Upon her graduation from Hamilton College, Eliza Croen planned to go to Mexico for a year to teach English.  It had been 10 years since Hebrew School’s strong influence led her to insist that her parents and brother have B’nai Mitzvah, and Eliza’s friends needed to coax her to go on Birthright.

Once in Israel, Eliza knew that she needed to return in the near future.  “I ended up falling head over heels in love with the country,” Eliza says.

Though the Second Lebanon War waged in Israel, Eliza chose to volunteer with Israel Service Corps (ISC), which sponsors a five-month community service program based in peripheral towns in Israel. 

With 10 other Jewish American young adults, Eliza lived in a house in Ramla, a small city 15 minutes outside of Tel Aviv with a large immigrant population.  For the first few weeks, the group learned about Ramla and met with local officials to better understand the community’s needs and to make their contributive presence known. 

Each ISC participant became involved in several volunteer initiatives, some joining the efforts of existing projects and others creating their own.  In order to help local children with their English skills, Eliza took part in developing an English-language school newspaper, for which involved students could receive academic credit.

From Ramla-Lod High School, Eliza and a fellow volunteer recruited tenth grade female students for a weekly discussion group, during which they spoke about subjects like sexuality, gender roles, self-appreciation, and body image. 

“The group was composed of Jewish girls and an Arab girl, as well, so the talks were not only constructive because they touched upon under-discussed topics relevant to high school girls, they also enabled the girls to cross borders culturally,” Eliza says. 

The ISC participants’ immersion into Ramla life also included a Hebrew Ulpan and pairings with community host families, who invited participants for Shabbat meals and gave each of them a “home away from home.”

Eliza’s time in ISC revealed a completely new side of Israel that she never saw on Birthright.  “Ramla is not Jerusalem, Masada, or Tel Aviv.  But my time there with ISC was what I was looking for—an experience that challenged me,” she says.

Upon the program’s completion, Eliza began the Aliyah process.  Now, she works as the admissions assistant at the University of Haifa’s International School.