翁茂彬 Ben Ong
The Israel Innovation Study Tour was an amazing and unforgettable journey. I am very pleased and grateful to have been accepted into this program. It is rare to have such an opportunity to visit Israel, a country that was not very familiar and distant to me, and to personally experience the local life, scenery, and culture. I have learned and explored the secrets behind Israel's vibrant innovation. Every place visited during the journey, every little detail in the itinerary, has left a deep impression in my heart. Such an experience is truly precious and nostalgic. Therefore, when the time came to leave, I still felt reluctant, hoping to stay a few more days to visit and experience more things that I didn't have enough time to explore.
This twelve-day itinerary was rich and packed with a combination of learning and traveling, mainly focusing on three aspects: entrepreneurship, attractions, and culture. As I have a keen interest in entrepreneurship, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to visit numerous Israeli startups and learn about their journey. Such visitation opportunities are rare because if I were to travel on my own, I would definitely not be able to visit these companies, and even if I could, there would be no one to introduce me.We’ve visited every famous attraction in Israel, such as the Dead Sea, the Sea of Galilee, Masada, the Old City of Jerusalem, and the Western Wall. The tour guide provided detailed and insightful explanations, allowing us to immerse ourselves in history and deeply contemplate its profound impact. During the journey, I also experienced Jewish culture firsthand through all my senses. It was completely different from learning through books or classrooms and left a touching and lasting impression. Therefore, for me, this trip was full of excitement and diversity, with no dull moments. Each one was interesting and captivating, and I always felt like there was not enough time to see or ask everything before moving on to the next destination. Throughout this journey, I saw and learned a lot, and I was inspired in many ways. I hope to apply these experiences to my future endeavors and create even more inspiration and value from them.
Thoughts and Feelings from this Journey
This trip can be described as both meeting and exceeding my expectations. Before traveling to Israel, my knowledge about the country was quite limited. My only
familiarity with Israel came from the childhood comic book "Treasure Hunting in Israel", which provided a shallow understanding of its history, attractions, culture, and customs. In geography and history classes, I learned that Israel has a Mediterranean climate, excels in technology and innovation, has developed many technologies to overcome environmental and defense challenges, and is the homeland established for Jews after World War II. Additionally, during a previous liberal education course on "Western Civilization," I learned about the origin of Christianity, and we discussed the issues of Jerusalem as a site of conflict among three religions in the class.
To prepare for this journey, I read books about Israel, searched for information online, studied its history, and familiarized myself with Jewish culture, as well as the backgrounds of the places we were going to visit during the trip. Despite these efforts, Israel still remained vague and distant to me. It felt like I had acquired only superficial knowledge without any significant emotional connection. Therefore, I hoped that by immersing myself in their way of life and experiencing Israel's spirit and culture firsthand, I could gain a deeper understanding.
What met my expectations was that this journey truly allowed us to learn in a way that goes beyond what we can obtain in classrooms and textbooks. What exceeded my expectations was the overwhelming feelings and experiences it brought, which went far beyond what I had imagined.
The most astonishing aspect of this trip was undoubtedly the historical sites. Standing in front of the Western Wall, gently touching the weathered yet smooth stones with my right hand, and looking up at this towering wall that has stood for over two thousand years, I suddenly felt that the distant and vague image of the two thousand years vanished in an instant. The unshakable veil of time and distance disappeared, and the two thousand years of history became palpable, literally, just under my fingertips. Through this wall, it seemed like I had a connection with everyone who had personally built it over two thousand years ago, with every event that had occurred at this place throughout history, and with all the people who, like me, stood before this wall in awe. It was as if I could see them and get to know them. This wall has witnessed the rise and fall, the struggles and tranquility of over a thousand years, and it felt like I was wandering through different time points along with the Western Wall in the long flow of time. This experience was deeply engraved in my heart and is something that reading thousands of books or seeing millions of photos could never replicate.
Standing in front of the Western Wall.
Or at Masada, overlooking the small hill where the Romans camped before
conquering the fortress, listening to the tour guide recounting the story of Masada, it felt like I could see the scenes of the Roman army trying to climb the fortress while the Jews resisted with all their might. I deeply felt the sadness and reluctance of the Jewish people collectively committing mass suicide at this fortress. Walking within
the fortress, it made me ponder: If I were a Jewish person, and my ancestors had experienced this event, what kind of emotions would I have, and what significance would this place hold for me? I had read about this sad story in "Treasure Hunting in Israel" when I was a child, but experiencing it firsthand and empathizing with it brought about a profound impact and triggered thoughts that are hard to forget, lingering in my mind for a long time.
