Dear NCSY TJJ Bus 10 Family!

The past few days have been jam packed!

We began our week on the beautiful porch of Rabbi Pilichowski, learning about why we have a right to the Land of Israel, and what makes us special as a nation.

We then went on an incredible jeep ride on the Judean Hills, climbed Herodian and learned about Israeli and Biblical history, and ended with an inspiring and energetic Israel Advocacy session with the renowned organization Stand With Us.

Monday brought exciting explorations of the Old City of Jerusalem, as we discovered the City of David, did excavations of Temple Mount artifacts, and climbed through the wet and fun Hizkiyahu tunnels. There, we learned about the two Temples that once stood on Temple Mount, and the history of our arrival and capture of Jerusalem.

Tuesday was no easy day as we went straight from the simple task of grape picking to the difficult and comsuming task of Israeli soldier training. Our teens stood up to the task though, and learned about their strengths and weaknesses, how to work as a group, and, most of all, the commitment and strength necessary to fight in the Israeli Army. We ended the day with a stop in the mall for some delicious ice cream as a reward for our hard work.

Wednesday brought out some of our emotions, as we visited Mother Rachel’s grave. After praying for more blessings in our lives, we celebrated the blessings we make on foods with a Bracha Party, and then went on to hear the story of Gush Etzion’s heroes in a very intense and powerful movie. After watching the video, we were inspired to give back, and we volunteered in a park dedicated to Ezra Schwartz and the three boys who were kidnapped two years ago. We ended that day on a high as we ziplined across the beautiful mountains of the Gush.

Before we all separated on Thursday, we had the opportunity to explore the Deaf and Blind Museums, where we truly felt empathy for those who experience difficulty seeing and hearing. We ended the day with a historically enlightening visit to the Palmach Museum, and a vibrant learning session.

We miss everyone, as now they are all by families and friends for shabbat, but we’ll all use the time to rest up and prepare for another jam packed week!

Shabbat Shalom,
Rav Dani and Zahava

© 2026 TJJ Bus 10. All Rights Reserved.