plan to acknowledge these people now by saving “Hello” to them and learning more about their stories.

After lunch with the people from the coalition, we went to the National Archives. I saw the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Seeing the Constitution with all the signatures and just being in a room with many important documents makes me think of the men who dedicated their lives to make our country free. We visited the American History Smithsonian where we saw the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key’s “Star Spangled Banner” and were free to go to many other interesting exhibits.

Next, we went to see the front of the White House. When we were there, people were protesting Syria’s government  across the street from the White House in Lafayette Park. There were two sides- one to keep the government the way it is now and the other to reinstall their democracy that was in place before a dictatorship came into power. They shouted and held up their flags. It was just fantastic to see  the White House, the symbol of our nation, having protestors of another government outside of it. I love how our country allows free speech and gives individuals the chance to be themselves.

For dinner, we went to “PotBelly”, one of Billy’s favorite sandwich shops. Their sandwiches were delicious! Next, we headed over to watch the comedy group, “Capitol Steps.” They used satire to poke fun at current events and politicians. This group has also been on “The Today Show.” They were just hilarious and I enjoyed laughing along with them. Again, I was proud to be in a place where one can safely joke about the government. Today made me exhilarated and proud to be an American.

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By Eva Steinberg

Yesterday was an extremely busy day- but still very informative and fun. First, we went to the Heritage Foundation. It was interesting to discuss a topic that is so relevant today, especially considering the issue of the debt ceiling. The representative from the Heritage Foundation presented the other side of thought with how to help the poor from what we heard in Boston at United For A Fair Economy.

Next, we met with Amnesty International. I had heard about them before, from school, but meeting with one of their representatives inspired me to take initiative and join the club. I agree with all of his points, and its horrible to think the rights that we take for granted aren’t available to others. I also appreciated Amnesty International’s emphasis on the value of writing a letter and signing petitions.

Next, we met with NARAL Pro-Choice. I already agreed with their position concerning “allowing women to have reproduction rights”. It had been a month to the day that we were in Dallas hearing the opposite from Pro Life Texas.

Our last discussion of the day was with NORML. The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. Legalizing Marijuana was never something I had thought about, and it was something that I never planned to do. (Don’t worry, Mom & Dad, I’m still not planning on smoking!) Keith, the representative made me aware that he considered the legalization of marijuana to be a privacy issue, not a pro-pot issue. He also brought up the topic of marijuana for medical purposes. I had heard about this, and I still don’t know what my opinion is.

After meeting with NORML and a delicious dinner, we made our way to towards an Orthodox synagogue for Friday night services. On our way, the group was “intercepted” by the Pastor of Mt. Zion United Methodist Church. She invited us to tour the Church and hear about it’s history. The church had been part of the underground railroad, and was almost 200 years old.

Our penultimate adventure of the day was going to the synagogue. All the girls had to go to a second level to pray. I didn’t enjoy this service as much as the others.. not necessarily because of the mechitzah, but because the community wasn’t very welcoming.

Lastly, we walked around the National Mall. Billy showed us the Washington Monument and the World War 2, Korean, Vietnam and Lincoln Memorials. I enjoyed seeing all the monuments at night. My favorite part of the evening was laying down on the grass looking at the stairs with Jaime. We both agreed that it was incredible to think people from every monument that we had seen looked up the same stairs that we were gazing at.

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By Yael Farber

Today, we woke up and began our first day in the nation’s capital. The first meeting of the day was with Greenpeace. We met with Bill Richardson, the Deputy Executive Director of Greenpeace America. He told us about Greenpeace’s 3 major concerns: global warming, forest destruction, and ocean protection. As an example of how Greenpeace tackles major corporations, we watched a video they made about Mattel. In the video, Ken ‘broke up’ with Barbie because he didn’t date girls who were into deforestation. After our meeting with Greenpeace, we ate lunch in Chinatown.

From lunch, we drove towards the center of DC to the offices of the Congressmen and women. We were scheduled to meet with Congressman John Lewis at 1, but hung out in his office for a while before we met with him. In that waiting time, we went into the hallway and saw where all the news stations film interviews. As an interview finished up, we met Congresswoman Kay Bailey Hutchinson from Texas. Back in Congressman Lewis’ office, we watched a short video on his life and his involvement with the Civil Rights Movement. We met with the congressman and realized that he was well worth the wait. He told us about his involvement with the Civil Rights Movement as he showed us pictures of significant moments in his life. We were so lucky to have met with such an incredible and inspirational person.

