Today is Sunday and the teens are exploring the area around Jerusalem. Two days ago, the group arrived in the Jerusalem after completing a 4-day desert trek in the footsteps of the Children of Israel that had wandered for forty years in the desert, dreaming about Jerusalem.

Whether your children are now deep in the desert, up in the hills of the Galilee or smack in the middle of the country, there is one part of their program that remains consistent throughout their journey and that is the emphasis we place on the importance of “Conversation.” I am not talking about conversations that involve logistics or social issues, which are all part of the experience; but rather I am writing about the conversations that happen as these young people move through history and more importantly – as history moves through them.

By Matthew Rubenstein, NFTY in Israel Participant, Bus 3 We woke up at 4:00 AM, mumbling and groaning in  the middle of the desert, under a tent of goat hair, and began to get ready to hit the road. We dressed, rolled up our sleeping bags, brushed our teeth, ate...