Hello Everyone,
my name is Nir Friedman, and I'm one of the American staff for Bus 156 for this summer Birthright Shorashim trip. During the trip this blog will be used to provide updates on what's happening; today I'm just writing to tell you all a bit about myself.
I was born in Israel, but grew up in Canada, and I'm fluent in Hebrew and English. I've been living in Urbana-Champaign for the last 6 years, doing a PhD in physics, which I just completed. I'll be moving to New York City shortly to start a job there.
I've been on Birthright as a participant, and led a trip with Shorashim. My parents are both Israeli, so I grew up very exposed to Israeli culture, humor, and history, which I supplanted with my own reading. I follow current events and Israeli politics, and I was involved in Israeli programming at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. I'm especially excited for this trip because the good weather will really let us explore the outdoors in Israel, and experience what a beautiful country Israel is. The attached photo is me with my American co-staff and Israeli guide from my last Birthright trip; I'm the guy in the middle wearing a Canada shirt. As you can see, there's a beautiful background, but the rain limited our ability to explore. I'm looking forward to meeting all my participants and getting started!
Cheers,
Nir
PS Feel free to ask any questions or make comments about myself, or the trip, in the comments section below!
