Along our journey on L’dor V’dor, multiple different camps have come together, sharing traditions, experiences, and new memories. Here are a couple of moments that stood out to us!
July 1: New York
In our first moments at JFK airport, you could clearly see which camp was which. Groups were separated, reuniting and hugging one another. Seeing our best friends helped us remember a reason why we came on this trip in the first place.
July 4: Poland
A few days into Poland came an unexpected diversion from our usual touring. Seven miles of kayaking in freezing cold water brought people from separate camps to understand the similarities we share. The two of us bumped into another kayak with two girls from a different camp, Sophie and Sylvia. We kayaked together for the next couple of hours, singing songs from camp and talking about anything and everything. Even on this long, exhausting trip, we made new friends with whom we have only grown closer.
July 10: First Shabbat in Israel
During Shabbat services, we realized not all our melodies were the same, causing some confusion and curiosity within our group. Coming from different camps, we didn’t all grow up with the same traditions. Instead of laughing at the other camps, we have started to incorporate other traditions into our own! As the invisible lines between our camps began to fade, we became more and more excited about connecting.
July 14-17: Yam Le Yam
Many of us on L’dor V’dor chose to go on a four-day hike through the Carmel mountains, an alternative to the Yam Le Yam hike. It was a struggle, but it came with many silver linings. Throughout the hike, we bonded with people from not only our buses, but also other Yallah Israel Programs, such as the Adventure group. Together, we made the challenging hike fun, creating a kehila of people who may never have met.
July 17: Jerusalem Shabbat
Now in the holiest city, we felt at home as we welcomed Shabbat with our old and new friends. Walking through the old city on our first night, we felt connected to our heritage, the Jewish community, and each other.
Coming into this trip, we didn’t know what to expect in terms of connecting with people from other camps. Now we can say we have formed lifelong friendships that we will continue to cherish. With our new and old friends around us, we feel a connection that could only happen within our Jewish community, with more in common than we ever would have guessed.
Maddie and Sarina
