Wedding Proposal on Taglit

Two participants on Mayanot Israel’s 2010 Friendship Trip, a Taglit-Birthright Israel backed program for young adults with special needs, have announced their intention to marry after meeting for the first time at the airport upon arriving in Israel for the 10-day program.

Rachel Goodman of Tucson, Arizona and Zachary Kazanovich of Phoenix, Arizona began to communicate with one another via Facebook a month prior to their departure for Israel after Mayanot set up a Facebook page for the group, Mayanot 454.

“It was so beautiful to watch their relationship develop throughout their time in Israel,” says Deborah David, one of the coordinators of the program. “They were literally floating on air and couldn’t stop smiling for the entire ten days of the trip.”

Zachary proposed to Rachel on the second to last night of the trip at the Bedouin tents at Chan Hashayarot. “He [Zachary] got down on one knee and proposed in private and then we had a celebration. The big engagement announcement came as a surprise to us all, but we as a group felt lucky to be there to celebrate with them,” says David.

Mayanot Israel, a leading provider of Taglit-Birthright programs has been coordinating the Friendship Trip for the past three years. The program caters to high-functioning 18-26 year olds from across the United States with a range of disabilities including autism, aspergers and downs syndrome. This year, the program comprised 19 participants with special needs, six staff members from the United States and eight volunteers – individuals who chose to participate in this program rather than go on a regular Mayanot trip.

“Each year, we feel so privileged to have the opportunity to host such a special group of young individuals,” says Rabbi Shlomo Gestetner, Director of Mayanot. “It is so important for young Jews to have the opportunity to see Israel, and therefore we do our utmost to make this dream a reality for young adults who may not have otherwise had the chance to gain from this wonderful experience.”

“It was so refreshing and inspiring to meet these young individuals,” says David. Everywhere we went, the group’s warmth and enthusiasm brought smiles to peoples’ faces.”