The tiyulim (trips) at AMSHI have been, by far, the best days of my life.

The tiyulim (trips) at AMSHI have been, by far, the best days of my life. It’s amazing to be able to say that I learned outside of the physical classroom. In a previous blog, I talked about what I living classroom is and what the benefits of one are. The living classroom idea is something that is so great and which really impacted what my favorite and most memorable trips are. My favorite trips were Gilboa and Kehilla day. 

The day of Gilboa and particularly the hike down were so great. The day started with a class on top of the mountain that looked down Jezreel valley (northern Israel). We then hiked down the mountain. Gilboa is very rocky and hiking down we faced a couple of challenges. We often had to be very careful of where we stepped and had to hold tight to the mountain. When we finished the hike, the bus drove us to the springs. We spent a couple hours enjoying the heat in the springs. In the springs, the water was very nice and there were little fish who would swim by our feet. The springs were so relaxing and overall the day was full of fun adventuring. 

My other favorite trip was a day we called Kehilla day. Kehilla means community and this day was centered around the idea of communities and helping out. We started the day again with a lesson but this time in the city hall of Jerusalem. We then went and visited the work place of many senior citizens. These citizens were creating beautiful and handmade art pieces. Each member had their own task and it was amazing to see their unique work. We then went to Pantry Packers a volunteer organization centered on tikkun plan. We spent about 90 minutes doing hands on volunteer work. We packed non-perishable foods into bags, this required multiple steps and consistency is key.  This is a unique experience because although we didn’t see change for the families who will be receiving the food, we felt as we were part in the change. 

The tiyulim at AMHSI have been impactful and memorable. Learning, approaching challenges, and impacting the community were all aspects that we experienced in just these two amazing trips. It’s unbelievable to imagine how studying and living in Israel has changed our lives.