Archives: Email

Dear JSU TJJ Bus 11 Parents,It’s hard to believe that we are almost at the end of this amazing and inspiring journey. It seems like it was just yesterday that we got off the plane feeling timid and nervous, wondering what this trip would bring for each one of us. Three and a half weeks…

Dear JSU TJJ Bus 11 Parents,It’s amazing how time has flown by so quickly. When we come back from the free weekend, we will only have one week left ): I guess time really does fly when you’re having fun – especially on Bus 11! While we had a jam packed week of fun and inspiration, I…

Dear JSU TJJ Bus 11 Parents,What an incredible first week on TJJ!! Our first Shabbat in the Holy Land saw the bus come together for an inspiring and uplifting 25 hours. The moment Shabbat finished we were already thinking about the next Shabbat as we all sang our new favorite song “six more days till Shabbos..” We started this week with…

Dear JSU TJJ Bus 11 Parents,What an incredible first week on TJJ!! Our first Shabbat in the Holy Land saw the bus come together for an inspiring and uplifting 25 hours. The moment Shabbat finished we were already thinking about the next Shabbat as we all sang our new favorite song “six more days till Shabbos..” We started…

bus 11 rocks 

Hello Again,This week has been fun and jam packed with activities as we have spent the week in the holy city of Jerusalem. We have spent time in the old city, museums, paddle boating and so much more. Everyone is having a fantastic time and it is bittersweet to enter into our final Shabbat together…

Hello Again,This week has been fun and jam packed with activities as we have spent the week in the holy city of Jerusalem. We have spent time in the old city, museums, paddle boating and so much more. Everyone is having a fantastic time and it is bittersweet to enter into our final Shabbat together…

Hello Everyone,After leaving the Golan Heights yesterday we once again headed down south to take part in the Bedouin hospitality. The teens got to ride camels, eat Bedouin style on the floor, stargaze in the desert, sing at a bonfire and sleep in tents. This morning we took a cable car to the top of…

Hello Again,After a relaxing and enjoyable free weekend we have returned to our group and begun the second leg of TJJ Bus 11. We rounded the groups up this morning in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and headed back towards the North end of the country. On the way north we stopped at the home of…

Greetings Everyone,The past couple days have been action-packed and filled with activities on NCSY TJJ Bus 11.  We had the pleasure of spending Shabbat in the beautifully serene Chispin with our esteemed Guest of Honour Rabbi Israel Lashak. Rabbi Lashak answered questions from the students on Shabbat and inspired the students with words of wisdom…

Hello Everyone,Today marked our first full day of activities on TJJ Bus 11. We had an incredibly fun and busy day spent in and out of the water and it was so nice to see students getting acquainted and learning so much more about their new friends. We started off the morning on the Kinneret…

Hello Everyone,After an exhausting day of travel we have now arrived in the beautiful Chispin Hostel and after a quick dinner and orientation, all the teens have headed off to bed. We are in a unique position to have on our bus representatives from 6 different countries and this has certainly made for a fun…

Dear NCSY SUMMER TJJ BUS 11 Parents,The last few days have been packed with some of the most fun and popular activities and trails. Beginning with Masada and then to the springs if Ein Gedi.   We then went to the Dead Sea, where the teens had the chance to feel for themselves what’s it’s…

Dear NCSY SUMMER TJJ BUS 11 Parents,Thursday and Friday were days where the teens were able to appreciate the roots and have someone fun as well.First, we went to the city of Hebron where we able to see firsthand what is going on in cities like Hebron with the Palestinian people and also visit the…

Dear NCSY SUMMER TJJ BUS 11 Parents,On Wednesday, we had a relaxing day in order to prepare prior to the big concert of Yom NCSY.We had a late start and began with a chance to pray at the Tomb of Rachel.  It was the first time for many of the teens to have such an…

Dear NCSY SUMMER TJJ BUS 11 Parents,Tuesday was a very powerful day as the group celebrated Tisha Bav together.  We began the morning with an understanding of the recitation of Lamentations. We had the teens hear stories and watch clips that helped them understand the importance of mourning loss on a national level and what…

Dear NCSY SUMMER TJJ BUS 11 Parents,Monday was one of the most powerful days we have had this far on TJJ. The day was filled with opportunities to connect to our history, tragedy and provide a most meaningful context for the 9th of Av, the saddest day in the Jewish Calendar year.We began the day…

Dear NCSY SUMMER TJJ BUS 11 Parents,On Sunday, we regrouped after the teens enjoyed a well deserved break with family and friends. We began the day at a lookout over Jerusalem where we did a program to help everyone understand that we all have different perspectives and appreciate Jerusalem in a different ways.We then went to…

Have a great Shabbat everyone! Looking forward to seeing you Sunday!!

