Over the course of these past three weeks, one of the biggest highlights has been getting to know fellow Jewish teens from around the United States. We all come from different backgrounds, different home states, and different traditions. Yet, simply by virtue of us all being Jewish, we are connected. We’ve come together as one community and have been able to accomplish amazing things because of our shared Judaism.

My Tikkun Olam experience started off with a two hour bus ride from the Nes Ammim hotel. This bus ride finally allowed me to really meet with some of the bus 4 kids, some of whom I had not been able to really get close with yet this trip.

Something I love about NFTY in Israel is the freedom. I’m able to experience the culture of Israel like I’m here on my own, yet still feel part of the family of my group. Two days ago we were in Jaffa, and were allowed to explore part of the city with our friends. We walked around, experiencing everything in the city.

On Sunday, July 1, we explored Warsaw’s Jewish community. We visited the wall of the Warsaw Ghetto, walked along the Route of Heroism, and paid our respects at the Jewish cemetery. But I also ate a chocolate cake, blew out a pink candle, and carried around a unicorn-shaped balloon. We observed death, but we also celebrated life.

After the last 3 days of enduring the extreme living conditions of the Negev, our last morning in the desert provided a really fun and exciting twist on the previous hiking experiences. Twenty minutes or so after setting out for the final morning hike, the group stopped at an area that we previously hadn’t seen during our hikes – sand dunes.

When I was told that I need to pack a bag, fill up my camelbak, and put on my hiking shoes because I was going to spend the next 3 nights in the desert I was really scared. The desert experience is asking a lot out of a 16 year old – or at least it seemed that way before we started. However, the simple fact is that the desert has been full of great bus 9 moments.