NFTY in Israel – Bus 9A

You cannot imagine the feeling of having hundreds of NFTY in Israel participants in the country altogether at once. Tonight, we are celebrating Shabbat with NFTY in Israel from the hills of Judea to the Sea of Galilee. As Shabbat descends, we light Candles, say Kiddush over wine and we say the Motzi Lechem prayer over the Challah. For many of us, we do this without really looking into what’s behind this tradition. However, this evening our young people will have a chance to unpack this beautiful ritual and learn about how much of our Jewish practice has a deep connection and a profound foundation in the Land of Israel.

Now that the NFTY in Israel journey has ended, another journey is beginning. Your teens disembarked from the airplane very tired, but nevertheless very fulfilled. It is without a doubt that the NFTY in Israel summer is a challenging summer and ultimately it is a summer of growing up. These young people who were so far away from their homes needed to work together in a group experience that was often demanding and frequently called upon them to harness their inner resources.

By Jared Sloan, Mitzvah Corps Israel Participant, Bus 11 Every time I told someone that I was going to Israel this summer, they invariably told me how much I was going to love it and how special it was going to feel to be in the land of my ancestors, and I believed...

I have to say, I was nervous. I have never been to Sci-Tech before and I came on this trip knowing only two people in advance: a life-long friend and someone whom I just met back in March at a L’Taken Seminar in DC. I did not know what to expect, honestly. I only knew I wanted to go to Israel with a “nerd camp” rather than my former camp, which gets repetitive.

On Monday, July 9, our group ended a long day in the old city with a visit to the Kotel, also called the Western Wall. Already informed of its rich history by our group leaders, I could feel a sense of curiosity from the entire group as we were separated by gender at the security entrance.

As I sat underneath a tree in the shade I never would have realized how one tree could mean so much in this world. As what I thought was just a place to sit to avoid the beaming sun I soon learned that this tree represents one persons story.

I have always been intensely interested in politics, and because of my Judaism this interest has always included Israel. Especially given the controversy surrounding it, I have spent quite a bit of time reading about, discussing, and vehemently arguing over Israel’s history and current problems.