Birthright Israel Excel is an opportunity to intern at a leading global business or technology company. It’s mentorship from a senior professional at work. It’s interactive sessions with high profile speakers in the business and political sectors. It’s a lifelong community of like-minded peers, dedicated to becoming business leaders and advocating for the state of Israel.
While Excel is all of this and so much more, when I think of Excel I think of Linoy. As a part of the summer experience, each North American Exceller is matched with an Israeli Peer based on professional and personal interests. I was matched with Linoy, an officer in an elite intelligence unit in the IDF and now an Electrical Engineering student at Tel Aviv University.
Linoy and I immediately hit it off on my first weekend in Israel when she brought me to her favorite ice cream spot in Tel Aviv: Anita. I had Shabbat dinners with Linoy at her family’s home and explored local restaurants and bars with her. She taught me Hebrew phrases, how to navigate the transportation systems, and over the course of our 10 weeks together, I started to feel at home in Israel by Linoy’s side.
More than three years after our summer together, Linoy and I still talk weekly, sometimes even daily. I am Linoy’s first call when she has an interview in English, and she is my first call when I want to talk about current events in Israel. She is an integral part of my life, and I have Birthright Excel to thank for this life-changing relationship.
I believe that the Peer Program is what differentiates Excel from all other summer programs in Israel. Having an Israeli Peer by my side throughout the summer experience helped me feel like I truly belonged there and gave me an authentic look into life in Israel. I feel a different level of connection to Israel because of Linoy, and I know I will always have a piece of home there thanks to Excel.