knew someone from school whose family was like you, butno one ever explained to me what it is and what youbelieve. Can you tell me?” We then would sit anywherefrom twenty minutes to four hours and go through a fullexplanation of the gospel.

Israeli trekking promotes a mindset of openness that may not be present in Israel. Whatever the reason for this, itseffect creates a unique window of time when Israelis areparticularly open to considering non-conformist points of view.

Engaging with Israeli TrekkersIsraelis who have positive interactions with the gospel ontheir treks bring those experiences back to Israel, wherethey contribute to the collective Israeli sentiment about theMessianic claims of Yeshua. In order to maximize theundeniable evangelistic opportunity that is before us, Ipropose a fivefold approach based on the “lifecycle” ofIsraeli trekking (pre-trek planning, traveling, returning toIsrael). This approach reflects structures that are already inplace with various Jewish missions agencies and in somelocales where individual Christians, pastors, or foreignmissionaries have responded to a recognized opportunity ofreaching the Israeli trekkers.

1. The development of information centers for Israelisplanning their trek itineraries from Israel

2. The establishment of co-trekking programs for Israeliand non-Israeli believers who can share the gospelwith Israelis while trekking with them

3. The creation of services for Israelis in recognizedtrekker enclaves, including the establishment of restaurants, cafes, guest houses and other businesses

4. The equipping and encouragement of nativeChristians to think “missionally” about the Israeliswho are traveling in their regions

5. The development of follow-up centers—so-called“trampoline sites”7—where Israelis who heard thegospel while trekking can continue the discussionback in Israel

1. Information CentersDeveloping pre-trek information centers in Israelis perhaps most important for engaging withsecond-generation Israeli Jewish believers inorder to provide accountability for them on theirtrips, and to encourage them to maintain apositive witness to their fellow trekkers. Sincetrekking is a salient experience in developing“Israeli-ness,” the trekking experience shouldnot be discouraged for Messianic Israelis, buttraining should be made available in order tohelp them resist the temptation of drugs andhedonism, and to equip them to share their faithduring their trek.

2. Co-Trekking ProgramsCo-trekking outreach programshave been demonstrated by theefforts of various Jewish missionsagencies to be an effective meansfor engaging Israeli trekkers withthe gospel. In order to beeffective, it is necessary to choosethe right destination at the correcttime of year, and to select a teambased on demographics that willenable success.

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The Trekking Phenomenon“Exile is the Jewish condition, so perhaps it is no surprisethat travel away from Israel has become central to theIsraeli identity,” writes author Patrick Symmes.1 Israelitrekking, or backpacking, is unique to the Israeli Jewishcommunity. Leaving Israel each year for an estimatedaverage time period of six months, 30,000–40,0002

individuals travel to various regions around the world as arite of passage before entering the universities orworkforce. Many are in the formative transition fromadolescence into adulthood, seeking to establish personalidentity through their travels, and thus uniquely open toconsidering the Messianic claims of Jesus.

Says Patrick Symmes:

For Israelis, travel istherapy. “There is asense of a mental prisonliving here, surroundedby enemies,” explainsYair Qedar, editor of the Tel Aviv-based travel magazine MasaAcher. . . . “Suffocationis a constant feeling . . .When the sky opens,you get out.”3

And that’s precisely what happened in the early 1990safter the Oslo Accords were signed. Airfares dropped asIsrael’s economy boomed, and post-army trekking was allbut institutionalized.

Around twice as many Israeli trekkers travel to Asia as toSouth and Central America combined.4 The choice ofdestination is motivated by personal interest andtemperament: inward-oriented trekkers prefer Asia forspirituality, while those who are outward-oriented chooseeither Asia or South/Central America for “natureactivities.”5 Australia and New Zealand are also popular,although they attract a more affluent type of trekker whocan afford the double or triple price-tag of trekking in Asia.6

The collective character of Israeli trekkers is expressed intheir camaraderie with other Israelis they’ve met on theroad, often in highly distinct Israeli enclaves. These usuallyconsist of a particular area within a city or town with aspecific set of guest houses, restaurants, cafes, laundryservices, taxi and travel companies, and internet cafeswhere the Israeli trekkers congregate.

