Naomi Weinstock already knows many of the things she’s hoping to bring back with her from Israel: plenty of pictures, memories of time spent with her sister who’s studying in Jerusalem, and a stronger connection to Judaism.

That strengthened connection to her religion is what Birthright Israel, which paid to send 19-year-old Weinstock and 34 other young people from the Rochester area to Israel, is all about.

Rabbi Robert Morais, executive director of Hillel of Rochester Area Colleges, explained that a number of years ago, some very influential Jewish philanthropists decided that one of the ways to help young adults connect to the Jewish culture was to have them visit Israel.

Birthright Israel groups go at various times but the most popular times are at winter break and just after classes end in the spring. During winter break 2003, 10 students from Rochester Institute of Technology, including six students from the National Technical Institute of the Deaf; nine from the University of Rochester, including Weinstock; and one each from Eastman School of Music, the State University College at Geneseo and Monroe Community College, went to Israel for a 10-day trip from December 23rd to January 5th.

Weinstock was excited that she would be able to see everything. She looked forward to every stop, especially the old city of Jerusalem and the Western Wall.

She’s heard that people really can float on the Dead Sea, and she just might try. She said, “I hope to be able to come back and sit down with people and show them my pictures and say this is an amazing place and there’s no reason to be scared.”

The six Jewish Deaf students at National Technical Institute for the Deaf in Rochester, N.Y. were: Gloria Farr, Mark Farr, Donald Slate, Adam Stone, Michael Pearlman, and Jesse Maleh).