Little throwback to our week 1! We’ve had a great time so far here in Israel and our teens knew from the start how great the summer would be!
“Even though we’ve only been here for a week, being in Israel has been a super cool experience. I’ve been able to be with my friends and meet new people as well as explore Jerusalem last week. My favorite thing we did was the archeological dig when we got to go into caves and search for artifacts of the past. It made me feel more connected to our ancestors and was a really cool, hands-on experience. In general the entire Israel trip has had such cool sights and has helped to connect us as Jews.” (Avery Copeland)
“Being in Israel is unreal. Being in the presence of so many ancient buildings and stories makes me feel infantile compared to my people’s history, which I suppose is accurate. It would be hard to choose a favorite place I’ve been, but the Kotel will always be a spot I hold close to my heart. Getting to close my eyes and rest my head on the spot thousands of other jews had was awesome, in the literal bible definition not just “rad”. The stone was smooth and cold, with the little dips that you’ll find in Jerusalem stone. It was hard to really pray and connect to God with the heat on my neck and the other voices behind me, but I think my gratitude was good enough. No matter your religion, the western wall holds so much holy energy it’s almost tangible. My experience in Israel is akin to that of my experience at the wall, with constant activity but always that constant connection to the land I’m walking on.” (Ayla Kohenke)
“My time in Israel has been amazing so far. I did not know anyone in the group before the trip and now I have made friendships that I know will last a lifetime. This is my first time in Israel and my goals before the trip were to learn about my home country and immerse myself more in my religion, and I feel so accomplished already. I already know that saying goodbye to Israel and my new friends will be hard, but for now I can wake up to make amazing memories that I will cherish forever. Thank you NFTY for this amazing amazing experience and I can’t wait for what is to come in the upcoming weeks!” (Danit Shachman)
