Shir Sahar

: A few days before the Passover vacation, a delegation of 24 students from my school, the Leo Baeck Education Center, set out for Taiwan. Despite the intensive preparations we underwent on the history, geography and culture, we really couldn’t understand ahead of time what we were about to experience. We landed in Taiwan and met an amazing community, a fascinating country with a rich history, breathtaking scenery and a culture that is very different from what we know in our lives.   

During our time in Taiwan we had wonderful experiences- a traditional Taiwanese cooking lesson, paintball, night markets, and talent shows. But the most incredible part of our trip was the connection we made with the Taiwanese youth. Despite the fact that we have different religious faiths, despite the language difficulties, we were blessed to meet amazing people and to make so many new friends.

None of this would have been possible without the community, the church, the university and the host families, who all do everything possible to guarantee we had an enriching, enlightening and most enjoyable visit to Taiwan. They taught us about Taiwan through the eyes of a local person, which would never have been possible if we had come simply as tourists.

On a personal note I thank everyone who made it possible for me to have this life-changing experience, to gain beautiful memories, and I highly recommend it to one and all.