A blog in three parts:

Part one.

I. Wednesday afternoon.

We just had one of the most amazing experiences, one I did not expect yet I am not surprised that happened.

After a great day (Tuesday)  in Latrun, visiting a farm and Neot kedumim we arrived at the Kibbutz. We saw a very nice Shavuot celebration and then went to dinner. As we were eating I felt that we are not truly feeling the atmosphere of the Chag – so when we were done with the food, I started singing. Slowly some students joined, and then others, there was still a group of students whom still “did not get it” – but I did not give up. We kept singing Zemirot louder and louder, the atmosphere became energized and eventually even the “stubborn” students – those unwilling to let go of their image for the sake of a spiritual experience gave in. We ended up dancing around the dinning room, jumping up and down, and singing until our throats hurt.

We then went to the Moadon – the clubhouse we had a room in. We first summarized the day as we always do. I was so happy that half the group said how singing after dinner was their highlight of the day, they used words as; family, friendships, spirituality, joys. It was all so positive that I decided to offer them a “Tikkun” – usually on Erev Shavuot Jews stay up all night studying Torah – to “fix” the mistake done by the fact that in the past we built the Golden calf as we waited for Torah. I offered them to have a “tikkun” a fix for the 8^th grade. They had a safe space to thank a member of the group or to apologize to any one in the room.

I will let your children tell you what was said in the room, but I will summarize by saying that we – the staff- all cried at the end from the things that were said, the love and forgiveness that was displayed. We were so proud of them and so happy they could use this time in Israel to become the support group they will need as they continue to high school.

At midnight – when we were finally done- 20 students stayed to study with me. I was in shock (yet again) from the level of discussion – at Meyer when they study the text and talk about it in Hebrew the conversation is limited. Here we read in Hebrew and English and discussed in English. It took us 2 hours to go through the first 7 phrases ! we talked about conversations, about immigration – what not. It was incredible.

We had to stop at 2am because there was an issue I had to address but if it were not for that – they would have gone on and on.

On Wednesday morning we prayed and did study text – we had a long discussion about the nature of people – are we good or bad? Again the students had amazing insights and it was clear that they are capable of studying a text and analyzing it in a very high level – more important even, is the fact that we no longer have to deal with issues relating  to behavior, we have created a group atmosphere that participation, volunteering, being serious and opening up and sharing feelings is the behavior that is rewarded. The few that had a hard time at the beginning have changed direction and are even among the leaders of this change.

Example: In the first two days it was hard to get a volunteer in the group – today before I finish asking 15-20 hands are  in the air. If  3 months ago at the Meyer when I tried to have a circle in which they would share feelings all I received was giggling – now we have a circle every night to talk about the day and it goes on forever and ever.

II. Thursday afternoon: We just finished our first day with the Israeli Kids. The connection was immediate and strong. When we arrived to the beginning of the hike they stood out side our bus and each student was screaming the name of their American friend. With in moments the conversations were flowing. By the end of the day, as we left the site of the kayaks on the Jordan River, some were already having a hard time to say goodbye.

I’m sitting in the front seat of the bus, the laptop is on my lap, to my right and left – the golden-brown thorn fields of the Golan Heights. Farther away in the distance I can see Mount Hermon on one side, still covered with some snow, on the other side the mountains of the upper Galill.

It is so beautiful.  I have not visited this area in such a long time, I almost forgot how magical this scenery is.

In the back of the bus the kids (I know I should say students but by now I feel like their father so I’ll say kids) are singing. THEY ARE GLOWING WITH HAPPINESS. They are singing in English, and then they switch to Hebrew, and back to English. They are seated in their seats but truly they are one inch above the ground.

In every tour to Israel there is a moment in which you just feel the magic, everything comes together, a harmony that is hard to describe in words. I think this is the moment.

A few moments ago, one of the girls came to Ayelet and said “I don’t want to go back home” and in that short sentence she managed to say it all. Today is the moment that the “connection” happened. For the past six days we had to move from a state of initial shock and overcoming tiredness to a state of ecstasy, of being energized beyond anything known before. We had to move from a mindset of  students not very interested in learning to students BEGGING me to stay up late and continue to study with them the book of Ruth. We had to move from being individuals wanting to impress each other by doing inappropriate things to a group that knows why they are here, and does not waste time or energy on anything that is negative. We had to move from a group full with internal problems to a group that will do anything to support others and help them make good decisions.

