Dear NCSY TJJ Bus 2 Parents,

What an amazing weekend!

On Friday we learned the variety of fruits grown in the Golan Heights and how integral the area is for Israel’s agriculture and security. Not only did we learn about how the orchards run, we were able to pick and taste the different and wonderful flavors of the fruit in the area. As a bus we bought a crate of freshly picked fruit and brought them to a local Army Base for the soldiers of the IDF.  The commander came on the bus to thank the teens personally. A memory that will last!

After we finished preparing for Shabbat, we began services outside with the Sea of Galilee on one side and a beautiful sunset on the other. With lots of singing and dancing Shabbat was an energy packed day, and was capped off with TJJ’s Got Talent.  What an amazing group of talented and wonderful teens we have!

Yesterday, Sunday, as we headed south to the center of the country, we stopped in the Galilee to learn about the different Jewish communities that inhabited the mountain tops.  Tzipori, the place where Rabbi Yehuda Hanassi wrote and codified the Oral Torah for eternity, we described as the Mount Sinai of the oral tradition. In Rabbi Yehuda Hanassi’s synagogue we showed the unbroken line of the oral tradition from Moses to TJJ Bus 2 2016!

We then went to Kfar Kedem, where we had a hands on experience of what it was like to live 1800 years ago including riding on a donkey and enjoying fresh pita bread and a meal all dressed up in the garb of the time.

We ended the day snorkeling in the Mediterranean searching for snails that provide the dye for making the Biblical Argaman (purple dye) and Techelet (blue dye) for the building of the Tabernacle and making of tzitzit.  We had an on-site experiment actually dying the wool.  It was very impressive and enjoyable for all.

Tomorrow we head to Jerusalem to continue our journey….

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