Yom Hazikaron & Yom Haatzmaut

Written by: Jacob The week of Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAtzmaut, Israel’s Memorial Day and Independence Day, respectively, was an emotionally draining, yet spiritually invigorating experience. The drastic change from mourning lives lost to celebrating Israel’s existence...

A Journey Through Tykocin

Written by: Brandon Schoenfeld Welcome to Tykocin! This quaint little Polish town is only a two-hour drive from Warsaw. If you park at the old shul (synagogue) like we did, you are at the center of the old shtetl (town). Take a left down the main road. As you begin to...

History at Our Feet: Birthright and Burial Caves

Written by: Aaron Fox Have you ever taken the time to really think about where you are sitting? For me, this had been a challenge throughout the week, with the overwhelming number of new friends, teachers, classes, and experiences. As I recognized this, I tried more...

Interfaith Learning in Ein Rafa

Written by: Isabel Hoffman Coming from the predominantly Jewish area of Bethesda, Maryland, I don’t have many opportunities to interact with Muslim folks at home. I had never been to a mosque in the United States, and only a handful of students at my school wear...

Victorious on Masada

This was written by Spring 2019 participant Jacob after his powerful experience on Masada. The ascent up Masada was not an easy one. We began our journey in darkness, but when we finally reached the end of our trek, we stepped foot atop Masada to observe the gorgeous...

Grappling with Tough Questions in the Old City

This was written by Spring 2019 participant Rayna Carner after the group visited the Old City. Today the Tanakh came alive for me; I realized that through science, we could prove that the ancient stories in the Tanakh sometimes reference real life places and people....