SH-24-151's blog

It's amazing how much music has played a part of this trip. From singing on the bus, to jumping around in airports we are always enjoying the music of the land. One of the places we experienced it was in the city of Tzfat.The city is such an artistic community. The home of Kabbalat Shabbat, the streets are full of music and art. Every nook and cranny is filled with culture. We started with the narrowest stairwell ever. At least the smallest I've ever been on. Yossi told us the story of an elderly woman who would climb the stairs every day and and sit at the top.

Every Tu B’Shevat, Jewish schools and organizations across the US receive the Jewish National Fund (JNF) tree-planting packets. We all know the spiel: Send in $18 and plant a tree in Israel to honor or remember someone, and help make the Israeli desert landscape green. I’ve been doing this ever since I was a child. Now, as an educator, I give the same spiel to my students. But I never really understood the connection between the religious and Torah aspects with the environmental.

Every Tu B’Shevat, Jewish schools and organizations across the US receive the Jewish National Fund (JNF) tree-planting packets. We all know the spiel: Send in $18 and plant a tree in Israel to honor or remember someone, and help make the Israeli desert landscape green. I’ve been doing this ever since I was a child. Now, as an educator, I give the same spiel to my students. But I never really understood the connection between the religious and Torah aspects with the environmental.

We've been so busy having a great time in Israel that we didn't yet get to blog about it!! On Thursday, we traveled to the mystical city of Tzfat and learned about Jewish mysticism. We were greeted there by a two-person Jewish band who taught us about unique instruments (one that looked like it came from space, but actually came from Switzerland). We then went to Yemin Orde Youth Village and were inspired by a unique model of education (see earlier post).

On this hot, sunny afternoon in the North of Israel, 35 American and Israeli educators visited Yemin Orde, a Youth Village full of caring, compassionate, selfless educators and caretakers who welcome refugee, abused, disadvantaged, and at-risk children and teenagers into their village; their home. At Yemin Orde, over 500 children and teens from more than 20 countries join staff and volunteers to form one big family, the reach and depth of which touches the lives of its inhabitants for their entire lives.

Shalom from Kibbutz Afik in Israel!!

Today has been a very exciting one (or was it two days rolled into one?) for participants and staff of Bus 151 -- Teacher Trek!

Our group of American educators boarded an El Al flight in New York on Monday afternoon and arrived in Tel Aviv early Monday morning. We were greeted with singing and dancing by our Israeli participants and staff. We finally boarded our bus as a complete group!