金維珊 Sandy King
Departure: A Beautiful Encounter with Israel
The 12-day study trip in Israel, with the diverse and interesting company visits, heart-touching cultural exploration, and the cooperation of our tour guides Ben, staff members from NTUOIA: Krystal and Alberto, and all the NTU students who made the journey full of warmth and joy, passed ephemerally. Even though it has been nearly a month since I departed for Israel, whenever I recall what had happened in the Holy Land, as small as talking and laughing with fellow travelers along the drive, as big as experiencing the shock from unfamiliarity and strangeness to understanding, it still makes me shiver, as if I had gone to a fascinated universe. The trip worked magic, and I will surely linger and extremely cherish.
During the two weeks in Israel, we walked into the alleys of the ancient and new cities, visited various companies and organizations, and participated in lectures on business, culture, and religion. Although what we received did not necessarily manifest in our words and deeds immediately, however, through learning and practical exposure to Israeli innovation, religion, and culture, the change in our minds had settled already, and the change happened every second of the travel.
At the beginning of the journey, Mrs. Irit Barash asked each of us what we wanted to figure out in the past two weeks. I said: "I want to know that as the political and economic situation and the trend of elite education in Taiwan and Israel are somewhat similar, from the perspective of education and culture, what causes the difference in the industrial structure of the two parties (one is a country of start-ups, the other is a place of high-tech foundry)?" And my biggest gain from this journey is – all the phenomena we observe must be within their context, all questions cannot be answered with a single sentence, they are derived from the complete context.
Yad Vashem
Visiting the Yad Vashem: The World Holocaust Remembrance Centre is one of the most impressive of this trip. Whether it is the architectural design concept of Yad Vashem or the photos, evidence is found, and stories that speak and tell history, it seems to let me first step into the darkness of hopelessness and ignorance, and be reborn with strength and hope.
Following the Jewish guide who was born in 1965, I walked step by step into the history of the disappearance of six million Jewish people during World War II. From morning to lunchtime, our group followed the guide from the tree garden outside the memorial hall, accompanied by the Israeli national anthem "Haktivah" all the way inside the memorial hall, and then gradually walked outside the hall that shone and sheltered by the sun. I couldn't take my eyes off it, and my eyes were wet with tears of empathy and understanding from beginning to end. In the afternoon, we conducted a workshop on the theme of Humanity (How was it humanly possible?) with the tour guide, converging what we saw and heard during the visit, and also reviewed and analyzed many testimonies and events left during the period of the Holocaust.
Some people may think that, with a Jewish guide leading us into this historical event, the "historical interpretation" will supersede the "historical fact", and the receiver of the message (in this case, us) will blur the event with the tears of empathy and sympathy. Then, we will thus ignore or bias the dilemma and injury of both sides' positions in history. But our guide, who was born in the post-war baby boom period said to us: "The Holocaust is the grief that my ancestors faced, why do I still choose to do this work? It is because this "living history" will become "history" in the near future, and no survivors can tell what they have been through and experienced. As a Jew, I want to pass this historical event as objectively and completely as possible to our future generations and more people around the world, so that they can all learn from it and avoid unnecessary harm, and it is the greatest contribution I can make so far." Regardless of the recipient's reaction and feedback, from my perspective, the motivation of the tour guide can perhaps explain part of the Jewish people's willingness to serve the country and return to the country to contribute and learn, as well as the reasons for valuing generational inheritance and enriching the strength of the country, in both aspects, such as national defense and high-tech.
I sincerely hope that everything that should be remembered in the world will not be forgotten, and all stories will be well told.
Hilma – Tech for Impact
In addition to Yad Vashem, we also traveled to many amazingly astonishing cities, explored Israel with different terrains, and visited more than ten start-up companies, universities, and organizations, among which Hilma attracted me the most.
Hilma is a non-profit organization that recruits young people who are willing and able to learn skills such as business analysis, user design, and programming to work together in the form of technology projects to actually develop software services to solve social problems. Some of the young people recruited by Hilma are unable to serve in the military due to health and religious factors. Some are scattered all over the world and intend to experience and study in Israel (the three girls who mainly shared with us during the visit that day are all aged 18 and 19, and are preparing university applications). Hilma also mentioned that Israel's IDF Unit 8200 has cultivated many young people who have given back what they have learned to the country's high-tech development after serving in the military. Hilma also hopes to help those who need tech and business-relevant learning resources in addition to the army to get familiar with the basics as soon as possible and apply skills to solve social problems, making Israel a country that can make use of "social tech" to give back to the world.
