This week we did the tiyul I’ve been looking forward to most, Masada and the Dead Sea. The day before hiking we went to old city and went to the Israel Museum, it was very interesting. They had a coffee shop and the guy gave me a free cup of coffee! Then we had free time in the Jewish Quarter and shopped! I got a ring from this store called Hadayah and a lot of the girls got matching rings that says לך לך, which means “to go” basically meaning to go find yourself or to leave. Afterwards we went to a youth hostel that was right on the Dead Sea in the front and in the back were mountains it was beautiful. There were all these Ibex’s (goat with horns) that were roaming around and it was so funny.

Dear Reuven, Thank you so much for making this tour so inspiring. The site we went to, on February 3, Gezer, made me bond with my roommates and friends so much more because I wasn’t as close with them before.

Today, on February 3rd 2019, we went to Gezer for our first tiyul of tiferet. Gezer was home to the Canaanites 4,000 years ago and home to the Israelites 3,000 years ago. We climbed many hills and learned about the people who lived there and what they did and the significance of Gezer and like how it was in the crossroads of two of the greatest trading routes in Israel.

This picture means a lot to me, it was when we were on our hike in Gezer with our core class. On this hike, I got closer with all the people and it was really nice to connect with people and learn about our history.

This week we started at a Crusades castle where we took class then we moved to the hot springs which were very interesting… not my favorite thing in the world, definitely not what I expected. I was picturing it in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of rocks and trees and natural but not the case, it was this resort and it was the most unnatural thing I could have thought of! there were so many people there and it was kind of like a resort. On the other hand the water felt really nice but it smelt horrible, like rotten eggs!!

First, we talked about life for the Ashkenazi Jews in Europe. We talked about how oppressive the Church was and how Jews were persecuted and killed, then we discussed the Sephardic community and its fall. As we went through the castle, we observed its defensive structure and discussed how the Muslims seized it. Afterward, we sat in the castle and talked about the causes, collapse and consequences of the Crusades.

We started this week of with a Tiyul to the caves where Jews lived during the rule of Bar Kochba. We got to crawl through two tunnels. These tunnels were was for Jews to survive more easily since the romans couldn’t locate the tunnels and caves.The first place we went to was beautiful.

This was one of the best trips so far – I say that after every one – but I find another reason why I love Israel so much everyday I am here. I can’t wait for the adventures to come and love reflecting on the past weeks I’ve been here.

This week was by far the best week yet. It started out with being able to see my parents and my sister over the opened Shabbat. They picked me up and we went to the mall, talked, caught up with everything, and spend a wonderful weekend in Tel Aviv. Not only was it great to see them, but also it was a little bit nice to get a break. It was great being able to sleep in my own bed, away from campus, and spending quality vacation time with my family.

This week was a pretty basic week at Muss, after Tzfat we had a full four days of classes, which may not seem like a lot compared to the normal 5 day schedule in America, but 4 days straight of classes here is crazy!

This week consisted of many general studies classes and two fun tiyuls. We were in Hod Hasharon up until Wednesday, then the fun began. We left for Jerusalem to have a Tikkun Olam day.

This week has been new to me. Over this experience so far, I have come to realize that I have been to many of the places we go to. I know the information, seen the miraculous sights and heard the foreign sounds.

It has been a long week as we all wait for something we are excited for but at the same time not excited for. Personally I think it is wrong for Jews to go to these places. Why should we go back to a place we were slaughtered? The ONLY reason I think Jews should go back is to bear witness to the survivors today and the dead. But, I am going into this trip with a positive mindset. I believe that everyone that is apart of this endeavor is striving for a wonderful experience.

When I first heard that I was going to Poland I didn’t know how to react. Once our teachers started telling us how we should start stocking up on food and hand warmers, it all started to seem real.

In core this morning we finished watching Schindler’s list and it was such a great movie but it got me thinking about our trip to Poland. I’m of course really nervous about going to Auschwitz or the other death camps, but it’s very important for me to go as a Jew and getting a deeper understanding of the Holocaust. But I’m also excited to go to Poland, a place I’ve never been to before. I’ve heard a few rumors that the food there is horrible so we all packed dried fruit and other snacks but besides that I’m very excited to explore Poland!

The hike through the sand was difficult, but the sand felt good on my toes. We sat and had class in the sand. I played with the sand and let it run between my fingers. This was the most satisfying sensation, feeling each grain slip through my fingers. After class we ran down the dunes.

Poland is something I will never forget for so many reasons. Poland was not the happiest place to visit of course but very important for me as a Jew. We started off by waking up at 2:30 in the morning and getting on a plane for 5 hours then landing in Warsaw.

My trip to Poland gave me an understanding on what Poland was before and after the Shoa as well a giving me a visualization of the early 40s in Poland.