And all of these changes I am describing –and others – actually happened. It is just amazing, I hope that you are able to tap into what is happening here even from far away

Part three:

Saturday night:

Its 3am in the morning and I want to post this before going to bed so you can read it before we return home.

Shabbat In Tzefat was magic. Singing Adon Olam on the roof of the Kabbalah center as the sun was setting – priceless. I hope the students will always  know how to bring a part of this shabbat experience to the one they have at home.

So many amazing moments. Students talked about people that effected their lives – and it was so clear they learned so much about them self, about their friends, about what it means to be Jewish.

 I can’t describe them all. But I will when I meet you in less then 48 hours.

Thank you again for allowing us to take your children on this amazing trip

We learn from our students all the time, as much as we had to give this trip – we are all returning richer from what they taught us.

Shavua Tov

Waking up really early was the only “bad” part of the day. First thing at 6 a.m., we got on the bus on a drive to Latrun; an Israeli army museum. At the museum, we climbed on tanks, met two Israeli soldiers who talked to us about what it takes to be in the Israeli Defense Force, and learned about the evolution of tanks through the years. After the stop at the museum, we were back on the bus on the way to a Moshav. A Moshav is similar to a farm. At the Moshav, we went on a tractor ride to the fields where we learned about how cabbages are grown and where Etrogs are grown. We also made pita bread and picked eggs from the hencoop. After our trip to the Moshav, we were yet again back on the bus on our way to the Kibbutz. Once we arrived at Shaar Hagolan, we were given our rooms and time to rest. After our rest we went to the Shavuot festival at the kibbutz where we ate snacks and watched different performances from the children and women of the Kibbutz. After our Shavuot festival, we had dinner at the dining hall and sang songs, prayed, and danced in honor of the holiday. Following our fun dinner experience, we had the Meyer 8^th Grade Tikun. We all sat in a circle and had a chance to say Thank Yous and Apologies to friends and classmates whom we never had a chance to address. After our group Tikun (which means fix in Hebrew) some children went to bed while the rest of the children stayed to study the book of Ruth with Yaron until 2 a.m. We explored so many ideas and shared many opinions about so many things. It was a great holiday!

On Wednesday, we woke up late because we didn’t have a wake up call. Yaron wanted us to recharge and to revive ourselves. Most of us woke up at around 10:00 am. We all met at our meeting spot and  prayed and studied a text about the ten actions the Talmud deems as most important. We had an intense conversation about how to describe Judaism based on the Shema prayer. We ended up with the words: Creation, Revelation, and Redemption. After studying, we ate lunch around 1:00 pm. After lunch, most of us stopped by the pool for a few hours. Some of us slept in our rooms or relaxed at the tower. At 6:00 pm, we walked around the Kibbutz and saw the cows and the Date trees. We all love the smell of the place. Not. At 7:30 pm, we ate dinner, and everyone got some of the new beverages from the new coffee machine. After dinner, we met at our meeting place and talked together and shared our feelings and experiences over the holiday. We finally went to sleep at around 10:00 pm.

Shalom !

Before you read the blog I (Yaron) just wanted to clarify that each day we give the responsibility of updating the blog to one of the students. The first blog was by Michelle, followed by blogs from Stephanie and Brandon, today’s blog is written by Uri.

Here it is:

