Dear parents,
Here in the Holy Land we have witnessed so much in such a short amount of time. We have witnessed the miracle of life. Yesterday we saw a sheep giving birth to a lamb. We also planted trees with the JNF. We have witnessed the beautiful sights of Jerusalem. We went to the city of David and we explored the under ground tunnels. But most importantly we also went to the mall - sorry mom and dad but your credit score may be in need of healing! We had kosher McDonald's. It was delicious and it was an experience we will remember for a life time.
-Noah H.
Today, we started our day with davening shacharit and laining at Robinson's Arch, which is near the southern side of the Kotel. Our bnei mitzvah ceremony was really special since most of the grade read at least a line of Torah and everyone had an aliyah. We then walked walked around the Temple mount and learned about the 2nd Temple through a 3-D visualization. It depicted the glory and beauty of the Temple. After lunch, we made our way to the Kotel. It was a very spiritual and peaceful experience for all of us. The boys made a minyan and davened mincha. Touching the ancient stones gave me an undescribable feeling. I felt as if I could stay there kissing and feeling the wall forever. It was also great that I had the opportunity to experience this with my closest friends. Surrounded by soldiers, Jews, and Israeli flags I felt a sense of pride, bravery, and accomplishment.
-David S.
Dear parents,
Today we went to the Kotel to celebrate our Bnei Mitzvah ceremony, which took place at Robinson's Arch. This is an area bordering the Western wall, but which was separate from the main section of the wall so that we could have our own special, egalitarian ceremony. The ceremony was extremely meaningful and a lot of fun! First, we were able to read from a Sephardic Torah, which is read standing up, and is very beautiful. It was cool to be able to read from a Torah that is different from what we are accustomed to, and to learn about Sephardic traditions. Additionally, the service was particularly meaningful because every student in our "kehillah" was able to participate. I was personally able to lead the davening and read a pasuk of Torah, and every student had the opportunity to come up to it he Torah, whether it be for an Aliyah or a Torah reading. Finally, the Kotel itself was a very meaningful experience. In particular, we learned about the two different parts of the Western Wall, the Orthodox and the Conservative, and were given the opportunity to decide for ourselves which was more meaningful and where we wanted to place our notes. When we finally reached the Orthodox section of the kotel, we could immediately feel the excitement in the air. People were rushing from all sides, and we were looking to find the correct side of the mechitza to pray and place notes. We were also given the opportunity to place notes that were given to us the by the Schechter third graders, who are being kept up to date in our trip. It was an incredible experience, and by far one of my favorite part of the trip!
-Sarah B
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