10th Graders' Meaningful Journey Through Israel

At the start of the school year, there was uncertainty about whether this trip would come to fruition post-October 7th, but thanks to Hashem our 10th-grade students are thrilled to be embarking on their journey to our homeland, Israel. They are determined to make this trip as meaningful as possible! Beginning at the Belev Echad house, they were moved by the stories of wounded IDF soldiers and visited “Hostages Street” in Tel Aviv, hearing from a father whose loved one is held in Gaza. Day two featured shacharit, an Arbel cliff hike, and a Tanach-inspired lunch at Kfar Kedem. The day culminated in a fun Kineret boat ride. The rest of the week included activities such as planting at a nursery, visiting bomb shelters in Sderot, and touring a former police station site that was taken over by terrorists on October 7th and eventually destroyed by the IDF. At Tkuma, a memorial site to all the parked cards from the Nova Festival grounds, they learned about sacrifices made, while also experiencing the smoke from distant Israeli artillery that landed shortly before in Gaza. Day five took them to Ancient Shiloh to learn about the Mishkan before shopping at the shuk and davening at the Kotel ahead of Shabbat in Yerushalayim.