We went to Yad Vashem, which is the Holocaust memorial museum, and there are a lot of words to describe how everyone felt. Personally, I was sad like everyone else, but I had this feeling that was more than being sad. I guess you could say that I realized that you have to keep moving forward for things like that to never happen again. There was a circular room, with volumes and volumes of books on shelves encircling the room. In every book there were pages and on every page there was information about a person that died in the Holocaust, and the museum guide, who also happens to be our Israeli counselor, told us that there are approximately  3.5 million names so far, but that the chances of us getting all 6 million are unlikely. When you get out of the museum the first thing you come to is a ledge, where you look over Israel. The impact of just learning about all of that and then coming out and seeing that there is a Jewish state and that we, meaning the Jews, are still alive makes you feel grateful to G-d and overwhelmed with compassion. In the same day, we went to the Dead Sea Scrolls museum, where we learned about some of the oldest scrolls ever found. They were discovered accidentally by Bedouins who, being illiterate, brought to an archaeologist who was Jewish. They had the scrolls on display and it was an extremely interesting exhibit, they had all the scrolls that they had found and they had a small exhibit about how the scribes used to write. That, for me, was pretty cool to see. Then we saw the Ahava Statue, which most of the parents saw a video of. I think that making it must have been the hardest part for the sculptor and I liked the intention behind the statue. Mount Herzl was more like Yad Vashem, it was very serious and made you think. We saw the grave of Theodore Herzl, who is called, in Hebrew, the “Visionary of Israel”. His grave was decorated with the flowers of people that wanted to say thank you to him for playing the major role he did in creating a Jewish state. We saw the graves of soldiers that died, some of them between 18 and 22, and others in their 40’s. Some of the graves were the graves of Holocaust survivors, who, after the Holocaust, came to Israel and were immediately put in the army to fight for independence. The saddest part was that some of the Holocaust people were unknown because their relatives all died.

And a few more words from Yaron:

We actually started the day with a special activity in the Agron Street Supersol (i.e the Israeli equivalent to Publix). The students had to make shopping lists (IN HEBREW) of Israeli food they want to have for lunch and then they got to buy that food. It was very interesting to see them using their Hebrew in

A real life situation – we had a great lunch so there is no doubt that they did well!

Yad va’shem was very powerful, it’s a very overwhelming place but the students were so engaged and interested that we were actually able to do more then we planed. Going to Har Hertzel afterwards was significant – it made a connection between the holocaust and what is probably the main answer to it – the modern state of Israel.

We spoke about Hertzel, Chana Shenesh (We sang “Eli, Eli” standing around her tomb and spend a while talking about Yitzchak Rabin and his legacy.

Dinner was served at “Baba Humus” where some of the kids ate for the first time grilled chicken livers while others experimented with REALLY hot grilled peppers.

Few final thoughts: Yesterday marked the half point of our trip. It was the first day I felt that the students really GOT IT. If at first they were more concerned with how they looked, or who said what to who and why, or who sits next to whom…over the past few days we could see an improvement every day, they got more and more engaged, started asking more questions, shared more feelings in the reflection circle we have every night. I think that they finally understand how a long trip works, that they realize how much there is to learn, and how some of the sites we visit can make a strong impression on their lives.

They are starting to understand how their life in the U.S is connected to Israel and how so many things they just knew in theory are real and vivid here.      

They jump forward to help each other and to help us, they do things without being asked, they are nicer to each other and they are literately growing in front of our eyes.

We are working hard, I will not lie – this is not easy, but I will say it is worth the effort and it is an amazing feeling to have the opportunity to play such a pivotal role in such a key experience – shaping a part of their Jewish identity.

I wish you “Chag Shameach” – An enriching holiday of Shavuot. Before we know it we will be back and share all these stories in person.

We are nearing the end of our journey through Jerusalem. Yesterday we toured the City of David. It is located in Jerusalem in a very strategical place. The city is located right by a water spring. It is connected to the spring through a series of underground tunnels. We had the opportunity to walk through the tunnels. It was such an amazing experience. We walked the tunnels in water shoes, because the water was as high as thigh- deep. The tunnels were dark and a bit scary at first, but everyone had a great time adventuring through the tunnels. After the tunnels, we changed, had lunch, and made our way to the Temple Mount. Before viewing the Mount, we saw a virtual tour of the second temple and the surrounding area. It really made us feel as if we were living in the city, thousands of years. After the virtual tour (and being cleaned in the virtual Mikvah :-) ) we visited the temple mount. It was such an extraordinary experience to walk on the same exact steps that our ancestors did thousands of years ago. We then went shopping. It was exciting, because it was easy to bargain the prices down to buy whatever one desired. Overall, yesterday was a very spiritual and fun day. 

