The Tiyulim here at Alexander Muss have been great experiences.

The Tiyulim here at Alexander Muss have been great experiences. So far, my favorite trips have been the Hezekiah’s tunnels, Masada, the Dead Sea, Gilboa, the river walk in the Kineret, and the urban day in Tel Aviv.

The Hezekiah’s tunnels were very cool and may be my favorite trip so far. They encompassed walking through a foot deep of water for a good amount of time. This piece of architecture is incredible, it is an underground system of water tunnels and it is unimaginable how long it would take to construct.

Masada was also another trip that impactful to me. After the difficult but fun hike, we spent the morning on the mountain. The Jews on this place were forced to commit a mass suicide because they were trapped on all sides. This lesson taught me that I never want my people to go through this again and that peace is the best solution to any problem.

We went to the Dead Sea followed right after Masada. It was crazy that no matter hard I tried, I could not sink. I had never experienced this feeling before and it was cool that after studying hard we could relax in the sea.

Gilboa was the first real challenge that our group had to face. The descent down was steep, and I had never been on a hike like this before. It was very enjoyable since I got to explore and walk down on my own; it was a peaceful hike and I got exposed to a ton of nature that day.

The river walk in the Kineret was a more recent and different tiyul, similar to the water tunnels. We walked through the water and we got to meet other Israelis while walking through. Our group had a great time on this trip; earlier in the day, we learned about how the first Aliyah led to the state of Israel.

The urban day in Tel Aviv last week was a reflection day. We got the opportunity to interview some people about how they viewed their life as Jews, followed by a long period of free time. I got to catch up with my friends and my lunch was really good.

All of these tiyul days have something in common: they were all positive experiences and I have learned more about the person I have become through this program. There have been so many more impactful tiyulim, and these are only a few that I have chosen to write about. Throughout the past six weeks, these trips have changed me for the better and I know that I will one day be able to look back on all these trips and how I will be able to come back to go on them again.