Today was tisha ba’av, a very unique experience where we got to explore a great part of Judaism. We all participated in many activities such as group discussions, going to the Museum of Tolerance, as well as other programs throughout the day. Even though today was a fast, where some of us were able to keep it for most of the day, we all had fun and enjoyed our experiences. We learnt many new things at the museum and all thoroughly enjoyed the different exhibits displayed. An example of one of the exhibits was a few people sitting in a café in Berlin discussing their own opinions about Germany at the time. This showed us that these ordinary people never could have imagined what their lives were going to turn into. Once we arrived back at the hotel we were given free time, went to a kosher food market and davened mincha. After that an American guest speaker came where we were given some insight on Israel and learnt a little bit about his life being a lone soldier in Israel. To end off the intense day we watched a few powerful video clips and had discussions in our given groups such as reflecting on the past and what we can do to make the future a better place for the Jewish people and for the world. Lastly, we broke the fast with a delicious dinner and found out that we were waking up the following day at 5am… For an exciting day at the amazing, fun and scenic Big Bear lake!
Looking forward to another amazing day!

Done By: Gina Schwabacher, Natalie Zaza