Visiting the Ein Kerem Neighborhood

By Aurora Mercer, fall 2019 student Recently, our class traveled close to our home at Kibbutz Tzuba, visiting churches in Jeusalem’s Ein Kerem neighborhood. Before entering these churches, I didn’t expect what I learned, saw, or even heard would impact my Jewish...

Herodian Mansions and Southern Wall Excavations

By Lila Herzig, Fall 2019 student When learning about Jewish history in religious school, a majority of my education focused on the Torah and the Holocaust. All of that space between the two was only covered in my seventh-grade year. I knew two things: the Torah is...

How Lucky Am I to Experience Heller High!

By Ellie Plisko, Fall 2018 student This D’var Torah was delivered at her synagogue’s Israel Family Shabbat Three years ago, if you had asked me what my life would look like now, my response would have been nowhere close to what my reality is. Even if you...

Learning About King David in the City of David

By Shay Orentlicher, fall 2019 participant from Indianapolis, IN No teenager likes getting up extra early, but at Heller High, it tends to be worth it. When we stumbled out of bed at 6:25 am, it wasn’t an early wakeup for no reason; it meant that we would be going on...