Hard to believe how amazing Shabbat in Jerusalem is. After checking in to our hotel (it's nice and simple, not fancy but has all that we need and is located in the best place in town, a few minutes walk from the old city!) We all dressed up and walked to the Kotel. The walk itself was an experience as a river of people were headed the same direction as us, other tours, orthodox families, young Yeshiva students - all walking in a hurry to greet Shabbat. We arrived to the Kotel, made a circle and had our own Kabbalat Shabbat, then we stepped down to the Wall and had an opportunity to pray. When we returned to our group Yaron surprised us with letters from home - I can't even stat describing the excitement...and the tears. We walked back to the hotel, had dinner and could barley stay awake until dessert - we were just exhausted...everyone slept like a baby last night.

We began our Saturday morning Shabbat in Jerusalem by going to breakfast. Who would have known that the view from the dining room at a youth hostel would be so beautiful? The view from the area where we had breakfast was unbelievable! Everyone tried new things such as the wonderful fruits from Israel or the 5 different cheeses they serve. We moved on to a short walk to the Big Synagogue of Jerusalem (Beit Ha'Kenesset ha'Gadol). The girls and boys sat separately. Everyone was amazed at the beautiful art work (especially the glass windows) It was amazing to see the ark open and the amount of Torah's inside the ark. After spending an hour at this synagogue, the entire group took a walk to these tents where people protest about the situation with Gilad Shalit. There were three women there who explained a little bit about the cause and gave everyone the choice of signing a piece of paper saying that they support and are aware of what is going on. Yaron spoke about how we as Jews don't just talk about justice - we act on it as well. 

 Walking back to the hostel, we decided to take a rest under a shady tree. There everyone sat in a circle and shared their thoughts from their experiences. Some people made really wonderful comments about the way that everyone is getting along and that the thought of who is sitting next to you while we sit in a circle doesn't matter anymore. When we eventually arrived back to Beit Shmuel, we had a beautiful lunch where everyone found something that they liked to eat! We sang V'shamru and the blessing after the meal. Everyone had four hours to relax before meeting up again to go for a walk.

 Many students had visitors and others just enjoyed the company of their friends. After saying goodbye to everyone who had come to visit, we went for a walk to the first building built outside of the Walls of the old city. Everyone learned something new from the many things that were said. Later on we walked up Mount Zion to the Wall that surrounds Jerusalem. Our thanks were expressed to Will G. and Andrew K. for helping get Spencer J. all the way up with his hurt leg! We visited a room that is in a building that is both King David’s Tomb and The place Christian tradition mentions as the last supper room. But its not all - the two rooms are all in an old mosque. Yaron talked about coexistence in Jerusalem and we held hands and sung the song "Salam."

During dinner Yaron taught the true words of the blessing after the meal to everyone since there had been confusion about it earlier that day. The Havdalah service was full of high sprits since we were joined by a Rabbi Aron and his friend Erez the singer. Time to go to bed... Tomorrow we have a great day ahead of us! Shavua Tov!

We are finally here! After a crazy long airplane ride, we landed safely and very happily. Then on to the desert we were. As soon as we arrived at the Beduin camp site, we rode camels which was quite an adventure. Some children rode camels through the desert, while the rest rode donkeys. It was so much fun and so unique to see the sun setting behind the mountains in the desert. After the camels, our 8th grade class learned a bit about the culture of the Beduin while they welcomed us with coffee, tea, and bread all made before our eyes. Following our little culture lesson, we got cleaned up and that night was incredible. Words cannot describe the power of a silent desert at night under a blanket of endless stars with people that you can call your family. Praying in a circle and actually understanding the words we were saying in the Shema, the meaning attached to Rabbi Yaron's words as he explained to us about how Abraham had blind faith in G-d and how our ancestors wandered in a desert similar to the one we were in. That night, everyone felt some sort of connection to G-d or to their Jewish heritage and it was absolutely beautiful. Now today... we woke up at four in the morning to tea and cookies and a happy birthday wish to Yaron. We hiked up the Roman's path to Masada and prayed in the temple on top of Masada. Then we sat on top of the bathhouse together and meditated in absolute silence as we watched the sun slowly climb over the mountains. We sang Hatikvah and learned about Masada's history while we walked around and explored. Then the time for the long journey down the snake path had arrived. No one was hurt, but it was very hot. We ate breakfast, swam/floated in the dead sea, and then went on a small hike to Nachal David. There awaited beautiful waterfalls and perfect picture locations. Lunch then a quick visit to the Ahava factory was followed by our trip to Jerusalem. It was peaceful, gorgeous, and so special for both those who had been in Jerusalem before and those who were "first timers". Our hotel is very nice; it is simple with an incredible view of a the walls of the old city and gorgeous buildings. At the moment, we (the students), are all showering, relaxing, and getting ready for shabbat at the Kotel (Western Wall). This experience is beyond words and students are already opening up and connecting. It truly is beautiful to see. Yaron will be posting videos of our many adventures very soon.