An Open WindowFrom 2008 through 2012, I spent at least a month each yearwith Jews for Jesus’ Massah program traveling with the“spiritual” type of Israeli trekkers in Northern India. We metIsraelis in coffee shops, guest houses, restaurants andwaypoints, sharing the gospel as we went. We gave HebrewNew Testaments to those we encountered, and left them onany bookshelves that included other books in Hebrew.

During my first time in India, I was completely surprised bythe Israeli response to my basic explanation of the gospel:extreme interest! More often than not, all we had to do toget an opportunity to share the gospel was to say that wewere Messianic Jews from America. The response wasoften along the lines of, “Wow, that’s really interesting. I

by Aaron Trank

Israeli traveler ministryAn intentional missions response to contemporary Israeli culture

This article is greatly condensed from a paper given March 2014, at a meeting of the Lausanne Consultation onJewish Evangelism–North America. The full paper, with an accompanying PowerPoint, can be found online atj4j.co/xtra173.

PHOTO BY REM

Y REMIGIO

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(Continued on page 6)

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HAVURAH: Research indicates thatIsraeli trekkers tend to go to Asia forspirituality, and to South/CentralAmerica for nature and outdooractivities. How does your experiencemesh with this generalization?

SARAH: Overall this is true. In India Ifound many people were involved inEastern religion or philosophy classes,studying yoga, and not only openlysearching for spirituality but very awarethat this was what they were seeking. InSouth America and New Zealand, mostpeople were interested in hiking, natureor adventure. They were less likely tobring up the subject of spirituality. Butonce they know we are believers, they are

curious and ask many questions. On thispast year’s trips to South America andNew Zealand especially, we met manyyoung Israelis who said they wanted tomeet a Jewish believer. Some asked usfor Hebrew New Testaments before weeven offered.

HAVURAH: What are some uniquechallenges you face in your ministry toIsraeli trekkers?

SARAH: Across the board in all locationsit would be helpful to have more books inHebrew. Many have already seen the fewthat have been out there for a while.While traveling, it’s common to bring twoto three books, then meet up to trade.Having a few more options of testimoniesin book form would be helpful.

The teams I’ve brought have been made

up of Jewish and Gentile believers. Someof the team members speak Hebrew andsome don’t. This has benefits as well aschallenges. The challenge is even thoughIsraelis all speak English when you are ina large group, the language will thenchange to Hebrew. So it’s important for the team to be prepared to be“comfortable being uncomfortable” forthese moments. This is more true ofSouth America; in New Zealand andIndia, the Israelis more often meettravelers from other countries and useEnglish as their main language.

The benefit to diverse teams is howcurious the Israelis are about whyGentiles know so much about and love

Israel and know the Hebrew Scripturesbetter than most of them do.

In India the drug scene can be challengingat times, both because people can be toohigh to have a real conversation andbecause for some team members, it’s notcomfortable or wise to be around thatscene. There are areas where the drugsare intense and areas where it’s morecasual use. Also in India the heavypresence of idols and sense of spiritualdarkness can affect some team members.These are stronger influences in someareas than in others.

HAVURAH: How do Israelis hear aboutyour ministry?

SARAH: In our case, we don’t have apermanent place. We travel staying inyouth hostels, meeting Israelis and

traveling with them for some days. Thisis a great way to build real friendships,share about Messiah, and let peoplehave time to think about questions thatcome up from your conversation. Theyalso get to see a small group of believersliving in community.

In some locations we do host specialevents, Shabbat dinners, music nights,Israeli dance classes, etc. And then wejust put up flyers in the hostels or letpeople know by word of mouth. Wesometimes partner in these events withbelievers living in the area who loveIsrael and want to connect with theIsraeli travelers.

HAVURAH: Can you briefly describe agospel encounter you have had withan Israeli(s)? If they were open to thegospel, why do you think that wasthe case?