Different from Taiwanese policy– Curriculum Guidelines of 12 Year Basic Education, and the fact that most high schoolers go directly to the university, a considerable number of Israeli students will serve in the military or arrange a gap year after graduating from high school, so that they have the opportunity to get in touch with the actual situation of society before deciding on their future paths.
Right on the second day after arriving in Israel, Lecturer Assaf Luxemburg said: "One of the reasons why most Israelis regard military service as an integral part of growing up is that young people who are about to leave society can know the "backstage" of the country or a certain organization by joining the army, Therefore, they understand better that the country needs their efforts, and learn to find answers to the problems that need to be solved in society." Youngsters who have a way out have the opportunity to peek into all kinds of worlds they live in, discover possible opportunities, and then choose the next stage of education or lifestyle, to contribute to society more completely and vividly.
I briefly shared the two most memorable visits of this 12-day trip to Israel. Yad Vashem and Hilma were representatives of cultural learning and corporate organization respectively. I enjoyed every other itinerary just as much. I have also benefited a lot from visiting all corporates and sightseeing, but due to the length of the article, I will take the above two as examples.
Summary: Memorial and Change
What is the meaning and core value of travel? It is the memory and the change within ourselves.
During the two-week stay in Israel, I dropped my favorite luggage straps and left them at the hotel in Tel Aviv, let my newly bought hat fly away in the desert full of stars in the night sky, and lost a water bottle when on the Jeep tour through the Golan Heights because the back door accidentally opened. Nevertheless, I picked up countless souvenirs along the way, which are precious memories that are hard to consume with money: they are 5,000+ photos that record every priceless moment, friends who support each other until the very end, and sunburn marks left on my back because of being favored by the sun.
From the beginning when I was able to read long-paragraphed extracurricular books, I would read all the books about Jews on the bookshelf at the store. I knew how to hum the Israeli national anthem "Haktivah" when I was about thirteen. I missed the opportunity to exchange in Israel once in high school, which made me sad and disappointed -- This time I finally caught up with the plane to the Holy Land. I will remember all the things that happened here with all my heart and cherish every moment.
The discovery and happiness sparked throughout the trip can be regarded as a "brief answer" to the little girl who stuck her eye on her iPad about 10 years ago, browsing through Israeli and Jewish news, history, and educational films with curiosity. 10 years have gone from then on, the girl has finally been to the Holyland of her heart, and her persistence and courage in constantly seeking answers are also worth commemorating and celebrating.
The changes each journey brings to a person start quietly right from the moment of departure. The refreshment of stepping on the seawater of the Mediterranean Sea, the joy of learning to say "shalom!", the questions from the heart regarding the start-up nation, the curiosity aroused when visiting companies and city streets, and the interaction with everyone who meets by chance -- It's all seeds that are planted in our hearts. The two weeks of experience and adventure in Israel make the seeds germinate, and the change is already in it. "The technique of the magic can only be learned with the heart, while it is indescribable." I firmly believe that my heart, soul, the whole self has enriched through the trip.
Buckle back to the front, the biggest gain of the journey: "Every answer must have its context"; the question I asked at the beginning, has it been solved?
Through countless visits, guided tours, encounters, and cultural contacts, I know much more about the background and lifestyle of the start-up nation Israel and the Jewish people than before, and they can indeed answer my questions in general. But what I know better is that to understand the truth of a question truly, one must know the complex "context" of the reasons. This will not be completely found after a few days of exploration. To find the true answer to a problem depends on the motives of different people involved and the background of a certain era, this is why there are many big questions in the world that cannot be properly explained. For us who are full of curiosity, there are always more questions than answers, but I will continue to search in various ways, and I think sometimes the process of critical thinking itself is already the purpose.
Finally, I would like to thank everyone sincerely who made this trip to Israel possible, such as but not limited to National Taiwan University, Jeffery D. Schwartz & Na Tang Jewish Taiwan Cultural Association, Mrs. Irit Barash, staff from the Office of International Affairs, our tour guide Ben, all the people who received us in Israel, supporters from all parties, as well as all fellow students from NTU, because of your support and company, these two weeks in Israel becomes one of the best journeys I have ever encountered and be a part of. I hope that we will all see the change in ourselves, thrive strongly, and shine gently in the future. Looking forward to gathering with you all!
