Today is June 19, 2013 -
Today, Bus C spent time in Atlanta. Before they started their sightseeing, they learned about the ever-important but oft overlooked Aleinu prayer during Shaharit. The Wheelniks’ first stop was a visit to the Martin Luther King Jr. Museum and grave where they learned about the legacy of this great American and discussed the impact of the civil rights movement. After that important trip, the group headed back to their hotel for an evening program.
Bus A had an exciting day in the Peach State. To begin, the group headed off to CNN to take the famous shot in front of the big block letters. To quench their thirst from all their walking, the Wheelniks then stopped at the Coca-Cola headquarters where they received an awesome tour and most importantly, free samples! Finally, an already great day was capped off with an Atlanta Braves baseball game, relaxing and watching America’s past time.
Group 8 had an awesome and exhausting day: they woke up at 3:45am to hike Masada at sunrise. On top of Masada they davened a spiritual shacharit and participated in a great learning session as well. They had breakfast at the Ein Gedi youth hostel and took a stroll to the pool in Ein Gedi where they got to spend some time in the fresh water spring. After that, they hiked at Nachal David and headed to the Dead Sea. While there, everyone got a chance to put mud on themselves and go into the water and float! Then they started their journey towards Jerusalem, where they will spend their final few days together. When they arrived they had some time to nap prior to dinner and a program, Café Dilemma, focusing on issues facing Israeli society. In the evening they watched a movie together.
Bus C started off their first day in the Big Easy by learning some more, in-depth, about the Amidah…a great educational moment to start the day! Later, they helped out, in a huge way, by assisting at Volunteers of America, helping sort and organize school supplies for their school enrichment program. Later the group check out the always entertaining Bourbon Street to see the craziness of New Orleans, followed by a cool trip to local aquarium. They will end their day with a little bit of laundry to get their clothes fresh for their final week!
Bus A had a wonderful day in Memphis today. They learned the ins and outs of The King. On their visit to Graceland, the Wheelniks saw Elvis’ home and musical accomplishments. It is a very cool site devoted to one of America’s greatest musical stars. Later in the day, the group headed south to Birmingham, Alabama. Bus A will take advantage of the long bus ride by having some good bonding and game time. Once in Alabama, the group will do some laundry to get clean clothes for their last week together!
Bus H had another exciting day in beautiful Los Angeles! They began by volunteering their time and helping with a food donation drop off. It was the perfect way to start their day. Following this, they explored the sites and sounds of the Santa Monica Pier, where they also enjoyed a rousing game of Capture the Flag. Later on, the group will cap off their day with exciting visits to famed L.A. hot spots Hollywood Walk and Universal Studios. What a great way to spend one of their last few days of the summer!
Bus B had a rousing start to their day with a lively I-Pod Shaharit that the Wheelniks loved. They continued on to the SPAM museum, to learn about what used to be a quintessential American, snack food. Following this, the group had informative Sihot sessions and lunch at Lake Harriet, one of the beautiful lakes of Minnesota. To end their day, the group is spending some quality time at the wondrous Mall of America, a mall like no other!
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