Hillel eighth-grade trip to Israel strengthens bonds to Judaism.

by Benjamin Cher/photos by Colton Graub

s El Al Flight 018 landed at Ben-Guri-
on International Airport, the 60 Hillel
Day School eighth-graders screamed
with joy as the plane touched down on Israeli
soil after the 11-hour journey. The long-awaited
Israel trip for graduating Hillel eighth-graders
had finally begun.
During the first part of the jam-packed trip, we
traveled north through Caesarea, visited historic tal-
mudic cities, met Israeli teenagers, went on hikes,
bathed in hot springs and headed to our hotel in the
Golan to prepare for our first, relaxing Shabbat.
We then headed south to Jerusalem, where we
visited the Old City and the Kotel, harvested left-
over beets for the hungry and visited a secret Haga-
nah bullet factory. Then we headed south for the
Negev, where we learned about Bedouin culture
and stayed in a Bedouin tent.
Afterwards, we traveled northeast to Masada
and the Dead Sea, and then back to Jerusalem for
our second and final Shabbat in Israel, which we
spent in front of the Kotel. And these are only the

highlights of the trip.
One thing that differentiates this trip from oth-
ers is that we had the opportunity to be in Israel
on Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day),
Yom HaZikaron (Remembrance Day) and Yom
HaAtzmaut (Israeli Independence Day). We got to
share the feelings of sadness and joy with fellow
Israelis by observing a moment of silence on Yom
HaShoah and Yom HaZikaron, and then by witness-
ing the transition to Yom HaAtzmaut when we par-
tied all night on Ben-Yehudah Street in Jerusalem.
Mixed in were times where we were able to feel
more connected to our religion and heritage. Every
day, we had minyan together and benched (said
the blessings) after every meal; and we had the op-
portunity- to go to the Kotel twice. We also visited
historical places that made us more interested in Ju-
daism and its customs. So by the end of the trip, we
were all praying and benching together with amaz-
ing spirit, which was very moving for everybody.
Not only did we flourish with our religion and
heritage, but also the trip provided us the opportuni-
ty to become closer as a grade. We strengthened our
bonds with our already-existent friends, while also
making new ones. We spent many nights with them,
becoming better friends.
But often when we happened to be put in a group
away from our friends, or their table at lunch was
full, we had the opportunity to meet new people and
become friends. Throughout the course of the trip,
group divisions began to vanish, and the grade got
closer as a whole, heading into graduation and be-
yond.

Above: Hillel Day School eighth graders Tessa LeWltt, Lilly Morrison and Tess Relle get in the spirit of Israeli Independence Day

on Ben-Yehudah Street in Jerusalem.

Above: Alex Schwartz, Andrew Jacob, Jonah

Folbe and Gabe Dell strut their stuff after

swimming in the Jordan River.

Above, right: Tessa LeWitt, Vanessa Farkas,

Laurenne Kaufman, Gillian Tyner and Tess Relle

at Kibbutz Beit Kay in Nahariya.

Right: Laurenne Kaufman and Lexl Smith take a

camel ride in the Negev.

Benjamin Cher, 13, is a

graduating eighth-grader

at Hillel Day School of

Metropolitan Detroit in

Farmington Hills.

teen2teen May 21 • 2009 B3