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Dear parents,
What an incredible last week of TJJ our bus had! After a relaxing free-weekend, we met up in Tel-Aviv and jumped right back into the fun by shopping at the Shuk. We visited the Peres Centre of Peace and Innovation, and had a chance to use some unique technology. Then, colour war broke out! It was Red Vs. Blue at an intense game of water tag and a nighttime basketball tournament. The next day we heard from guest speaker Neil Lazarus about politics and happenings in Israel. From there we visited the Blind Museum and had a unique experience in the dark with a visually impaired tour guide. Our next stop was the Bar Ilan campus where we learned about Israel advocacy. We spent a beautiful evening by the beach and boardwalk. The next day we visited the colourful Salad Trail and learned about Israel’s agriculture through taste! We toured the city of Sderot and visited the playgrounds with built in bomb shelters. The following day we traveled to the Kotel in Jerusalem and got to try a unique virtual reality viewing of the Holy Temple. From there we toured the Jewish Quarter of the Old City. Our next stop was Yad Vashem, where we spent several hours learning about the Holocaust and our Jewish history. That night, was the start of Tisha B’av. Our bus learned and sang all together, becoming even closer as a bus family. The next day we got the opportunity to hear from inspirational speaker Racheli Frankel; who shared her story about her son’s kidnapping 10 years ago. The teens got the chance to ask her personal questions and were moved by her positivity and faith in G-d. The next day we visited the City of David and toured the water tunnels. After shopping in Jerusalem, we got ready for another Shabbat together with the other Canadian buses. Sunday was full of dancing and singing as we dedicated a restored Sefer Torah at a military school in Haifa. After some fun at the beach we went to a TJJ Unite event and celebrated being in Israel with over 1000 NCSY teens! On our last day in Israel we went to Chevron to visit the tombs of our Biblical Forefathers and Mothers. We continued on to zip lining, rock climbing a and tree top trekking for a real rush! On our last night together we celebrated our accomplishments this summer at our bus banquet with gifts for each teen and advisors. We wrote letters to our future selves that will be mailed in one year.
With tears in our eyes and our hearts full, we said goodbye today at the airport to our bus family. Although it feels like the end, it is really just the beginning. We can’t wait for our first reunion!
Wishing you a safe and healthy rest of your summer!
Sincerely,
Yehudis Cagen & Rabbi Fhima
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