Other places such as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the City of David, the Garden of Gethsemane visited with fellow participants during free time, the alleys of the Old City of Jerusalem, the ruins at Banias, the ancient city of Jaffa, and so on, each historical site was a baptism of the senses and the soul. It led us to contemplate the trajectory of human civilization and the various stories that took place on this land. It also made us realize that history is not merely a collection of old written records but a brilliant crystallization shining with boundless emotions and significance. It reflects the struggles, growth, and wisdom of the past people and brings us endless inspiration.
And the exchange and interaction with local people also provided profound experiences and inspiration. For example, when buying things at the supermarket, I actively engaged with the shopkeepers to learn about their classic snacks, food ingredients, and how they were made. During company visits, I asked questions and discussed with the speakers to understand their perspectives and thought processes. Talking to strangers on the street, I discovered that the street music performances were not impromptu but part of a government initiative to promote artistic and cultural literacy. Participating in local protests and marches, I conversed with fellow protesters to understand the reasons behind their protests, the meanings behind their slogans and artwork, and the significance and impact of what they were protesting against on their lives.
This process made me feel like I truly connected with Israel, gaining insights into the country, its people, their lives, thoughts, and culture from a local perspective. Actively engaging in their lives provided precious experiences that cannot be replicated in a classroom. It made me understand why some people love traveling to different places, and I felt the allure of immersing oneself in a particular location deeply. In the future, I also wish to travel to various places to understand them through this immersive and interactive approach.
What I learned from this trip
From the fellow participants:
What amazed me the most and what I learned the most from this trip were the fellow participants who visited together. Everyone was very proactive, curious, eager to learn, full of ideas, and possessed rich knowledge. During each company visit, workshop, and introduction to attractions, everyone was fully focused and actively raised their hands to ask questions, trying to understand every detail and any unclear points. If someone didn't hear a part, we would ask each other or immediately search online. Even for questions that couldn't be asked during the Q&A session due to time constraints, some would seize the opportunity after taking group photos to approach the speakers and clarify their doubts. Such active curiosity created a positive learning atmosphere, making people want to ask more and learn more, trying to take away as much as possible from each itinerary.
Moreover, I’d like to talk to local people to understand their lives. Discovering that some of the group members also wanted to interact actively with the locals, I felt even more motivated to do the same. This genuine desire to learn from the bottom of the heart was particularly exhilarating. It was a vastly different experience from sitting in a classroom passively receiving content from a teacher. Throughout my long student life, such a valuable learning atmosphere was rarely encountered. Having this experience outside of the classroom was truly surprising and exciting.
During every bus ride, walk, waiting time, mealtime, and free time, we would engage in discussions and share our thoughts. We talked about the places we just visited, reflected on what we learned, shared our own ideas, and responded to others' thoughts with our perspectives. These discussions often sparked different inspirations, thoughts, and deeper understandings of various subjects. Sometimes during the evening free time, we would gather to share our experiences and feelings about this journey, or we would write them down to share with everyone. Other times, we would discuss our plans for the future and our dreams.
In these interactions with fellow participants, we discovered that some had already started their own businesses and had achieved some success with their entrepreneurial ideas, which was truly impressive. Others had specific directions and goals for their future entrepreneurial ideas, and when they passionately explained what they planned to do and how it would benefit the world, their eyes shone with enthusiasm and
brilliance, earning my admiration. Some possessed a wealth of knowledge in various fields and eloquently explained complex topics in a clear and easy-to-understand manner, leaving me in awe. There were also those who were well-versed in biblical stories, being able to narrate the story of Moses leading the people through the Red Sea just by a picture, captivating my hearts and minds.
And many of us had served as leaders in various clubs and organizations. Having been club leaders in the past year, I knew that just being willing to take on such a position and the subsequent responsibilities was not an easy feat, and throughout the process, we had to deal with various large and small, tricky and troublesome matters. Managing them effectively and doing a good job was truly commendable and rare. The interactions with the group members have been eye-opening and inspiring. Learning from their experiences and perspectives has been a valuable part of this journey.
The fellow participants on this trip are all impressive, each one possessing qualities from whom I can learn and emulate. I feel that there is much I need to work on and improve in myself. What struck me the most was that some of them already had concrete entrepreneurial ideas with promising prospects. I have been thinking about starting a business for a long time but have yet to come up with a practical idea, which made me reflect on the need to be more proactive in exploring and discovering possibilities.
Through discussions with everyone, many topics and knowledge emerged that I had never thought about or encountered before. It made me realize my own limitations and narrow perspectives, and it also highlighted the vastness and diversity of the world. I believe that I should travel more, interact with different people, and learn about various fields of knowledge to avoid being like a frog in a well, with a limited view of the world. Expanding my horizons will lead to different thoughts and certainly aid in generating entrepreneurial ideas.
