Friday the teens enjoyed an early morning hike through Ein Avdat, a picturesque desert canyon. Here the participants got to see desert birds, that seek refuge here in the protecting walls of the canyon that characterize this unusual desert geological formation. Most of the species of animals and plants that live here are unique to the Israeli Negev Desert ecosystem.

While touring Jerusalem, we visited a fascinating startup creating a product called the Orcam. It’s essentially a small camera, microphone, and speaker mounted with magnets onto a pair of glasses.

One of the central values of Jewish tradition is the concept of Torah L’Shma (Learning for its own sake). Often this value feels like it clashes directly with some of the messages that are sent by the dominant western culture that surrounds all of us. At times, we feel as if we are encircled by a construct where learning is treated as simply a means for getting ahead.

Though we were tired after waking up with stars still in the sky at 3:30 AM in order to climb Masada and watch the Israeli sun rise over the Negev, we were revitalized by the saltiness of the Dead Sea. Floating effortlessly and being buoyed by the water was a perfect way to end the blazing morning, despite the fact that our hiking related cuts stung with the salt.