TL-46-171 Update 1

Hello friends, family, and loved ones,

Bus #171 is having a blast in Israel! On our trip thus far, we have already gone on two beautiful hikes in Northern Israel with picturesque mountain views and with amazing waterfalls. We also went rafting in the Jordan River, which was a blast! We learned about the Druze religion and were hosted for lunch by a Druze family in Northern Israel. We even got to learn about the Druze religion first hand from a leader of their community here in Israel. Yesterday we partook in a fun activity, similar to a scavenger hunt, called “City Quest” in Haifa, where our 7 IDF soldiers joined us. We went to the beach in Haifa and got to bond with the Israel soldiers that will be participants for the remainder of the trip. We celebrated Shabbat all together and learned about its significance and traditions. We ended the night with Jewish identity activities and a fun gift exchange. The participants, from almost day one, have been forming deep bonds with one another and have been forming strong, life long friendships, and it’s been beautiful to watch! 

Sincerely,
Ariana Arakelian and Lauren Gutin