In 2004, Noa Tadmor was an IDF solider serving in Gaza when she was asked to join a Birthright Israel group as part of the Mifgash. Like many soldiers who are invited to join a trip, Noa was excited to have a few days off from her base and meet young Jews from the US. Noa felt a connection to the young Jews on her Birthright Israel bus, who like her, were experiencing a great appreciation for their Jewish identity and Israel.

In our interview below, you’ll get a chance to understand how Noa’s personal experience as a participant led her to become a Tour Educator.

Q&A with Noa Tadmor

What inspired you to become a Tour Educator for Birthright Israel?

Noa Tadmor: “When I was 18, like all other young adults my age in Israel, I was drafted into the army. I then served in the IDF for the next three years in the Gaza Strip. A year into my army service, I had the opportunity to join Birthright Israel as an Israeli participant. I was so excited. You have to understand that when soldiers are approached with this chance, a chance to get a few days off of the army with people from around the world, it feels like we’ve won the ultimate prize. I can still feel the excitement in my body as I saw the looks on people’s faces when we visited the sites and cities — ones which I have been to many times as an Israeli. However, for the time, I saw Israel differently as young Jews from the US, awed and felt a new sense of pride for their heritage as they walked in the steps of their ancestors. I no longer took the Jewish homeland for granted. Ten years after this trip, I completed my tour guiding course, and I knew that I must go back to Birthright Israel and help recreate my experience for others, so here I am.”

In your opinion, what is the most important part about being a Tour Educator?

Noa Tadmor: “I believe that as a Tour Educator, one of the most important roles I have is to make each and every participant from around the world that comes to Israel feel as if they are a part of the Jewish people’s great story and part of the one and only Jewish state. No matter what your connection may be with Israel or with your Jewish identity, the fact that they choose to make this brave decision to come on the Birthright Israel means that something deep inside of them is looking for more. Whether they are looking for more information about Israel, more knowledge about Judaism, want to ask questions they may be scared to ask at home, or are looking for connection and community, it is my job to make it all happen. That is the greatest part about being a Tour Educator — being able to see the transformation that they make during ten days in Israel.”

Describe some of the ways you help young Jews learn on the trip.

Noa Tadmor: “Other than the obvious way, which is explaining Israel’s history, where we are going, and the themes of the day, we also experience Israeli culture and Jewish life in Israel together. For example, we may visit a synagogue in Tzfat, which dives into the mysticism of Kabbalah, and on the same day, we explore the Carmel market in the heart of Tel Aviv, followed by a day in the desert, talking about what it means to be Jewish and what steps we can make to feel comfortable with our identities and relationship to Israel. I feel that as Tour Educators, we must show a diverse and balanced perspective on topics that young Jews here and read about while living outside of Israel. After we visit various sites, as a group, we sit down and process what we have learned. This is the most significant part of a Birthright Israel trip. It is in these moments that each young Jewish adult truly comprehends the impact of the experience they are part of.”

Do you learn anything from the participants on Birthright Israel?

Noa Tadmor: “Absolutely! Growing up in Haifa, I was pretty much surrounded by people just like me. It was only when I joined the army that I met young Israeli women from all over Israel with different backgrounds, socio-economic statuses, and religious beliefs. I am from a secular family, so the first time I had ever heard Shabbat songs was when we had Shabbat at my army base. I remember sitting there during Shabbat dinner and thinking, how do they all know the words to these songs? Even to this day, that memory resonates with me, and when I lead Birthright Israel trips, I am reminded that the world is filled with Jews of all backgrounds, and no matter what your connection to Judaism or Israel is, you are a good Jew no matter what. I also learned from the participants what it’s like to live in mixed communities where most of the time, you are the minority. I now have a better understanding that to be a Jew outside of Israel is hard work and effort. The participants also taught me not to take for granted the fact that I can walk proudly wearing my Star of David necklace or sing Hatikvah loudly.”

What do you think is the biggest takeaway for participants?

Noa Tadmor: “I think their biggest takeaway is a sense of belonging. For most of them, this might have been the first time sitting in a room with 35-40 other young Jewish adults. Not to mention spending a full ten intensive days together. I know they make lifelong friendships. They now know they always have a home in Israel if they choose. I believe that this may be the first time a lot of them have had the opportunity to ask about what it means to be Jewish. It is also the first time many of them are hearing various opinions opposite to their own regarding different issues. It opens up a time and place for them to have a warm and safe space to listen, talk and ask even more questions!”

Sample 10 Day Itinerary: See how a typical Birthright Israel trip comes to life and how it unites young Jewish adults from all over the world with the people, history, and land of Israel.
Sample 10 Day Itinerary: See how a typical Birthright Israel trip comes to life and how it unites young Jewish adults from all over the world with the people, history, and land of Israel.

What do you think is the most important lesson you can teach someone on a Birthright Israel trip?

Noa Tadmor: “Not to judge a book by its cover. I think that a firsthand Israel experience shows how simple and complicated Israel is, all at once. How people on every side and spectrum of the Israeli society just want to be safe and healthy, and with that how emotional and radical people can get when they feel as if they are not seen or heard. I also think they learn they have a place here, that all Jews are a part of a big global family. They also learn that it is only up to them if they want to explore this connection to their Jewish roots and Israel further.”

Lastly, what is your favorite memory from being a Tour Educator?

Noa Tadmor: “The closing session on the last day of the trip is my favorite. It’s a time when we all share our most significant moment of the journey and what we are all taking back with us. My heart skips a beat each time I hear the participants speak. One participants once shares that she never wanted or believed she would feel part of the Jewish people and she only came on Birthright Israel because her father asked her to. She continued to share that the trip was a life-changing self-exploring journey for her she never thought she would have. I am humbled by the fact that I play a part in the lives of so many young Diaspora Jews. I have an impact, not because of who I am or what I tell them, but because I see them for who they are and play a crucial role in helping them find out what makes their heartbeat faster. I know these ten days on Birthright Israel will never leave them.”