8th Grade is Off to Israel!
And we’re off!
Day One, Two & Three – Thursday to Saturday | 2/14 – 2/16
The energy level was HIGH from the start when we met at Newark. Parents and adults stood around with the students. Rabbi Rebecca and Sarah and led us in the schecheyanu sending us off in good spirit. We said our final goodbyes to everyone before we left for our flight!
After a breezy check-in and security, we found a spot by the gate to sit in anticipation of departure at 11:05 PM, when the unexpected happened. Our flight was delayed until 6:00 AM! We broke the news to the students, who took it incredibly well and with positive spirit. (The $30 meal vouchers may have contributed to that a bit.) After a long night and morning in the airport, we took off and landed in Israel at 11:00 PM Israel time and met with our tour guide Andras! Finally, we arrived at our the hostel in the wee hours of the morning, shared a quick snack and off to bed!
Saturday, our first full day, started out with an amazing Israeli breakfast at our hostel. We took off to a tour at the Ayalon Institute near Rehovot of a clandestine munitions factory used during the British Mandate. Our next leg was lunch in Jaffa followed by a tour nearby in the Florentine neighborhood with Niro Taub, a local resident to explore the street art and graffiti of Tel Aviv. Following the tour, we took a quick rest back at the hostel and left back to the port. The students enjoyed dinner with their friends and visiting family and we left back to the hostel for an early sleep to be ready for the next day!
