Courtesy photos

Above, Adam Bodner at the Kotel in Israel. Below, Bodner is pictured in Sderot.

One night, Adam Bodner of Swampscott was hanging with a friend at Boston University. When he told her he was Jewish, she told him he could go to Israel for free.

“I was unaware of this because I had not been an active Jew in more than 13 years,” said the graduate of Malden Catholic High School.

She was talking about Taglit-Birthright Israel, a program that sends Jewish adults ages 18 to 26 to Israel for the first time. Taglit, a partnership of the Israeli government, Jewish federations, the United Israel Appeal, the Jewish Agency for Israel, and Jewish philanthropists, is based in New York and Toronto.
The educational component of the trips is funded by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.

Bodner grew up in Revere. His paternal grandmother insisted that he be brought up Jewish, so he went to Hebrew School in Malden, and attended summer camp at Camp Menorah and Bauercrest. Although his grandmother died six months before his bar mitzvah, he completed it because it was her wish.

“My bar mitzvah was one of the last times I was in a synagogue or celebrated anything to do with being Jewish,” he said.

He worked at Bodytoppers, his family’s custom t-shirt, silkscreen and promotional products business in Medford, and at Hockey Town USA. Bodner’s mother urged him to go to Malden Catholic because she felt it was one of the best high schools in the area. Although he “had a hard time adjusting because taking theology was mandatory,” he graduated and then attended Bunker Hill Community College.

Bodner’s Jewish heritage had always been in the back of his thoughts, as was his wanderlust. He applied for the Birthright trip within hours of learning about it. He had never flown overseas, and assumed that it would be an interesting adventure, at the very least.

He figured he would be somewhat of a black sheep on the trip, but much to his surprise, “BAHD-NAH” (as he was quickly deemed, in deference to his thick Boston accent) became the popular guy everyone wanted to befriend.

“Simply being on the trip with Adam was a highlight for many of us,” said Jeremy Blaustein, a high school English teacher from Arlington. “He was curious about everything, and had strong positive reactions to nearly all we did. This ranged from experiencing beautiful scenery, to riding a donkey, to visiting a town just across from Gaza City. His enthusiasm and friendliness were contagious.”

Hal Greenblatt, a trip organizer, concurred. “I have never met a more real person in my life. I truly believe he was the catalyst of our trip. He was a big reason why our group was so successful.”

Bodner loved the socializing. “Meeting 40 peers that you have never met before, plus six Israelis, and all becoming great friends in just 10 days is amazing in itself,” he said.

The 177 photos in Bodner’s “Homeland” Facebook album highlight a compelling tale of camaraderie, hijinks, breathtaking scenery, solemn religiosity, culture and awe. Bodner was particularly impressed with the desert and the town of Sderot, on the border of the Gaza Strip.

“This town has been consistently bombed, with over 11,000 rockets launched toward it over 10 years,” he said. “There are bomb shelters everywhere, and when the alarm goes off, they have 15 seconds to get into one. The fact that these people will not live in fear nor let Hamas threaten their lives is truly amazing,” he said.

A month after returning, Bodner is still profoundly affected. He is actively seeking volunteer opportunities in groups such as Boston 3G, an organization for grandchildren of Holocaust survivors, and he hopes to return to Israel.

“I have not been fully exposed to many cultures, but I have never seen a country that is so complicated. Everyone has many different opinions, but at the same time, its people truly look after one another. Jews take care of Jews,” he said.

His grandmother must be kvelling.