Spring breaks with substanc e

By Rachel Irwin
of The Chronicle staff

Spring break is usually the time for college students to travel to a warm weather locale, work on their tans, and consume copious amounts of alcohol.

But there seems to be a growing number of students who have wearied of this scenario and crave a vacation with some substance.

“I went on a ‘normal’ spring break trip last year to Jamaica with my boyfriend, and wasn’t that impressed,” said Kiera Wiatrak, a University of Wisconsin-Madison sophomore and former Chronicle intern.

“It was basically like the party scene at Madison transported to an unfamiliar country. I really didn’t see a reason to shell out thousands of dollars [this year] to do what everyone does every weekend anyways.”

So this spring, she decided to travel to Prague on Hillel Foundation’s Alternative Spring Break. Wiatrak and her fellow participants visited synagogues and the former Terezin Ghetto, attend historical lectures and took part in a community service day during the weeklong trip.

“We’re doing a lot of touring and learning about Jewish history, which I’m really excited about,” said Wiatrak, who spoke with the Chronicle shortly before her departure April 1. “Especially because I will be experiencing it with Jewish peers from my school. I’m really looking forward to sharing it with them.”

Cutting and planting

Milwaukee native Genevieve Schweitzer chose to take part in Jewish National Fund’s Alternative Spring Break because she “fell in love” with Israel this past December during her Taglit birthright israel trip.

“I was especially taken by the beauty of the land and felt the need to give something in return,” said Schweitzer, a 21-year-old graphic design student at Columbia College in Chicago. “So when I heard about this JNF trip, I jumped at the chance.”

Participants helped rebuild parts of northern Israel —especially the forests — that suffered extreme damage during last summer’s war with Lebanon.

“We actually cut down more than we planted, but for good reason,” Schweitzer explained.

“Many forests were heavily burned by the bombing … so we cut down trees that were totally destroyed and pruned those that still supported green branches.”

The trip —which was featured on an MTV special about alternative spring breaks — also required participants to raise $800 for Operation Northern Renewal, a 10-year, $400 million campaign to rebuild communities destroyed during the war.

“It was a great experience,” agreed University of Wisconsin-Madison student Aaron Gillett, 21. “I went because I wanted to dedicate real time and energy to Israel, not just my money.”

Both he and Schweitzer —whose trips were one week apart — planted trees, cleaned up local parks, visited hospitals and painted picnic tables, fences, signs and bomb shelters.

“We were told that, at times, people have to spend months in these [bomb shelters],” recalled Schweitzer. “Our job was to rid them of the dirty, dull and depressing walls, and liven up the space with color in designs of our choice.”

They also had the opportunity to speak with a variety of Israelis about their experiences. “Almost nightly,” recalled Gillett, “our program organized discussions with a wide-range of Israelis impacted by the war. We heard from forest rangers, college students, army personnel, community leaders, and average Israeli citizens.”

Did they feel as though their work made a difference?

“All the people we helped thanked us for our work and made it clear that our efforts had an impact,” said Gillett.

Schweitzer added that although she wishes she could have done more, “every little bit helps.” She also described returning from the trip and feeling more connected to Israel than ever before.

“I’m in the United States — restless, anxious, and longing to go back. I don’t know when I will get the opportunity, but I feel that because of my spiritual connection, my return will be inevitable.”

The Gulf Coast

It’s not only college students who are trying to make the most of their spring vacations.

Emily Schapira, a senior at Nicolet High School, recently returned from a five-day United Synagogue Youth trip to Waveland, Miss., which she described as the “ground zero” of Hurricane Katrina.

“I’ve been looking for an opportunity to go to the Gulf Coast since the hurricane,” Schapira told the Chronicle. “The importance of volunteering lies in the fact that so many [people] are relying on the goodwill of others to rebuild their lives.”

Schapira worked with other teenagers to repair damaged homes. “I was involved in hanging the drywall, spackling, and painting,” she recalled.

Although she feels that she made a difference in “individual lives,” the magnitude of the damage remains overwhelming.

“There are hundreds of concrete foundations of houses that have been completely swept away,” she said. “Other houses are being prepared for demolition, and rubble and garbage lies all around.

“Although I feel like I accomplished something, the extent of the devastation still remaining makes it hard to think that I have had a big impact.”