Overall, being surrounded by such talented individuals during this trip has been a wake-up call for me. It has inspired me to be more open-minded, curious, and proactive in exploring new possibilities and learning from different sources. I am determined to enhance my entrepreneurial mindset and seek out innovative ideas for the future.
About Entrepreneurship:
Israel's population is less than half of Taiwan's, and its land area is smaller, yet it has around eighty to ninety unicorn companies, whereas Taiwan has none. Moreover, Israel has thirteen Nobel laureates, greatly surpassing Taiwan in this aspect. Therefore, the main goal of this visit was to understand how Israel became a nation of entrepreneurship and innovation and what we can learn from it. In the first workshop, Assaf explained several key traits that have contributed to Israel's status as an innovation hub, including the direct, spontaneous, and non-conformist nature of Israelis, as well as the practical management experience gained through their military service. After listening to this, I found it reasonable. So I started to carefully observe during the rest of the trip, and discovered three traits that are worth learning from:
The first trait is the non-conformist nature, such as their tendency not to line up one after another but to seize any gap and move to the front. In the process of entrepreneurship, if we don't think critically and rigidly follow existing rules, we won't be able to survive in the rapidly changing entrepreneurial environment. In Taiwan, we are often educated to follow regulations, and we may even feel lost without guidelines. As a result, over time, we tend to become conservative and hesitant to seek new ideas and changes. We don't often question whether such regulations are necessary or if there are alternative paths to achieve our goals. Therefore, I believe this is something worth learning from.
The second trait is the ability to think outside the box. During the visit to Incredo, the CEO explained that while other companies use sugar substitutes to achieve sugar reduction, they took a different approach. They still used regular sugar but ingeniously manipulated the speed at which the sugar dissolves in the mouth to achieve the same sugar reduction effect. This demonstrated their ability not to be confined by existing frameworks and their wide imagination in coming up with innovative solutions.
Another example was during the visit to Reichman University's Human-Computer Interaction Lab, where we saw many creative projects. For instance, they detected the content of conversations between two people and displayed their interactions' emotions using colors. Another project was that they recorded muscle movements to measure stress levels, showcasing astonishing creativity. It was refreshing to see such innovative ideas, and I believe their ability to think outside the box is crucial to their innovation.
One evening in Jerusalem, while passing through their park, I noticed the multitude and grand scale of playground equipment they provided for children. Many of these were unique and not commonly seen in Taiwan. Even I’m no longer a child, I found them incredibly enjoyable. If I had such playground equipment when I was a child, I
would have had a blast playing in them. This kind of playground equipment reflects their emphasis on creative education for children. They surely incorporate this spirit into other aspects of education, nurturing the ability to think outside the box from an
early age. As they grow up, they design such playgrounds and pass on this mindset to the next generation, forming a virtuous cycle and continuously transmitting this spirit to their descendants.
The third aspect is their chutzpah spirit, which was also frequently mentioned during our discussions among the group members. They don't overthink, hesitate, or wonder if they are ready; instead, they have full confidence in themselves and quickly put their ideas into action, daring to implement their thoughts. In the Reichman University's Human-Computer Interaction Lab, we can see that regardless of how unconventional their ideas may seem, they try to experiment and make them a reality. And during our visit to Inziv, when asked how they managed to have sufficient funds to develop micro LED inspection technology, they replied that they had actually started selling their products even before successfully developing the technology. Still, they had great confidence in their ability to deliver the product, and they indeed accomplished it, fully demonstrating the spirit of chutzpah.
Immersed in such a spirit, one can feel energized and vibrant, as if able to write the story of life stroke by stroke, without conforming to conventional scripts or adhering to societal norms. With every gesture and action, one can paint different patterns and colors on the canvas of life, writing unexpected chapters. Raising a hand to ask questions, taking a step to talk to the locals, all rewrite the supposed ordinary next second. This feeling is truly exciting, making one live each day eagerly and sensing the boundless possibilities for the future. I hope I can also materialize various ideas and practice the true essence of chutzpah.
Conclusion
This journey has added an extra layer of connection between myself and Israel, and it has fostered a special affection for Israel. After returning to Taiwan, whenever I see news about Israel in the media, I pay special attention and reminisce about the little moments and interactions I had with the locals there. In my heart, I hope that I will have the opportunity to visit this land of milk and honey again in the future.
Finally, I’d like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Schwarz for his generous sponsorship, as well as to the Office of International Affairs at NTU, Jeffrey D. Schwartz & Na Tang Jewish Taiwan Cultural Association, and all the local institutions that arranged our itinerary. Thanks to them, this journey became a reality, and we had this incredibly rare opportunity to visit Israel and gained numerous insights and experiences. I aspire to transform these experiences into innovative power, bring influence to society, and help and contribute to every individual in the world.