Our next and last meeting of the day was with J Street, a pro-Israel, pro-peace group. We met with members of their Government Affairs Department. They told us about J Street and it’s views on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, then left plently of time for our questions. The conversation and ideas of J Street were familiar to some of us, and completely foreign to others. Overall, our meeting with J Street was very informative and interesting.

Our next stop was in Georgetown. There, we had free time for dinner. After we regrouped, we had a discussion about the legalization of marijuana to prepare for our meeting with N.O.R.M.L. tomorrow.

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By Justin Strudler

On Tuesday, when my room arose to the sounds of my alarm waking me up to go run, I quickly hit the snooze and continued to sleep. Finally we awoke, showered, and ran down to breakfast. We were leaving Waltham, MA, the same town where I spent a year of my life. After a couple hours of political bickering on the bus between each other on topics such as education reform, taxes, Israel, and many others we all agreed to disagree as we made our way into New Haven, Connecticut home to Yale for lunch. I grabbed some food from a salad bar (not salad of course), and hung out with some friends for a while walking around the town before getting back on the bus.  We continued our drive down to Asbury Park, over the Tappan Zee Bridge, which had a beautiful view of New York City down the Hudson River, and into New Jersey and finally Asbury Park. Home of the Stone Pony where Bruce Springsteen played many of his first gigs, Madam Marie’s fortune telling booth as mentioned in the song “4th of July, Asbury Park”, as well as the abandoned casino. Although some were disappointed that the “Jersey Shore” wasn’t overrun with “Guidos” practicing the art of “GTL” (Gym, Tan, Laundry), Asbury Park was heaven for a Springsteen fan like me. The beach was great as we all got our feet wet and had a relaxing time.  Soon we got on the bus and headed on to Philly.

When we arrived in Philly we had the pleasure of catching up with two former Etgarians, Ian and Sarah P. During free time on South Street many of us decided to go to Jim’s Steaks to have Philly Cheese Steaks in the city where they were created. I think the general decision is that it was some of the most delicious food we’ve had, even though I chose the provolone over the cheese wiz. Soon we held wrap up in a local park near historic Philadelphia and went on our way to the hotel to call it a night.

The next day we got on the bus to the Constitution Center, and made our way into the museum which I think made all of us proud to be Americans. We got to vote for the best president ever, whether or not the government will reach a deal on the debt ceiling and the million dollar questions of “how much the power the government can have” and “what freedom means”. The statues of delegates were fun as we all took pictures with our states representatives and soon we started the walk over to where the Liberty Bell is held. Unfortunately the line was way too long so we were forced to speak about the meaning of the bell outside and the quote from the Torah that is inscribed on the it, and didn’t get the chance to check out the famous crack. We walked down past Independence Hall and to a Synagogue which is the site of a memorial to Jonathan Netanyahu, where we discussed the July 4th, 1976 raid on Entebbe to save Israeli citizens that were being held hostage after a plane hijacking. We soon went to one of the most diverse markets any of us have ever seen for lunch, Reading Terminal Market, where it was possible to go from a pizza place, to crepes, to Indian food, to an Amish deli, all in about ten feet of each other. Our last stop in Phialdelphia was to run up the famed Rocky steps of the Art Museum. Finally we parted from Philly and worked our way down to Baltimore.

We pulled into Beth El Synagogue, and had the pleasure to discuss the controversy of how much freedom the press should have with Neil Rubin, friend of Billy’s and Editor for the Baltimore Jewish times. I think this just showed how many ideas the 27 people on this trip can have about a certain subject. When Mr. Rubin gave us certain scenarios pretty much all of us came up with different ideas for when printing a story is acceptable and when it isn’t. The meeting brought up a lot of questions about our Jewish identity and our rights as Americans. After the meeting we began the 45 minute bus ride into Baltimore, where we ate dinner in the Inner Harbor and got to smell, taste, see, and hear the sounds of the city. We boarded the bus and began the trip to D.C.

