Israel Pilgrimage,
Group #11

*The pictures below are links; clicking on them will take you to a larger version of that picture.

Wednesday, June 28th:
Group 11 arrived safely in Tel Aviv this evening and were ecstatic to be beginning their summer together! They loaded the bus and drove to Tzuba, a kibbutz outside of Jerusalem, where they will spend the night. The group met their fabulous staff and began playing ice breakers as a way to get to know each other. They will get a good night’s sleep tonight in anticipation of an exciting day tomorrow!

Thursday, June 29th:
Group 11 had an incredible day. They woke up this morning, davened the morning Shacharit service and then began on their journey to Jerusalem. They are the first USY Pilgrimage group ever to make a physical pilgrimage up to Yerushalayim, as they hiked up the mountain into the city. The group was amazing and had a fabulous time, made even better when David Keren the Director of Pilgrimage dropped by to welcome them with a bag of popsicles! After the tiring walk, they visited Mount Herzl where they had their first huge dose of Zionism and could feel a little bit of what this country means for the Jewish people. This evening they ate dinner at the beautiful Fuchsberg Center for Conservative Judaism.

    

    

    

    

Friday, June 30th:
Group 11 walked from the Fuchsberg Center this morning to the Old City, where they viewed the Chain of Generations, a new exhibit of 4,000 years of Jewish history, in the underground tunnels next to the Kotel. After some time at the Kotel to pray and place notes, they went on a short tour of the Jewish Quarter, ate lunch, and had some free time to walk around. This afternoon the group will prepare for their first Shabbat together. They will daven Kabbalat Shabbat in the beautiful Yemin Moshe neighborhood overlooking the walls of the Old City, and tomorrow they will attend different synagogues in the area. The group will be sharing the Fuchsberg Center this weekend with three other USY groups. The group is very excited to be seeing Israel in a bit of a different way from the last time they were here, and are eager to see what else the summer has in store. Shabbat Shalom!!!