Khof Day
As the last weekend approaches I start to reminisce on the summer we all just experienced. To think back to the first weekend I realize that I really didn't know what I was getting myself into. I felt as if I knew but I didn't fully understand. Now as the last weekend approaches I think I get a better understanding of what this summer is really about. Today the Americans headed out to Herzliya after an amazing week with the kids. We got to hangout at Max's house, go for lunch
Self harm to self confidence
I love Shabbat especially in Achuzat Sara. I was very emotional that it was our last Shabbat in the home. We had extremely meaningful long Kabalat Shabbat with loads of singing and dancing. After dinner, we had a session where we all took turns complimenting each other. Then we were all split up into couples and threesomes so that we could really bond with volunteers that we haven't gotten to know so well yet. Everyone had great conversations late at night luring on the socc
Worth the Weight
This summer at KH, has tested our limits of what we can accomplish, both internally and externally. This past night was no exception. As shabbos came to close, we journeyed to Caesarea and met up with Rav Yair and Talpiyot. When we got off the bus, we all started going crazy and danced and I thought this night was going to be a fun night, to bond with my peers. I was mistaken. We were told to get into three lines, pairs of two, and keep quiet. The night that was full of ruach
Shabbos at Afula
This past weekend, Afula was able to enjoy another amazing Shabbos. The kids were unable to join us, so we all took this as an opportunity to grow closer. Shabbos started off with spectacular Friday night services, which were mixed together with singing and dancing, to create the utmost meaningful and spiritual environment; the energy in the room was palpable. Then, everyone went into the cafeteria for a tasteful dinner prepared by the Afula staff. While eating, we all went a
"Soldier" For A Night
Saturday July 22nd, 2017 "Army Night" Last night, many of us achieved more than we ever thought we were capable of. Immediately after Shabbat ended we were told to get ready in ten minutes and board the busses. We were brought to one of the entrances of the Caesarea beach where we were welcomed by Achuzat Sara, also preparing to begin our intense night. After being taught how to hold someone on a stretcher, three people were chosen to be the ones carried while 12 were chosen
Walking the Line
Today the entire Achuzat Sarah went to the amusement park Super Land. The kids were extremely excited and the volunteers were prepared for a day of long lines and roller coaster rides. As soon as we got to the park, my campers were running toward the rides. As I was waiting with my campers on line, we struck up a conversation with the people behind us. They asked us where we were from. One of my campers, Michal, explained that we were all from the "panimia," or orphanage. One
Caving In
Rav Yair described the story of Koby Mandell tonight. As he stated, Koby was a 13 year old with American and Israeli identities whose body was discovered underground. Many hunted for answers to their plethora of questions in order to unearth the truth about this tragedy. Koby's story could have been abandoned forever inside a cave, if not for those courageous enough to explore the darkness and create a vision even when sight was no longer present. Often times, we are blinded
Goodbye Pnimiyat Yom
As usual, saying goodbye was harder than I thought it would be. Today we said bye to the Pnimiyat Yom kids for the last time. Therefore I want to reflect on some of my best memories of kids on the Pnimiyat Yom program. The first day we met the Pnimiyat Yom group, I had the pleasure of meeting a little girl named Oshrit. Without even asking my name Oshrit grabbed me, gave me a big hug and said "אני אוהב אותך", which means "I love you". This is the opposite of what I had expect
Positive Reinforcement
July 20th can be summarized by positive reinforcement. As we went down the treacherous mountain, we saw emotions of volunteers, children, madrichim, and coordinators. Some were scared, some were nervous, and some were excited. We arrived to a pool at the bottom of the mountain where almost everyone went in and had a great time. As some of us looked around we saw that many people were injured, and when we heard that we needed to climb back up the mountain, our jaws dropped. Wh
What a Ball
Today, each achuzat Sara camper and American volunteers gave it their all in order to win the coveted achuzat Sara 17 World Cup trophy. The competition included a short six game regular season leading up to a one game elimination playoff. Each game was played with passion, high intensity, and most importantly good sportsmanship. The teams were simple, each kvutza played for a different country: alon was Italy, dekel was Portugal, egoz was Spain, and achva was Holland. The reg