SARAH: One night in New Zealand wehosted a music event. Someone shared ashort testimony from the front. There weresmall groups sitting, talking and eating.“Uri” knew I helped put the eventtogether. And he asked, “So do youbelieve Yeshua is the Messiah?” When Isaid yes, he had lots of questions relatedto how believers live out their faith inrelation to the law, the holidays, and beingpart of the Jewish community.

Uri’s family is more observant in theirJewish life. But he had decided a year agonot to continue in that path. So he observessome holidays, but not most traditions. Hesaid he stopped not out of rebellion butbecause he didn’t feel connected to God.

I shared that I came from a similarbackground, and that once I understood

that the prophecies, the law and theholidays were all pointing to Yeshua, Iunderstood the beauty and purpose inthem as well. We sat with anotherbeliever for two hours that night readingand talking about the prophecies of theMessiah. He took a book from the booktable on the way out. Uri has stayed intouch, and last month I introduced him tosome believers in Israel, where he

continues to explore who Yeshua is andwhat it means to be Jewish and believe.

It seems there are two main reasons heis open. One is that he is already tryingto figure out, “How do you connect withGod?” The second is, he knows abeliever in Israel from high school. Henever wanted to ask him questions when he was younger because he was

concerned that his friends would know.Outside Israel it feels safer to begin to ask.

Also on these year-out post-army trips,people don’t have cell phones ringing,jobs to get to, classes to study for. Sothey have time for building relationshipsand for talking about the large questionsof life.

Havurah interviewed three people who minister among Israeli trekkers. All have asked to remain anonymous. “Sarah” isthe backpacker outreach coordinator for Chosen People Ministries. Her responses are below; because of space limitations,the two other respondents are at j4j.co/xtra173.

5

Flipping Out begins with thisinformation: “Military service iscompulsory in Israel for allJewish school leavers. Everyyear 50,000 soldiers completetheir service, and many usetheir discharge bonus to gobackpacking, with 30,000traveling to India. 90% of thesetravelers will experiment withdrugs and at least 2,000 willsuffer a mental breakdown.This is commonly known as‘flipping out.’”

Flipping Out follows severalpeople who are involved withthis phenomenon in one way oranother. Several Israelitravelers are interviewed whoshare their experiences ofusing drugs in India.Interviewees also include twopeople from Chabad House,someone working with the

Warm House (a center funded by the Israeli government in order tofight drug use), and an Israeli former secret agent who works to findand rescue Israeli travelers who have “flipped out.”

The Israeli trekkers offer a variety of perspectives. Some whorecently finished their army service don’t seem to be processing itvery much; they say that it was good, that they don’t feel like theydid wrong things, nor that they should ask themselves questionsabout it. An older Israeli who attended art school in Israel and haslived in India for several years reflects that for him, the army wasthree years of self-destruction. It’s hard to think of the things he did,he says, shameful things that reflect on himself and the Israeligovernment and nation. The hands that shot people are nowsupposed to work. You are alive, while someone else is dead. An

Indian woman who works at a guest house observes: “They like tocome here after the army. After three years they just want to enjoy.They love parties and are very noisy. They never listen when they areon drugs.”

On the side of the interveners, the two men from Chabad Houseboth came to India following their army service and then becamereligious. One tells how they used to sit around and do drugs all daylong—LSD, coke, grass. One of them, Dany, says: “The Jewish soulseeks for something and when it doesn’t find that thing, it will usedrugs, or will climb mountains.” He goes in search of an Israelitraveler who flipped out. Dany finds him sitting in the corner of hisroom. He isn’t willing to talk, but Dany manages to convince him togo to Chabad House.

At the Warm House, a minister from the Israeli government comes tospeak with the trekkers. “Will they come back to Israel soon?” heasks. Many hope not. They don’t feel like they belong to Israelanymore, they say, while in India they feel relaxed.

