Shabbat Shalom from the Dolomites!
I cannot believe it has been three weeks from when I met your teens at the Newark airport! Time really does fly when you’re having fun! This week we had quite the change of pace as we made our way from the urban scene in Paris to mountain life in Chamonix and the Italian Dolomites! It has been so much fun to watch our campers become energized by nature and immerse themselves in the Alps!
Our week began with incredible sight-seeing in Paris. On Sunday, we braved the rain and made our way to our first sight, the Arc de Triumph. After a quick stop there, we hiked up the stairs in the Eiffel Tower. The campers were super excited and positive about the experience despite the rainy weather. You know what they say at Eisner Camp when it rains… you get wet!
Luckily, the sun came out by the time we got back down the tower, and we were able to enjoy a Pizur lunch in the Latin Quarter Market in Paris. We got delicious French crepes, Mona Lisa t-shirts, socks, key chains, and more! And our day was barely halfway done! From there, we walked to see and learn about the Notre-Dame Cathedral and then wrapped up our day adventure with some meaningful educational moments at the Shoah Museum of Paris.
The campers really took the time to walk around the museum and learn the stories of many individuals who suffered and were executed during Nazi oppression. They took these stories to heart and clearly were impacted by the history, even if it wasn’t new to them.
We had a circle up at the end of the experience where we discussed the concept of indifference during times of trouble. We talked about Elie Wiesel and read aloud quotes from his most famous novel, Night. We ended by reading and discussing this quote as it relates to our lives and our Judaism today:
“The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference.
The opposite of beauty is not ugliness, it’s indifference.
The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference.
and the opposite of life is not death, but indifference between life and death”
The kids were very tuned in and mature about this conversation, and I feel lucky to be able to process this kind of unfathomable atrocity with them as we navigate the confusion for Jews in recent times as well. I was very proud of the way they approached these conversations.
On Monday, we started our morning at the world’s most famous museum, the Louvre. Although many of us could have spent a whole day there, we gathered to leave after approximately 2 hours to make our way to one of France’s best theme parks- Astrix Park! The campers loved the roller coasters and the food –it was like 6 Flags but better!!
On Tuesday morning, we said goodbye to Paris and endured a long bus ride to the French Alps. We played name that tune, hosted podcasts with various campers as guests, and played some competitive trivia too. Just before dusk, we arrived in the most beautiful mountain town of Chamonix where we ate dinner at a nearby restaurant and walked through the mountain valley to our hotel. The crisp and chilled mountain air had all of us feeling revived and ready for more adventure.
On Wednesday, we took advantage of the nature and started our day on a ropes course! Each of your teens were so brave and enjoyed the adventure! Many of them especially loved the zip line. In the afternoon we met up with guides who led us on a hike up the mountain. The views we saw of Mount Blanc throughout the day were absolutely breathtaking.
On Thursday, we got up early to drive to Italy! Our first stop was the scenic Lake Garda where we had views of the bright aqua water below the tall green mountains. The weather was perfect, and it was an amazing summer day. Picture the campers renting paddle boards and paddle boats and swimming around the lake with each other! Just some classic camp friend fun!!
One camper, Leo, summarized his experience in France:
“We’ve had a packed week in Europe. On Sunday we drove down the Champs-Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe and got a few pictures in the rain. After, we drove to the Trocadero and walked down to the Eiffel Tower. We were fortunate enough to be able to walk up to the second floor and right as we got up the sun came out and we got a great view of the city. After lunch, we went to the Notre Dame and even though we didn’t get to go inside, it was amazing to see it fully rebuilt and learn about its history.
Then we had a meaningful experience at the Holocaust Museum and after walking around and learning about the Jewish history of France, we talked with Yogi about the experience which I really enjoyed.
The next day we went to the Louvre and Parc Asterix. The Louvre was very interesting and we saw the Venus de Milo and the Mona Lisa among many other famous pieces. My favorite was the statue of Nike and The Raft of Medusa. The theme park was also amazing and everyone I talked to seemed to have a great time there. I had a great time and I went on a lot of roller coasters.
We traveled to Chamonix where we ziplined through the forests and hiked up the beautiful mountains. It was one of the coolest places I have ever been to and the views there were great.
Now we are in Italy and we visited Lake Garda today and we rented boats. Everyone was having a great time out on the water and we were surrounded by the stunning scenery of the mountains and the picturesque teal water.
I am looking forward to going to Rome and I am so grateful to be on this trip. Everything we have seen has been amazing and it is a wonderful experience to learn about the history of Europe and the history of Jews with all of my friends.”
This just goes to show how impactful a trip with other Jewish teens can be, especially during the warmth of summer when all of nature can be utilized.
Today, Friday, we are taking the cable car in the Dolomites and enjoying Shabbat in the mountains. I look forward to another Shabbat weekend with the teens.
All my best,
Rachel and the Yallah! Western Europe Team 🙂