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By Matt Tonis

After arriving in Boston late last night, I was extremely excited to watch NESN in the morning. Being back in Massachusetts is a great thrill for me because Boston is my favorite city in America, mostly because it’s my hometown.

The first thing we did in the morning was go to Walden Pond, in Concord, Massachusetts. Walden Pond is where Henry David Thoreau lived during his life. While sitting in Walden Pond, we read and interpreted quotes from Thoreau. The scene surrounding us was quintessential New England. A pond surrounded by foliage and the sounds of animals all around us. It’s a scene that I’ve seen often, but never really stop to appreciate how beautiful it is.

After Walden Pond, we drove to Harvard Square for free time and lunch. I personally love Cambridge and it is very similar to other cities that we have been to, specifically Boulder and Berkeley. During this time, I got to see my family for the first time in about four weeks. This was great for me to be able to talk to my family about what I’ve been doing and what has been going on at home.

Once our free time was over, we made our way to meet with Steve Schnapp, representing United for a Fair Economy. Here, we were informed about their ideas to create a better and more just economic system for America. He used us to show how the top ten percent of our country owns seventy-three percent of the nation’s wealth. He also used volunteers to display the growth of people in each quartile in terms of wages over the past thirty years. These statistics were very powerful in that our economy is far from balanced, whether you think that is a good thing, like the Heritage Foundation or not, like the United for a Fair Economy.

We then walked through most of the Freedom Trail to go along with our theme of leadership. The sites we saw were the Park Street Church, where the first anti-slavery speech was, the Boston Common, the largest park in America, Granary Burial Ground, where famous people, such as Sam Adams and Benjamin Franklin’s parents tombstones are, the statue of Benjamin Franklin (he was born here, so he’s ours) next to the site of the first public school, which was Boston Latin High School, the Old Corner Bookstore, where authors like Emerson and Thoreau had their works sold, the Old South Meeting House, where the Sons of Liberty had many meetings, the site of the Boston Massacre, and finally ended up in Faneuil Hall. Once in Faneuil Hall, we went through the Holocaust Memorial that was constructed there. The memorial is six glass pillars with smoke coming through each of them. On the glass, there are numbers representing each person who died in a Concentration Camp. On the ground, there are facts about the Holocaust and there are quotes about the events on the inside of the pillars.

For dinner, we got free time in Faneuil Hall. In my opinion, there is only one place to go if you don’t want to go where everybody knows your name (its not the real one), and that’s the Union Oyster House, the oldest restaurant in America at 185 years old. A group of us went there for a fantastic dinner of either lobster, filet, or some delicious New England Clam Chowdah! Even though the rain came down hard at night, nothing could ruin a trip back home. This is especially true when a trip to Mike’s Pastry in the North End is involved. Mike’s is the greatest bakery in America and there is no more Boston meal than chowder from Union Oyster House and a cannoli from Mike’s, unless you grab a Fenway Frank with it.

As the night went longer and longer and the Red Sox descended deeper into extra innings I realized how lucky I am to live in such a great state and how fortunate I am to be involved in such a great trip and be with such an amazing group of people.

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By Talia Marcus

Billy plans our trip months in advance, and every day we follow the schedule telling us where to go and when. But sometimes events aren’t planned. The theme of today, (in addition to the overarching New York themes of Home and the American Dream), was The Unexpected. We started the day at the Sirius/XM radio studio, where we met Jim Rotolo who produces radio shows for Sirus/XM radio shows. Dave Marsh, host of “Kick Out The James” on Channel 30, had invited us to be on his radio show. Although Dave talked with a few Etgar 36 students, he focused on guest singer Maren Parusel and her band. They could really relate with the unexpected; last night their instruments were stolen out of their van. Regardless, the show went on—even when things go awry we must adjust to the circumstances. Although I left the studio disappointed Etgar 36 students didn’t get to speak more on the show, it was fun to hang out and observe a live recording.

After stopping for lunch in Grand Central station, we trekked to city hall. The journey was filled with unexpected surprises, from missing bags to broken shoes, to a slight subway mix-up. We eventually arrived at our destination, just in time to experience history. Today, July 24, 2011, is a historic day for the state of New York, because it is the first day same sex couples can be legally married. It was the perfect opportunity to be spontaneous, so we stood outside city hall, not exactly sure what we would find. Standing among an excited and vocal crowd, we watched couple after couple exit the big doors with rings on their fingers and marriage certificates in hand. It was the group consensus that this was the highlight of the day, and one of the best NY moments. We also spoke with a Rabbi who was outside offering to perform Jewish wedding ceremonies for any Jewish couple who had just been married in a civil ceremony.

