Now that the NFTY in Israel journey has ended, another journey is beginning. Your teens disembarked from the airplane very tired, but nevertheless very fulfilled. It is without a doubt that the NFTY in Israel summer is a challenging summer and ultimately it is a summer of growing up. These young people who were so far away from their homes needed to work together in a group experience that was often demanding and frequently called upon them to harness their inner resources.

By Jared Sloan, Mitzvah Corps Israel Participant, Bus 11 Every time I told someone that I was going to Israel this summer, they invariably told me how much I was going to love it and how special it was going to feel to be in the land of my ancestors, and I believed...

I have to say, I was nervous. I have never been to Sci-Tech before and I came on this trip knowing only two people in advance: a life-long friend and someone whom I just met back in March at a L’Taken Seminar in DC. I did not know what to expect, honestly. I only knew I wanted to go to Israel with a “nerd camp” rather than my former camp, which gets repetitive.

On Monday, July 9, our group ended a long day in the old city with a visit to the Kotel, also called the Western Wall. Already informed of its rich history by our group leaders, I could feel a sense of curiosity from the entire group as we were separated by gender at the security entrance.

As I sat underneath a tree in the shade I never would have realized how one tree could mean so much in this world. As what I thought was just a place to sit to avoid the beaming sun I soon learned that this tree represents one persons story.

I have always been intensely interested in politics, and because of my Judaism this interest has always included Israel. Especially given the controversy surrounding it, I have spent quite a bit of time reading about, discussing, and vehemently arguing over Israel’s history and current problems.