by Josh Rosenberg
Before leaving on this trip, I thought I was running for myself and personal fitness. Upon visiting Shalva – meeting the children and dedicated staff - my run was given new meaning.
From people encouraging us over the course of our run and experiencing the enormous power of Achdut (togetherness), to the solitude of being on the Arbel Mountain and the realization that sometimes in order to succeed we need to distance ourselves from people, our trip in Israel was out of this world. This was my first trip to Israel and even though we packed so much in, by the end I was left with a sense of self-fulfillment, yet still I wanted to go back and see more of our beautiful, historical and holy land. Our trip was so much more than a marathon and a bit of sight-seeing; it was a life-changing experience! Whether we were inspired through song or inspirational speech, by helping others, feeling that we made a difference or just by being at the Kotel - we all came out changed.
Whether we were inspired through song or inspirational speech, by helping others, feeling that we made a difference or just by being at the Kotel - we all came out changed.
The Shalva Shabbaton and tour were absolutely awesome and eye-opening. Not only did we see all of the amazing things that this wonderful organization is doing, but we got to feel like we were really making a difference, especially after hearing an outstanding concert performed by children being helped by Shalva. The Shabbaton gave us all a sense of togetherness, not only within our own Bnei Akiva School group, but with kids from across the globe.
After Shabbos was over, we went to the Kotel. This was a very powerful experience for me, especially because it was my first time being there. We prayed by the wall, experiencing our past and dreaming of our future. We sang and danced by the Kotel, not only with our group, but with whomever was around us.
The next day, we drove up to the Kineret where we hiked up and around Mount Arbel. We witnessed the beauty of the mountain and were in wonder seeing mountain cows roaming Arbel. We made a wrong turn while hiking and because of it, ended up essentially rock-climbing and having so much more fun! We davened on the top of the mountain and then left. We then went to Tzfat, the artisan colony, and heard a powerful story of struggle, hope, the importance of the north and the beauty of Tzfat.
Our next stop was a cave in Tzfat. Picture this: It is pitch black. We are holding hands to guide each other. We manage to make it into the cave without any accidents and we sit down in the centre. We look up to the roof where we can faintly see a small grate and some light. The room is, however, not illuminated by it. In the darkness of the cave we see the light. We sing our lungs out, while always holding on to each other. Even in such darkness our togetherness is so strong that we have never felt better. Looking back, the cave really inspired us in a far different way than other places. We were together in the dark looking up into the light. I wished that, at that moment, time had stopped.
Finally, we went to the sea on the coast of Tel Aviv. We sang staring into the distance, thinking about our life-changing experience of the past few days. In less than a week, friendships were formed and strengthened. In so little time we had accomplished so much.
I loved every second of our trip! I would definitely do it again. I was inspired like never before. This amazing trip would not have been possible, however, without Rav Yair, Mrs. Cohen, Mrs. Weinberg and well as “Rabeinu Rav Eddie” and “Rabeinu Rav Mordi.”
What I found most interesting is that our group’s favorite moments were not moments exploring Eretz Yisrael (and I’m not saying people didn’t enjoy those moments) but they were the moments and experiences we shared together. May we all continue to experience those special moments together.