After a weekend of long walks and subway hopping, it was a relief to finally reach the expected; our big blue bus with Robert at the wheel. Naturally, unexpected traffic hit so we took a spontaneous trip into Providence, Rhode Island for dinner. After the sweltering heat of New York, there was nothing better than sitting outside in the cool Rhode Island air. We arrived in Boston, wrapped up the NYC experience, and collapsed into bed, exhausted by another day on our great American journey

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By Ben Chasan

We woke up today in The City That Never Sleeps and caught the subway out to Kingston Avenue in Crown Heights. Obviously, there are some stereotypes associated with Crown Heights; even my mother texted me, “What are you going to do in Crown Heights on Shabbat?” However, it turns out that only 4% of Crown Heights’ population is Jewish; however, the Jewish population is so condensed in a very small area that stereotypes arise. We met Micah, who actually staffed the Etgar trip in 2010. Micah is a member of Avodah, a Jewish organization that works in American communities helping correct social issues. Currently, he is working in the Crown Heights Community Mediation Center. He spoke to us at the center about what his organization and the mediation center does. One thing that he said that stuck out for me was that instead of persecuting the people who commit the crimes, the center tries to root out the source of the violence, which I very much agree with. Micah then toured us around Crown Heights, and we were able see all of the diversity of the area, which is mainly African-American and West Indian (Jamaican, Dominican, etc.). It was truly amazing to see all of the work that the organization does to make sure that these communities understand each other and can coexist peacefully.

After our tour & talk, we again hopped on the subway and got off near Madison Square Garden, where we had some authentic New York Pizza at Pizza Suprema, which I think everybody enjoyed. After this delicious lunch, we made our way to Central Park, where we found Billy’s friend David Ippolito, who was playing classic rock hits on his acoustic guitar in the park every Saturday for the past 20 summers. It was nice to have a few hours to relax, sleep, and listen to some great music. We then walked to Strawberry Fields, a quiet garden that Yoko Ono dedicated to John Lennon after his shooting.

We then jumped on the subway to the Lower East Side, Little Italy and Chinatown. It was so interesting to see the diversity in lifestyles just across the street from each other. We also saw where some tenaments were from the early 1900′s, where hard-working Americans lived while they toiled away in sweatshops pursuing the American dream. We then had some free time on Canal St., where we all enjoyed bargaining with the salesmen of fake Rolexes and Oakleys.

Then, we had some free time in the West Village, where the New Yorkers and some other travelers got to meet their friends and relatives for dinner. It was great to be able to see my parents after weeks of traveling the country, but my break from the trip only lasted a few hours as we then caught the subway back to our hotel and collapsed, tired from a full New York day.

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By Katie Levy

As we woke up to 100 degree weather we made our way to Battery Park to ride the ferry to Ellis Island. On the boat, Billy took a plethora of pictures of the twenty-eight of us as we passed the Statue of Liberty. The Statue of Liberty, which is the symbol of the American dream, is a historical sight I have always dreamed of seeing.

Next on our ferry ride we stopped at the entry point for immigrants who thought the road ahead was paved with gold. This idea to achieve the American Dream started at Ellis Island. It was very interesting to learn about all the trials the immigrants had to go through to live in America. It was very inspirational to hear about all the sacrifices they had to make to live in a country that I take for granted everyday. After learning about the history of our many ancestors, I appreciate the opportunities I can take, such as Etgar 36.

After our journey on the water, we headed towards Wall Street, where the American Dream of success is chased everyday. Soon after we gathered to tell our stories of where we were at 8:45 a.m. September 11, 2001. Just as we have learned throughout our journey that we are all connected, this idea sunk in when we all told our stories and realized we were all doing the same thing in different places.

Our day concluded with one of the most lively Shabbat services I have attended at Bnai Jeshurun. While we were all dancing around the synagogue singing le cha do de it made me realize no matter where you are, you can find family.