Grace Tang ‘21
Lifestyle Editor
In early January, shortly after the new year, a group of fifty law students embarked on an adventure to Israel through iTrek. Forty-seven UVA Law students from all years were accompanied by three Israeli law students as they traveled through the country over the course of a week. In addition to sightseeing and learning about local history and religion, the experience allowed participants to explore interesting legal questions, complex politics, and the vibrant culture that exists in Israel.
UVA Law students pose happily during iTrek outing. Photo credit Grace Tang ‘21.
“One of the goals that I had as a leader was to present numerous viewpoints and narratives of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and to really show how complicated the history and political climate is in Israel and the greater Middle East region. I think sometimes in the news, things can appear black and white—so hearing from people on the ground about their experiences is really helpful. Also, one of our goals was to create an open and comfortable space for people to ask questions and learn more about the region,” said iTrek leader Maxine Jacobson ’21. “I think what I enjoyed most about the trip both as a participant last year and a leader this year was getting to know other students in the Law School outside of the law school environment.”
Students were able to make new friends on the trip and get to know each other on a deeper level as they explored new destinations and issues. Quinn Conrad ’22 reflected on the trip, telling the Law Weekly, “During the iTrek experience, I asked a lot of questions, listened more than I spoke, and systematically denied my phone the right to eat first. It was an amazing learning experience with amazing people. 10/10 would recommend!”
A unique experience of traveling in a trip organized by law students is the opportunity to hear from many incredible speakers. Students were able to learn from a diverse array of interesting guests including a Supreme Court judge (Justice Asher Grunis LLM ’72), grass-roots organizers, a journalist, researcher, and military analyst, among others. One of the speakers included Yoni Shiman, a graduate of UVA Law. “Meeting with Yoni this year was such a treat! He helped establish the UVA Law iTrek trip, and it was incredible to hear him speak about his practice in Israel and how his time in Charlottesville impacts his life now,” said Lena Welch ’20.
Photogenic UVA Law students pose once again. Photo credit Grace Tang ‘21.
This year, students at iTrek 2020 were fortunate to hear from Rina Quint, a Holocaust survivor, at her home in Jerusalem. “It was really amazing to hear Rita speak, especially when she told us that she has four kids, twenty-two grandkids and thirty great grandkids” Esther Kozakevich ’22 shared. “It really puts into perspective the magnitude of how devastating the Holocaust was. It wasn’t just 6 million people who died, but also the potential Jewish posterity that was lost.” After the talk from Rina Quint, the iTrek students toured the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum, a thoughtfully designed structure with purpose in every detail of the architecture. For example, the length of the main exhibit was eighty meters, the same length as the concentration camp, with floors built of the same material.
In the old city of Jerusalem, city of Bethlehem, and Capernaum, students explored the diversity of religious sites and history, led by tour guides from Israel and Palestine. The group was able to visit the West Wall (most religious site of the Jewish people), Church of the Holy Sepulchre (location for the burial and crucifixion of Jesus), and the Dome of the Rock (Islamic Shrine). In Bethlehem, students enjoyed a guided trip to the Church of Nativity through Manger Square, the birthplace of Jesus Christ. To reach Bethlehem, located in the West Bank, students had to cross the separation barrier, where they learned about the occupation in the West Bank from a local Palestinian guide. In Capernaum, the group learned about how Jesus settled in Capernaum and attended the Synagogue here.
Between cities, students had a chance to relax in the Dead Sea for a morning swim. Groups of students braved the chill to deck themselves out with mineral mud and float in the lowest accessible point on land, 400 feet below sea level. Afterwards, the group explored the last Jewish stronghold in Masada, an ancient fortress in the Judean desert, built on top of a massive plateau overlooking the dead sea. As the students overlooked the ruins of King Herod’s palace to the desert and sea below, they learned about the epic siege of Masada which took place almost 2000 years ago.
Garrett Kitamura ’21 found the trip very educational, explaining that “iTrek was a really special experience on so many levels. I was so grateful to get to see sites that are so central to so many religious faiths, including my own. I also love history and current events, and I got so much more of that than I could have expected. I didn't know much about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict going into the trip, and my knowledge of ancient Middle East history was pretty minimal too. But our guide did such an awesome job of exploring these topics while adding his own perspective.”
For Julian Kritz ’20 and Welch, iTrek 2020 is marks their third time with UVA iTrek and second year as leaders of the experience. "Leading iTrek has been an absolute highlight of law school. I especially have loved the fact that by bringing our classmates to one of the most meaningful places on Earth, we create an environment on our trip where people have conversations they generally wouldn't have with their law school peers. Questions about peoples' religion, politics, and upbringing are commonplace on iTrek and it brings everyone closer together in a special and unique way" said Kritz. “We want folks to leave the trip with more questions than when they came. We want to expose them to the vibrant cultures in Israel. Even though it is a complicated place, it’s an awesome place to visit, learn from legal professionals, and discover how people interact with the challenges on the ground,” Welch told the paper. “We have a lot of deep conversations about really challenging and personal topics. Creating a sense of community helps the participants feel safe to engage with these topics, while learning more about Israel and themselves.”
---
gt5ay@virginia.edu