Shacharit and breakfast:
Another beautiful morning in Israel started early as always, however this time it was not due to a sunrise workout. Nay, today I hit the חדר אוכל around 7, not to eat, but to accompany my friends for some colorful Israeli cereal. Our advisor Jeremy (whom I address affectionately as the Hulk, or Jerbear), asked for yet another favor and being who I am, I couldn’t refuse. I davened Shacharit for the first time on the trip, and once more, enhanced my connection and love for Judaism. Just as it happened when I led Mincha the night before, early morning prayer was more meaningful than ever at home in Ottawa. As I stood next to 9 other men, all who just like me, could have stayed in bed like the rest of the group, but fought the urge to sleep in, rejoiced in our common bond, that is a will to connect to G-d. Being the late decision maker that I am, I only wished to put on תפילין at the end of the service, at which point, it was too late. Never in the past would I have gone out of my way to perform this mitzvah, but the TJJ alumni don’t lie; the trip is life-changing.

Raft building/Water hike/Kinneret swimming/Boat cruise/Restaurant:

The day began for the group at a beach, where our first real team building activity arose: the fine but incredibly confusing and physically demanding, act of building a raft for for 12 people. If the saying is accurate (and I highly doubt it’s legitimacy), two Jews do indeed have three opinions, so you can imagine how frustrating it was with a dozen of us, (that’s either thirteen or eighteen opinions depending on how you do the math, but don’t ask your Jewish neighbor; he’ll argue with you and himself). The group was split into three teams, each given the exact same quantity of the same materials: six paddles, four wooden boards, ten large sticks of bamboo, and six metal barrels- to ensure the buoyancy of the raft. As expected, when the activity began, everyone rushed to grab a material and enlighten each other on their extensive knot tying abilities. Suffice it to say, five of the thirty minutes in, we had no raft progression, and a fair share of sassy back-and-forth. Fear not friends, as an Israeli can always ask for help from a fellow countryman (my secret’s out I guess). The employee whom I enquired to for help was a nice boy, younger than me in fact, having just finished grade 9, who lives in the area and works for the brand. Being the Mensch that he is, he gave me a detailed instruction in Hebrew, which I parroted back to the group. Twenty minutes later, we were off and running in the water, and won by a significant margin. שוקו בסקית for the winners! (just kidding I like to dream)
The fast-paced day continued in Majrase, where we took part in our second water hike. Despite my protests, I was forced to drench my only pair of running shoes in the beautiful freshwater stream. Without regret, I enjoyed the warm water. The group proceeded to go for a swim in the Kinneret, the first “Shomer friendly” beach I had ever attended, with the segregation of genders throughout the beach. It was a new experience, and the excessive (albeit amusing) masculinity was indisputable. The group got back together for a boat cruise, with live Israeli Music and less pleasurable Western music. The teens, including myself, enjoyed it tremendously despite our inability to dance… At all (don’t worry, everything was Shomer friendly). The evening concluded at a Steakhouse in Tiberias, “El Rancho”- also the first restaurant in which we were actually served pita as an appetizer (ברוך השם). The food had a high quality home-cooked feel, and it induced the same, warm sensation on us teens. All in all, ’twas an action packed eventful day in the holy land, where we ate well, we played well, and we prayed well. I found true meaning in morning Shacharit, something I hope the rest of the teens can experience in any prayer.

Sorry for pretentiousness, I read books by Gladwell.
-Tommy Podolsky