We have experienced so much in these past few weeks. From staying with host families to the sea to sea hike, Tel Aviv and now back to Jerusalem. Everything we have done this trip has been together. We have overcome obstacles, seen beautiful sites and learned a lot, and done all of this with our 34 best friends.
During our time with host families in Mod'im we got to experience the culture of an Israeli family first hand. The experience was very interesting but we all missed the group a lot, so having the sea to sea hike following this was great. We spent time together hiking and talking or listening to music and reflecting. We encouraged eachother and never let anyone fall behind.
What I liked best about this trip was that everyone experienced things differently. For some people Yad Vashem was the most impactful but for others it was Shabbat in the old city or staying on the kibbutz. We all had the same experiences, but every thing affected us in different ways.
The last night was Shabbat in the old city and this impacted me in a big way. Standing on the women's side of the kotel with all the girls looking around and it finally hit me that this trip was coming to a close. This was an amazing five weeks and I wouldn't want anything to have been any different, except for having more time.
As I backed away from the wall I bumped into a different wall, but this one was a wall formed by the 21 girls, including Joy and Lauren. We stood there for awhile holding hands and looking at the wall together. We took the time to reflect on our trip an everything we have accomplished. Through thick and thin this group stuck together and embraced all the history of Israel.
These past 5 weeks have turned out to be more than I ever could have asked for. Thank you to everyone who decided to send us to Israel this year, the experiences we have made none of us will ever forget.
Miranda Weiss
CSL in Israel
