Shalom Everyone,

I apologize for the delay in sending the first parent e-mail. There was a technical issue that needed to be sorted out and there should be no further issues moving forward. I will be sending  out daily e-mails with a recap of each day.

DAY 1

Departure

DAY 2 

Following our arrival in Ben Gurion Airport we were met by our Israeli Tour Guide and refreshing Holy Bagel lunch. We began our very first bus ride by travelling north to the beautiful Golan Heights. Our first hotel is in one of Israel’s most northern towns of Chispin where we have breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains. Following dinner we had orientation together and headed to sleep for an early night.

 DAY 3

 Our day started as the bus took us south to Tiveria. We took some time to enjoy a team building exercise in the Kinneret by having a raft building competition, congratulations to our winners Team 1! Lunch was enjoyed at the idyllic Majrase, which is the largest freshwater reserve in Israel. We had a great time exploring the reserve and learning how the water from the Golan reaches the Kinneret. Our day continued into the afternoon with a refreshing swim in the Kinneret. Afterwards we went back to base and prepared for a very beautiful Shabbat together in Chispin.

DAY 4

We had a very restful and and very powerful first shabbat as a TJJ family. We had a beautiful Kabalat Shabbat service with four other TJJ buses and had a very fun and upbeat Oneg Shabbat Friday night with songs and snack. On Shabbat day (Saturday) We took advantage of some of the beautiful places in Chispin as I led a walking tour and pointed out the significance of Chispin and what it has done for the Golan Heights. We had great sessions delivered by our very talented advisors on the topic of Shabbat and it’s deeper meaning. We discussed the various Judaic ornaments that are associated with Shabbat as well discussing the concept of “Rest” and what it means that God rested on the seventh day. Following a spirited Shabbat afternoon with activities and time spent with advisors and freinds we gathered for a very moving “Ebbing” (End of the Shabbat) where we sang together while watching the sun set between the mountains. We concluding the Shabbat with a very exciting and musical Havdalah! Such an amazing time together- your kids all have such great energy and are so much fun to have the opportunity to spend the summer with.

DAY 5

We left Chispin this morning and will be staying in a Kibbutz called Afik also in the Golan Heights. Sunday was a fantastic day as we toured the holy city of Tzvat. We had a tour of the city and learned about its deep connection to the Kabbalah all while visiting amazing sites like the Dveykus Cave, the Candle Factory, and the Artist’s colony. Following some free time for lunch (the Schnitzel was out of this world) we heard from one of the local artists, named Avraham Leventhal, about his amazing life story and the inspiration and meaning behind many of his pieces. Our trip to Tzfat ended at Otzar HaStam, the largest center in the world for Hebrew Scribes, where we learned about Mezuzot, Torah Scrolls, and how to write Hebrew calligraphy.

DAY 6

Today we took up the challenge of the Jilabun hike. We mustered up our strength to conquer the “stairway to heaven” awaiting us at the end of the hike. After the hike we went to the Dekarina Chocolate factory where we were shown how to make Israel’s most delicious treats!! After filling up on every type of chocolate imaginable (seriously I’ve never seen that much chocolate before in my life) we went to Mt. Bental, a lookout point over Israel, Lebanon and Syria. We wrapped up the night with Dinner at the Hotel and Learning sessions led by our advisers. We will be running a 4th of July “BBQ” with music, bonfire, hot dogs, and marshmellows tonight. It should be a lot of fun. Our assistant director and medic will be playing guitar and violin for us (both very talented) Tomorrow we take on the Nachal Kziv hike- Bring it on!

Again, I apologize for delay in sending these e-mails. A bit embarrassed to be honest as I try to be very punctual. Thank you all for your understanding a patience. I very much appreciate it.

Best,

Michael Kahn

© 2026 TJJ Bus 5. All Rights Reserved.