My name is Sophie Milstein, and I will share a tale of rediscovery with you. Here is how this will look: I will tell you my common experience being a Midwest American Jew. I will describe to you a likely familiar experience of lost connection. But stay with me; after all, this is a redemption story.

I grew up in a traditional conservative Jewish family in Minneapolis, Minnesota. My growing up was that of a typical Jewish adolescent — preschool at the synagogue, Hebrew school, and weekend Torah classes. At this stage of my development, I wasn’t focused on or curious about my Judaism; I went through the motions without my parents telling me (bless them) why I was different from the rest of my non-Jewish peers at public school. My Bat Mitzvah, certainly like all other American Jews, was the first opportunity to have ownership and pride for being different, meaning I could buy a Coach purse at 13 years old, and my peers had to wait until Christmas.

Jump ahead to University. I was maybe twenty years old and feeling isolated from the larger population. The need to quench my philosophical and psychological thirst to investigate myself drove the bus of my frontal lobe. I attended Hillel and formed a close relationship with the Rabbi, but this was the ceiling of my relationship with Judaism. In retrospect, I was overwhelmed by misunderstanding; I’m certain this experience has been felt by most of you reading. It is a rich, complicated, emotional, isolating history filled with intimidating biblical ferociousness. So I transitioned to studying Buddhism, as many yearning American Jews do because of similar tropes to Judaism, like mindfulness and selflessness, yet in a non-theistic approach.

Jump ahead six years of practicing and teaching yoga, and you’ll find me sitting criss-cross-applesauce in Tzfat on day one of my Birthright Israel trip. Avraham, the Kabbalistic artist, effortlessly emits a frequency with his mere being, which I had experienced only through rigorous yoga practice and hours-long seated meditation. I unexpectedly and powerfully felt Hashem on that hilltop in beautiful Tzfat. Avraham affirmed my life experience: we (Jews) internalize our American identity for various reasons and often turn to Eastern philosophy in response to misunderstandings of Jewish teaching. Avraham enlightened me that day, saying, “begin to see for yourself how profoundly special you are as a Jew — explore your gift of who you already are, and you will discover G-d on a deeper level than ever anticipated.”

There, I purchased Areya Kaplan’s ‘Jewish Meditation’ and Mordechai Gottlieb’s ‘Inner Work,’ two beginner Kabbalistic texts.

As we continued nine days further into our 10-day journey, the vulnerable development of our group, facilitated by two mindful leaders (shoutout to Lauren Lieberman and David Cohen) and the all-knowing Yoni Lightstone, transcended our American identities and beheld a newly discovered Jewish pride.

Although the lessons we take home are individual, the group stays in touch and is vocally enthralled with gratitude for the authentic support which we gave one another while being immersed in the Jewish land, history, culture, and more. The pride and joy emitting from the collective were visceral and oozing with love.

Once I got back to the states, I excitedly ran to the young adult Chabad house and have been attending Shabbat every Friday; I feel like Cinderella (with black hair), and observing Shabbat is like my glass slipper. I love Tuesday Torah study and have even infused Kabbalistic teaching in my yoga classes.

Birthright Israel is a catalyst for young Jews, and without it, I certainly would not have had the reinforcement to see for myself the depth of spirit right under my nose my entire life. Birthright Israel is a necessary opportunity, and I could not be a stronger advocate for every single Jew experiencing themselves in this way. Baruch Hashem!

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