Shalom TJJ Bus 5 Family,

On Monday, we traveled to Holon’s Children’s Museum to visit their Dialogue in the Darkness exhibit. Our group experienced life in complete darkness such as going to the market or navigating a kitchen. We gained a new appreciation for our sense of sight and even got to buy some snacks at a blind café! Without missing a beat, we visited Independence Hall in Tel Aviv, and saw the room in which the Jewish people declared independence and the State of Israel was born. We heard a recording of Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion’s passionate speech and got a chance to relive that momentous occasion.

On Tuesday, we traveled to the Bible Belt of Israel, the hills of the Shomron. We began the day at Mt. Kabir, which overlooks the valley where Abraham first came into Israel more than 3000 years ago. Following we went to Givat Olam in Itamar and learned about the development of agriculture in the area. Our final stop in the Shomron was Shilo, where after a quick shwarma lunch, we saw the place where the Mishkan (Tabernacle) stood for 369 years, before the first Temple was built. We were able to admire the setting of so many of the stories in the Bible and feel the ground that our ancestors walked on as they journeyed to Shilo on the three pilgrimage festivals (Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot) every year! After we left Shilo we went Mitzpeh Yericho and learned a tremendous amount at the house of Rabbi Uri Pilichowsky on understanding the truths of how Israel and the current struggles we face with our enemies surrounding us.  

Best,

Rabbi Mike

© 2026 TJJ Bus 5. All Rights Reserved.