Birmingham's Kendal Jaffe made a cool connection on her trip to Israel this summer. Kendal is N'siah (president) of Magic City B'nai B'rith Girls (BBG), the girls' chapter of the B'nai B'rith Youth Organization (BBYO) in Birmingham. This past summer Kendal traveled to Israel as part of BBYO's International Leadership Seminar Israel (ILSI).

Coincidentally, Renee Sharon, a senior at the University of Alabama, was working as staff on Kendal's trip. Renee is from Charlotte, NC and was International N'siah for BBG in 2007-2008, delaying her entry to college in order to travel the globe to serve as the face and voice for B'nai B'rith Girls worldwide.

Kendal, daughter of Jan and Kenny Jaffe is a senior at Mountain Brook High School. Through ILSI, Kendal explored Israel for three weeks, accompanied by teachers and staff knowledgeable in its history and culture.

"This trip really helped me connect to Israel as well as to Judaism itself," Kendal wrote in an email to The BJF. "I really feel like Israel is my homeland. It was my first trip to Israel and I had thought it was going to be very dangerous and that terrorists would be everywhere and we would not be very safe. I was completely wrong; I felt 100% safe everywhere we went."

"INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY"

Renee was thrilled to have a fellow Alabamian on the trip. "I'm so glad I got to be a part of Kendal's Israel experience," she wrote in an email. "ILSI is an incredible opportunity. Sharing it with someone from your own community made it even more memorable."

Since her arrival at the University of Alabama, Renee has worked closely with The BJF's Director of Community Relations Joyce Spielberger, serving as a student liaison from The BJF to the UA Hillel. Renee is co-president of UA Hillel and co-chairs Alabama Friends of Israel (AFI) on the Tuscaloosa campus. Funds from the BJF Annual Campaign and The Birmingham Jewish Foundation help support programs at UA Hillel. BJF funds also help support AFI.

Kendal, Renee and Skylar Green, of Huntsville, who also participated in ILSI, are pictured here in Israel, from left to right, wearing Alabama in Hebrew shirts in front of a Bedouin tent. "This was right before we went camel riding! We thought it would be cool to take a picture here because it was such an amazing place!" wrote Kendal.

We love hearing from our teens who visit Israel! The BJF offers travelers to Israel a crimson t-shirt that says Alabama in Hebrew in exchange for a picture of them wearing it in Israel and written impressions about their experiences for Update.

Please let us know if you are planning a visit so that we may give you a shirt as a gift for you to wear while you are there. To get your shirt, please contact Donna Berry at The BJF at donnab@bjf.org or 205-879-0416.

While Israel is thousands of miles away, we at The Birmingham Jewish Federation realize there are many ways to support the Jewish homeland.

Everyday, it becomes easier and easier to support Israel from right here in the United States. Thanks to one of our Jewish community volunteer leaders, The BJF has discovered an easy way to send a message to Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres.

If you click on the link below, you will be directed to a website that offers the opportunity to send a letter of support to Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Peres. This project has been initiated by the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.

"We, the undersigned, express our support and solidarity for the people of the State of Israel as you once again face the dangers of missile and terror attacks," begins the letter.

"We especially wish to convey our concern to the residents in the south of Israel who are in range of the ever more sophisticated rockets and missiles launched from Gaza. We ask that you convey our condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and our prayers for those who were wounded in the recent terror attacks," it continues.

To send this letter, simply fill out the information requested. You can even forward this link to friends and family who may not receive Update. The letter will serve as a welcome reminder to Israel that many Americans support Israel during this time of need.

-- Samantha Dubrinsky, BJF Projects Assistant