Highlights From NFTY in Israel

By Haley Golderman, NFTY in Israel Participant, Bus 10

When I met my bus at JFK Airport for NFTY in Israel, I had no clue what to expect. I am not your “typical” kid on the trip, as I have never been to a URJ overnight camp and in another month, I will be a college freshman. I didn’t know anyone and I only had a few memories from my first trip to Israel when I was 5 years old. Having spent the past 3 weeks away from home, I have fallen in love with Israel and had an unforgettable time in Europe! We have done so many cool things that there is no way I could name them all. However, a few highlights so far for me have been spending 3 nights in the desert, traveling through the same caves that King David used to attack cities and I loved  climbing up Masada at 4 in the morning to watch the sunrise, despite not being a morning person. I cannot believe that this phenomenal trip is more than halfway over. Our friendships built here will last a lifetime. I do not want to go back home in 2 weeks. I am fortunate to have this amazing opportunity. Thank you NFTY in Israel!!

Highlights from July 10th- 13th in Israel

Highlights from July 10th- 13th in Israel

Written by  Sophia Ehrenberg, Yallah! 2024 Participant  Welcome to Eilat! The southernmost point of our homeland, where you can see Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt all at the same time. This hot corner of the country gives us a true perspective on where we are in this...

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A Conversation with Rabbi Rick Jacobs

A Conversation with Rabbi Rick Jacobs

Our campers were lucky enough to spend a Shabbat with Rabbi Rick Jacobs on Kibbutz Mashaabei Sadeh in the Negev. "Many had just arrived in Israel from Poland where they experienced the soul shattering sites of the Holocaust. Our Shabbat service was spirited, our...

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July 8th, Ein Avdat and Sde Boker

July 8th, Ein Avdat and Sde Boker

Written by Leo Kushnir and Nathan Liebman, Yallah! 2024 Participants We started with an early morning in the kibbutz, which was actually our last day waking up here before heading off to Eilat. As usual, we woke up relatively early and got together with friends to...

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Experiencing Auschwitz after 10/7

Experiencing Auschwitz after 10/7

  Written by Eitan Klieger, Yallah! 2024 Participant *This article originally appeared in The Times of Israel Today I walked through Auschwitz. Our teen group went through the gates and saw the camp with our own eyes. We walked the same path that one million Jews...

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First full day in Israel

First full day in Israel

Written by: Lily Gartenlaub, Daria Blyveis and Alex Gutman, Yallah! 2024 Participants Hi all! It’s Lily, Daria, and Alex writing the first teen blog of the summer! We woke up bright and early in our kibbutz rooms and got breakfast together. Then we bussed to...

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