Shalom TJJ Bus Family,

On Thursday our day began at Har Hertzel. Har Hertzel is the resting place of the heroes of our nation that gave their lives in order to create the State of Israel. Various TJJers spoke at different heroes’ graved and shared stories and lessons with one another. In addition we had the special privilege to hear from Miriam Peretz who gave us words of courage and strength as she spoke about her two sons who were killed fighting for Israel. A truly remarkable woman and an experience we will never forget. Following Har Hertzel we went to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial museum in Jerusalem. We learned about our history and felt the pain of our ancestors. Following Yad Vashem we sat in our respective tour groups to debrief and reflect on our emotion filled experiences to begin the day. The day transitioned from commemorating our history to one where we celebrated life. Our next stop was the Shalva Center. Shalva has become one of the leaders in providing care and programming for children with special needs. What was once a small after school program for six families is now inspiring and changing the lives of thousands. We had an opportunity to explore the facility, interact with the children that make Shalva their second home, and gain an appreciation for the effortless work done on behalf of the many volunteers at Shalva. Our day concluded with a bowling night in Jerusalem where TJJers and staff laughed, ate pizza, and did a little shopping in one of the local malls. A day filled with many emotions but a day that touched us all.

On Friday we made our way down to the City of David, King David’s home and saw the history before our eyes and walked through Chizkiyahu’s water tunnels. The tunnels were dark and narrow, but together we navigated through and retraced the steps of history. We then spent our eve of Shabbat in the Shuk (Market Place) of Machane Yehuda. Hundreds of people were in the market buying food preparing for the Shabbat just as we were. We enjoyed the smells, sights, and sounds of the robust market. We look forward to returning to the market at the end of our trip to pick up souvenirs and our favorite Israeli dried fruit and gummies.

Shabbat night was extremely powerful as we had Friday night services at the Kotel (Western Wall) and joined in with many other NCSY Summer Programs. The energy was high and the spirit was alive. It will go down as one of my favorite experiences at the Kotel in my life. Following we ate Friday night meal at the Aish HaTorah center and heard words of Torah from our guest Rabbi, Rabbi Menachem Nissel. Shabbat Day we dedicated to the theme of restrictions and how in Judaism they connect to our ability to live a free and meaningful life.

At night we transitioned over into Tisha B’Av (9th of Av), the saddest day in the Jewish calendar. Throughout the night we read the Meggilah of Eichach together and sang songs connected to the loss of the Temple and our exile. During the day we divided into groups and TJJers made poster boards and prepared presentations connected to various time periods in Jewish History. Towards the end of the day we traveled to the Kotel where we joined thousands of other Jews in prayer and song for our ultimate redemption. To close of the day we ate a delicious break fast at Kafit and came back to the hotel to prepare for another wonderful day on TJJ!

Tomorrow we transition over to the Jerusalem Gate Hotel until Shabbat. Looking forward to an incredible final week ahead!

Best,

Rabbi Mike (Michael Kahn)

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