Afterwards, we drove to a mall with our new friends. We had lunch with them, which was really fun. It was a bit of a challenge for us to use our Hebrew skills with them and for them to use their English to understand each other, but we managed to understand each other and we formed new friendships. We finished off our day with our new friends by driving to Tel Aviv and spending some time with them on the beach. We split off into groups and did small activities and games. We had small races, and wrote cheers for different cities in Israel. Overall, we had a really fun day and it was a really cool experience to meet Israeli kids our age and to discover that they have similar interests, hobbies and listen to the same music. We can’t wait to keep in touch with them.

They all made a huge impact on all of us and our safety so we salute them and pay tribute to them by burying in with all the honors that they deserve. We visited the burial site of two extremely special people: Hannah Senesh and Michael Levine. Hannah Senesh was a Hungarian paratrooper who made Aliyah to Israel. She volunteered to be in the army but she was captured and tortured in Europe. She would not give up any information and was therefore she was executed. She was a very inspirational woman for all of Israel. Michael Levin was an American soldier who volunteered in the Israeli army. He was originally from Philadelphia but like Hannah, he made aliyah. He always wanted to be in the Israeli army, he followed his dream and he enlisted in the Tzahal. Moreh Yoni knew Michael Levine (z’l) personally and told us stories about him. He said that Michael always had a smile on his face and he was a mischievous kid. He was so devoted to fight with his country, that when war broke out during one of his visits to the US, he went back to Israel and unfortunately, he got shot and killed. He always wanted to be buried in Israel and his family honored his last wishes. I will never forget my visit to Har Herzl!

One story that particularly stuck with me was the story of a woman who was liberated from a camp after the war. She married another survivor, and they settled down together. A few months later, she was at the doctor, and he told her that she was pregnant. The woman got hysterical- she could not imagine having a baby. She desperately wanted an abortion, but didn’t have enough money. The doctor said that if she didn’t have enough money he would not perform the abortion. She went home, and tried to kill the baby herself. One thing I remember her saying was “I heard babies crying in Auswitz. I couldn’t have a baby crying at home.” This quote really stuck with me because it never occurred to me that after the war was over, the survivors really weren’t free. They were still suck in those camps even if they were thousands of miles away. I think that maybe this is why a lot of survivors don’t tell their stories; because to them they still relive the atrocities they experienced in the camps and I am afraid that they never truly will be set free.

After spraying people with shaving cream and getting sprayed by other people, a group of friends and I decided to go check out the concert that was happening at the top of Ben Yehuda street. The band was playing Jewish and Zionist Music before a huge crowd. We joined the crowd of people, we sang and danced along the music and had a great time. I really loved feeling part of such a great celebration and spending Yom Ha’Atzmaut in Jerusalem and would love to do it again!

After the ceremony, we went on a pizzur lunch at the Dimona Mall…where we also got to do some shopping with our groups. After lunch we went to the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. My favorite part about the museum was visiting the different style synagogues. We visited original German, Indian and Italian synagogues which were transported to Israel and have been restored to their original shape. I thought it was cool to see the different decorations, influences and concepts that the local culture had in the building of these synagogues.

Once we left the Israel Museum, we checked into our new hotel in Jerusalem, we got dressed and went to Ben Yehuda Street to celebrate Yom Ha’Atzmaut. We had such a great time being covered with shaving cream and silly string. People were happy, acting silly and it felt good to celebrate with everyone It was like a giant party and we got to experience it with our friends which was something that made it that much more special.

One thing I noticed was how different the mood was during the day as people quietly and sadly commemorated Yom HaZikaron while Yom Ha’Atzmaut was wild and festive. The change was almost automatic…even the music for those days were different. That is something I had never experienced before.

We went to lunch, and then we went to Mitzpe Revivim. We watched a short film about the place, and then a crazy man burst into the theater, thinking it was 1947, and he pulled out people from the audience as soldiers. It was very funny and informative. One of the main things we learned about was how the Palmach hid their weapons and communication devices from the British.

In the evening, we had dinner, and then had a Tekes (ceremony) about Yom HaZikaron. Our madrichim, Aviah and Shir, gave a short speech about four characteristics of a hero: Bravery, Generosity, Intelligence, and Friendliness. Then about ten of us spoke about who their heroes are. They ranged from soldiers to relatives who made big impacts on their community. We then watched a short bit of the film about Michael Levin. Shir then spoke a little about his great sacrifice for Israel. It was a very moving experience for both of us. We hope you have a meaningful Yom HaZikaron tomorrow.

After Masada, we drove to the Nachal David Nature Reserve. We took a short hike to one of the many waterfalls. It was actually the water fall where Shaul and David had a confrontation. It was really cool to have learned about this confrontation in Moreh Yoni’s class and to be there with him! Of course the water was fun to go into after a long morning of desert heat.

We left Nahal David and we drove to a Dead Sea “spa experience.” We had a quick lunch then started our Dead Sea adventure! At the spa, you take a tram to an area filled with the mud and sulfur water. It smelled weird, but it made our skin feel amazing! Afterwards, we went into the actual water! It was a first time for both of us, so we were both pretty scared after hearing how painful the salt content could be. The stinging was worth the fun time we had floating! We hope we have the chance to go back again.

When we all left Sachne we headed to eat a pizzur lunch in a mall. We formed groups of five, we got our money and we all went and got food. When we all left the mall we started a three-hour drive to the desert towards a Bedouin hotel called K’far haNokdim. When we first arrived at the desert we rode camels. Some people were riding donkeys so those people ended up switching with the people on the camels. After we finished our rides on the animals we went into a Bedouin tent and listened to a Bedouin man as he was talking about what it is like to live in his village. After that we ate dinner and had falafels. We then went into our own tent, sat for a while, relaxed after a long day and then joined a bon fire. I can’t wait for Masada tomorrow.

Every year when we ask the eighth graders what their favorite part of the trip was it is common that we would get many responses about the disco boat we were soon to go on. So we all got dressed up, and as soon as Shabbat was over, we headed on the bus. Before we went on the boat we broke up into groups for a Pizur dinner. Then after dinner we got on the boat. There was only one silent moment I can remember until partying and dancing broke out. Though it was only approximately 40 minutes long, it was a time to remember, just another experience to add to the amazing trip.