Kulanu Baaretz: Jerusalem

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Jerusalem

What a wonderful day we had! After a long bus ride, we finally arrived in Yerushalayim. Maya (our tour guide) played some songs about Yerushalayim and we all sang and clapped along with the music as we entered into Yerushalayim.

We started off at the Tayelet Armon Hanatziv where we were able to see a beautiful view of Yerushalayim. Maya helped us to understand the history by using props and pictures. We also made a L'chaim in honor of our arrival to Jerusalem.

After that, we went to the Rova (Jewish Quarter) where we had some falafel and schwarma. Yum!

And then came the highlight...going to the Kotel. Before we went into the Kotel area, Maya explained to us more about how special this place was. We all wrote kvitelach (little notes of personal prayer) which we were able to put into the wall.

When we got to the kotel, we kissed it and davened mincha. It was a very special moment for all of us, but especially Shaina and Elliott for whom this was their first time.

After the Kotel, we got to go into some shops and we actually bumped into quite a number of our friends from HAFTR walking around the Old City.

We ended off with a visit to the Burnt House, where we saw a video about the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash.

All in all, we saw alot, learned a lot, and even had some fun!

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Kenny"s Thoughts on Kulanu Baaretz

I am most proud of how the kibbutz has opened their hearts and homes to Kulanu. People are genuinely concerned, supportive and willing to lend a helping hand wherever they can. The students are a part of this community, and they are truly standing on their own, without shadows, because they don't need them. At work, they have to produce, just like anyone else and they are there as true contributors, not just as a chesed. So whatever they do has to count but at the same time, there needs to be support and understanding of their needs. I am also so proud to be a part of a program where students are so quickly learning to be independent. I see kids helping kids out, waking up each other to go to davening. I see a student who at the beginning of the program, when he was the only one who arrived at davening on time, said, "Well I'm here, that's all that matters". Three weeks later, when he was still the only one there at 8:00, he went back to the dorm, with his tefilin on, to wake up the rest of his peers. This shows a true sense of being a part of community. And that's really what makes the world go round. That's what makes us survive as a community. We are seeing students become a part of a community in the real sense of the word.