Community Knows No Borders

— By Noah Chaikof (Excel ’17) and Justin Schulman (Excel ’18)

In today’s celebration of Yom Ha’atzmaut, or Israeli Independence Day, it may seem hard to believe that establishing the modern-day state of Israel was once perceived as a far-fetched dream. 71 years later, Israel is now a global powerhouse of innovation and the one true Democracy in the Middle East. This year, three Birthright Israel Excel Fellows celebrated the holiday quite differently than they had in the past.

In Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, a rugged trip brought together three North Americans in the heart of Southeast Asia. Justin Schulman, currently studying abroad in Hong Kong, joined Noah Chaikof and Andrew Gill in a segment of their travels through Asia.

In meeting in Vietnam, our goal was to ensure, that notwithstanding the considerable distance between Vietnam and Israel, we could partake in some sort of Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration. Having celebrated the holiday in Israel or in our respective Jewish communities in years prior, we had never before been challenged to find a tangible connection with which we could tap into during the celebration of Israel’s Independence Day. On this trip, however, we found ourselves feeling lost in a foreign land as we spent our first night wandering the chaotic streets of Hanoi. We agreed that at the very least, we would settle for a nice meal together where we could reminisce on our positive experiences in Israel.

What we did not expect was that the following days in Vietnam would be filled with constant reminders of the strength and vibrance of the worldwide Zionist community.

The first was the constant flow of conversations we had with an overwhelming amount of traveling Israelis. With every few restaurants or souvenir shops that we explored, we heard at least a few Israeli accents and Hebrew phrases. The challenge of conversing about Israel’s political landscape in broken Hebrew was a hilarious reminder of our conversations with Israeli Fellows during our fellowship summers.

During a failed search for Kosher restaurants in Hanoi, we stumbled upon a story that touched us deeply. After returning to the hostel lobby feeling dejected and hungry, one British traveler overheard our complaining and asked, “Are you Jews?” With caution we replied “yes,” resulting in her face immediately lighting up. She explained that her grandparents had hidden and saved Jews in Britain during the Holocaust. This led to a riveting conversation about the occurrence of “Yom Hashoah” and ended with a promise that her next travel destination would be Israel.

Our final night in Hanoi led us to the discovery of a fascinating story. In 1946, future Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion and North Vietnam’s Chairman Ho Chi Minh happened to stay at the same hotel in Paris, and became quite friendly. After much discussion, Ho Chi Minh offered Ben-Gurion a Jewish home-in-exile in Vietnam. Ben-Gurion politely turned down the offer, telling Ho Chi Minh: “I am certain we shall be able to establish a Jewish Government in Palestine.”

The story of Ben-Gurion and Ho Chi Minh remains as an intriguing piece of almost-forgotten history. What we came to realize through traveling is that our community involvement, both in the Excel community and in the greater Zionist community of the world, was still present even beyond our summer in Israel. Most importantly, we now know that even though our connection can still be felt beyond the physical borders, Ben-Gurion was correct in stating that there is no place like our true home. Next year in Jerusalem!

Justin Schulman is a Junior business student at the University of Michigan. He is currently studying abroad at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. This summer, he will be interning at Vista Equity Partners in Austin, Texas. He loves hip-hop music, Michigan Football, and has discovered a newfound interest in playing badminton.

Noah Chaikof is a recent graduate of the Ivey Business School at Western University. He will be starting full time at First Ascent Ventures in Toronto this fall. He is finishing his journey around Asia where he visited Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Hong Kong. He enjoys hiking, Hebrew music and watching the Toronto Maple Leafs.