Hilik, the former secret agent, says: “The travelers reach a point ofloneliness in their trip, and that leads to a mental breakdown, evenwithout the drugs; they just make it worse, . . . They start to askexistential questions, like ‘What am I doing here?’ and then theywalk into Chabad House—something they will never do in Israel.”One trekker had hired Indian workers to plant orange trees for himbut didn’t pay them. He was also looking to buy a gun. When Hilikcomes to take him, he threatens him, thinking he has connectionswith the president of the USA. In the end, Hilik forces him into a taxiand puts him on a plane to Israel.

In all these varied portraits, Flipping Out shows that Israelis arelooking for answers when they are in India—whether they know itor not. And it shows that some are ready to reach out from anOrthodox Jewish or secular viewpoint. We, as Jewish believers inYeshua, need also to be there to give these hurting and seekingtravelers the truth.

Gefen Ridley is on staff with Jews for Jesus in Israel.

MO V I EREVIEWReviewed by Gefen Ridley

FLIPPING OUTDirected by Yoav Shamir2008, 60 minutesWatch online at j4j.co/israeldrug

we met many young Israelis who . . . asked us for

Hebrew New Testaments before we even offered

In 2009, Jews for Jesus sent anexploratory team to Laos when it turned out that mostIsraelis were actually in Thailand. Laos is a populardestination for Israelis, but we were off by a few

weeks! On the other hand, in 2012, we sent a missionarycouple to Manali, India (a well-known Israeli enclave) forthe months of June and July, and they were able toconnect with hundreds of Israelis.

India and, to a lesser extent, Nepal, are places where Israelitrekkers specifically go looking for spirituality outside thebounds of traditional Judaism. Teams made up of non-Hebrew speakers can have deep spiritual conversationswith these “spiritual seekers.” On the other hand, Thailandand South and Central America are not places that Israelistrek in order to do spiritual exploration, and as such, teamsmade up of Hebrew speakers will have greater ease

inserting themselves into these Israeli travelercommunities that are more cohesive and less opento outsiders and non-Hebrew speakers.

3. Services for Israeli TrekkersAs Israeli enclaves are identified, we are presentedwith the opportunity to establish a foothold ofinfluence by creating various kinds of businessesand services that meet the needs of Israeli trekkers.Dylan’s Coffee House8 is one such example. Foundedin partnership between an American Jewish believerand an Indian Christian, Dylan’s sits in the heart ofManali, India, and is a destination for Israeli trekkersunto itself. The owner of Dylan’s is open about hisfaith, and invites missions teams to come and usehis space for evangelism, music and open mic

nights. Another example is a guesthouse in Latin Americathat provides hospitality to Israeli trekkers in a friendlyenvironment that allows them to feel safe.9 ReachInitiative’s International Outreach Center is yet anotherexample, providing Messianic worship venues that Israeliscan attend in Northern India. By leveraging existing patternsof Israeli travel, these services take full advantage of theinstitutionalized travel routes, and can focus on engagingwith Israelis instead of trying to create new destinations.

Starting a service in these countries is time consuming,but can be relatively inexpensive compared to the costsin America or Israel. One service that I’ve found requiresalmost zero financial investment is the establishment ofvolunteer opportunities for Israeli trekkers to help atlocal orphanages. Many Israelis who are confronted withthe harsh realities of the third world during their treksfeel compelled to help in some way, but don’t knowwhere to begin. By creating relationships with localorphanages and providing them with volunteers, we’vebeen able to create valuable partnerships between thelocal community and the Israelis who are seeking to helpout. Creating such opportunities naturally leads tospiritual conversations.

4. Native Christian MinistryIn most of the locations that Israelis choose to trek, there is acommunity of indigenous Christians. These local Christianshave great opportunities to interact with Israelis, but theyneed training and encouragement. Providing Jewishevangelism seminars and workshops can greatly assist thelocal churches in reaching out to these Israeli trekkers. OneIndian Christian hairdresser in Kasol uses the line, “You cameto India to study meditation and to smoke a chillum,10 but Ibelieve in the God of Israel!” She has deep conversationswith many Israelis who are fascinated by her Christian beliefsand her positive attitude toward Israeli travelers.

