"Planting our Roots"

Today was a long, but fun day.  We started off by planting trees, so we would have our roots in Israel.  While waiting I looked at the view, which was so perfect you could stare at it all day and never get bored.  It was one of the most beautiful things you will see.  It was the beginning of our journey in our home land.  Then we herded sheep (as a hands-on example of leadership). It was fun, but I wouldn't touch the sheep, and the babies were very cute.  We eventually got all the sheep back.  This was only the first day and already we were having a lot of fun.  I can't wait for the rest of the trip.  - Carly Epstein    

Hi everyone!! We arrived in Israel yesterday, tired but so thrilled to be in Israel. We started off our trip by visiting a biblical nature reserve. There, we planted trees on a hill, planting our roots in our homeland Israel. We then did an activity during which we herded sheep together - a good leadership activity. The part of my day that most stood out to me was partaking in a Yom HaShoah ceremony. In Israel, a siren is sounded throughout the country and everyone stops what they are doing to take two minutes to remember those who died from the terrors of the Holocaust. I found it unbelievable how a whole country just stopped altogether to remember what happened in the Holocaust. This amazed me, it was so special and proved to me just how much the Jewish people in Israel really care for every Jew. I am so excited to experience the rest of this exciting journey. I will write more soon!!

--Gabbi Meltzer