On Monday, April 12th, 2010 we will be honoring the memory of the six million Jews murdered in the holocaust.

3rd to 8th grade students will participate in a memorial ceremony and prayer that will take place in Strauss hall at 8:30am.

Please send 3^rd to 8^th grade students dressed with a white shirt.

If you would like us to light a yahrzeit candle during our service, in memory of a family member please let us know at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Dear 8th grade parents.

Less than 70 days remain until we leave for Israel and the excitement can be felt in the air!!!

In the past few weeks our students have started to get to know fellow 8th graders in Israel through email. They are in the process of preparing a short video describing “a day in the life of an 8th grader at the Meyer Academy” and they will be receiving a similar video from the 8th graders in Israel shortly. Through the generosity of the Jewish Federation and the Partnership 2000 program, we were able to secure ( find) funds to invite an entire class of  8th graders from Tzefat to join us for a(n entire) day of hiking in the Golan and rafting in the Jordan river. I am sure that this opportunity to spend time(,) having fun together, will help create meaningful relationships between the students from both schools.

(In the near future we will be starting a few more projects, one example is that) The 8th grade class will be taking on some leadership roles such as orchestrating the ceremony  at Meyer for Yom Ha’ Zikaron (Israel’s Memorial Day for the fallen Soldiers). In the near future  the students will receive individual and group projects that they will present while in Israel.

I would (also) like to invite you all to a series of three meetings (for students and parents together)  that we will conduct prior to the trip.

The first Meeting will take place On Monday, March 22nd  at 4:30pm at the Meyer Academy. This meeting will be dedicated to logistics; we will go over the(finally) itinerary, behavior expectations, medical issues, communication, packing list etc. We will also talk about some fundraising that still needs to take place.

It is very important that at least one parent and the student going on the trip attend the meeting.

You will receive an email shortly giving you the dates and topics for the next two meetings.

Looking forward to seeing you all

Yaron

Dear 5^th Grade Parents:

The Jewish Studies department rolled out a new community outreach/mitzvah program to this year’s 6^th grade class.  Next year we will have a program for 6^th, 7^th and 8^th grade.  We believe that when our students reach middle school age, it is time to get them out into the community to practice what we have been teaching for many years.  With this in mind, each middle school grade will have a specific theme with monthly mitzvah trips that support it.  In 6^th grade, your children will learn about “Va’havta Larayacha K’mocha” – love your neighbor as yourself.  We will study about specific mitzvot in class and then they will go out into our community and “practice.”  Some trips include: a food bank; Head Start preschool; painting a home of the needy etc.

To get the 5^th grade excited about this mitzvah program, and to give them a taste of Middle School Jewish studies, we are taking the 5^th grade students to Morse Geriatric on Friday, February 26^th from 9:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.  They will travel by bus and celebrate Purim with the residents of Morse.  They will meet the residents, sing songs, have a snack and spread the joy of Purim.

We will spend some time preparing the kids for their experience with the elderly but it is helpful if the parents also speak to their kids.  It is good for them to have one or two questions in mind to ask a resident – it can be something simple like – when did you move to Florida? Or where are you from originally? 

Please remember to send them in costume on Friday.

If you have any questions about the Middle School mitzvah program or this specific trip, please contact Yaron Kapitulnik at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Dear Parents.

I only have the details of 16 out of 32 passports.
We need to have all detals in, no later then Feb. 14, which leaves you 5 weeks in case you still do not have a passport for your child.

If you have the passport and did not send it in yet, please do so next week. I need a photo copy of the front page. You can also scan it and email to me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it


Shabbat Shalom

Yaron