Another example of an indigenous population empoweredto share the gospel with Israeli travelers is the HIT11 andChiburim networks in New Zealand, composed of Christianswho host Israeli trekkers in their homes. Although there areonly around 2,000 Israelis who trek in New Zealand eachyear, these networks have had tremendous impact andhave been featured in news articles back in Israel.12 Theexpansion of such trekker hosting networks could greatlybenefit ministry to Israelis across Australia, as well as inEurope and North America.

5. Follow-Up CentersAlthough there isn’t much research around the topic, Iknow from personal encounters that many Israelis

experience intense reverse culture shock upon return to Israel. As young Israelis attempt to construct a mental framework in which to understand thesignificance of their trek within the greater context oftheir lives, it is easy for them to see their experiences ina way that disassociates them from their lives back inIsrael. Creating effective follow-up ministry for trekkerswho have returned to Israel has been an incrediblechallenge for co-trekking outreach programs, as manyIsraelis who express openness while trekking have noframework for pursuing that openness once they areback in Israel.

By developing follow-up centers back in Israel, theMessianic community can enable young Israelis to continuethe spiritual exploration they started during their trek. EliBirnbaum, director of Jews for Jesus’ young adult ministryin Israel and the current leader of our Massah program, hasattempted to address this challenge. In February of 2014,Eli hosted an India art gallery at the Moishe Rosen Centerin Florentine, Tel Aviv, in order to connect with Israelis thatour Massah team had met in India over the last severalyears. There were 176 Israelis who showed up, including120 unbelievers. The event was positively reviewed byhodu.co.il, a web portal for Israeli trekkers in India.13

You can watch an online video of this “India Night” atj4j.co/xtra173, along with an English translation of themedia coverage.

Final ReflectionsIsraeli traveler ministry represents tremendousevangelistic opportunity, with the possibility of creatingculture shift in Israel by engaging with Israelis when theyare perhaps most open to considering the gospel. Israelitraveler ministry—specifically the Massah program—was responsible for altering the course of my own lifeand launching me into full-time ministry with Jews forJesus. In August 2008, the Massah team that my wifeand I were leading (as volunteers) arrived back in Delhion our way home toAmerica. It was in theDelhi InternationalAirport that we wereinterviewed by the Jews for Jesuscouncil—using up theremaining minutes onour Indian SIM cards—and were accepted ontomissionary staff. Out ofour team of eighteenvolunteers, fourteen ofus would continue in ministry in one form or another,drastically changing the trajectory of our lives becauseour hearts were captured by what God was doing. I hope this article has captured your heart—or at leastyour imagination!

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Notes1. Patrick Symmes, “The Book,” j.mp/hav173book. The “book” refers to thehandwritten, constantly updated travel guides that many guest houses inSouth America keep on their bookshelves.

2. According to the Israeli Student Travel Association, cited at j.mp/hav17-3forbes

3. Symmes, “The Book.”

4. Oded Mevorach, “The Long Trip after the Military Service: Characteristicsof the Travelers, the Effects of the Trip, and its Meaning.” Ph.D. dissertation,Department of Psychology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 1997 [Hebrew].

5. Chaim Noy and Erik Cohen, eds., Israeli Backpackers: From Tourism to Riteof Passage (New York: State University of New York Press, 2005), 26.

6. See Forbes article in n. 2.

7. Noy and Cohen, 19.

8. dylanscoffee.com

9. Contact Havurah for the website.

10. An Indian kind of pipe.

11. Hosting Israeli Travellers

12. j.mp/hav173nw

13. “New Exhibition: India in the Eyes of the Travelers,” at bit.ly/1fwLOs6

(Continued from page 3)

Read the longer version of this article, with Aaron’s PowerPoint, at j4j.co/xtra173

Go to j4j.co/xtra173 for:

• Aaron’s full article and PowerPoint

• Video of India Night at the Rosen Center andtranslation of Israeli media coverage

• Two more Round Table participants from Latin A merica

onlinextras

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