Dear NCSY SUMMER TJJ BUS 11 Parents, On Wednesday and Thursday, we traveled down south to learn and hear from people living through challenges and persevering forward. It started in a kibbutz called Nir Am where Shlomit Sivyoni, the mother of an IDF soldier who was killed 20 years ago in a helicopter crash, brought our group…

Dear NCSY SUMMER TJJ BUS 11 Parents,On Tuesday, we enjoyed an amazing walk through the ancient water tunnel from 2800 years ago. We learned about our history but more importantly we lived it and walked through it.  We continued to appreciate our history, old and recent, walking through the Old City of Jerusalem. We finished the…

Dear NCSY SUMMER TJJ BUS 11 Parents, On Monday, we began the day visiting a girl’s school that I work in during the year, Machon Maayan, and heard about the concept of a gap year program. While the girls were in the activity, we had a great game of ultimate Frisbee with just the guys. Everyone…

Dear NCSY SUMMER TJJ BUS 11 Parents,Sunday was a wonderful day full of quality of fun and educational experiences. We started with a session learning about the biblical color of indigo (techelet) and then went to the beautiful Mediterranean to try and find the unique snails that provide the dye.  We then conducted a chemistry…

Dear NCSY SUMMER TJJ BUS 11 Parents, We just finished a beautiful Shabbat in Chispin with the other two Canada buses. Doing some of the activities before, during and after Shabbat together allowed for a tremendous and powerful atmosphere.  Canada NCSY brought singer and rapper Nissim Black for Shabbat to inspire the kids with his story…

Dear NCSY SUMMER TJJ BUS 11 Parents,Today, the teens hiked their last one in the Golan Heights and they were spectacular.  They enjoyed the waterfalls and pool during the hike and made it out in great time!We then went to a boutique Chocolate Factory where they learned and watched about the process making chocolate as…

Dear NCSY SUMMER TJJ BUS 11 Parents,Thursday was an unbelievable day where the teens had the opportunity to hike, play and have activities in the water.  We started building rafts in the Sea of Galilee, which was an amazing opportunity to see the teens to take the lead of their teams.  From there we took…

Dear NCSY SUMMER TJJ BUS 11 Parents, Wednesday was a day focused on understanding how our ancestors lived while having a great time.  We began with donkey riding, grinding our own flour to make pita bread, and having a delicious meal in Kfar Kedem.  We even had the opportunity to send a message on a messenger…

Dear NCSY SUMMER TJJ BUS 11 Parents,On Tuesday, we had a lot of fun exploring and experiencing the Golan Heights. We began the morning very early to hike through the magnificent Zevitan stream and ridge.  We brought a professional lifeguard with us to oversee the teens swimming in one of the beautiful pools along the hike.…

Dear NCSY SUMMER TJJ BUS 11 Parents,On Monday, our tour guide, Rivi, took our group to the Banias Springs and taught about the historical and present day borders of Israel. While visiting the beautiful springs, the teens learned to appreciate the value of water to the land of Israel. We then traveled to Misgav Am, a…

Dear NCSY SUMMER TJJ BUS 11 Parents,On Sunday, the teens had their first experience at one of the sacred cities if Israel, the holy city of Safed. The teens were introduced to the idea of spirituality and how Safed became the hub of mysticism in the Jewish faith. Learning about the origins of the Kabbala and…

Dear NCSY SUMMER TJJ BUS 11 Parents,Just hours ago, our Shabbat here finished and it was truly an amazing one.  The teens enjoyed a Shabbat full of opportunities to get to know one another through a variety of activities and games while as well being able to get a real Shabbat experience. Games, questions and learning…

Dear NCSY SUMMER TJJ BUS 11 Parents,We had a fantastic day today up in the northern part of the country.  Hiking the beautiful hills near the Lebanese border and then taking the cable car down to the grottos of Rosh Hanikra was a wonderful way of beginning the trip and feeling the land.  We also…

Dear NCSY SUMMER TJJ BUS 11 Parents,We had a fantastic day today up in the northern part of the country.  Hiking the beautiful hills near the Lebanese border and then taking the cable car down to the grottos of Rosh Hanikra was a wonderful way of beginning the trip and feeling the land.  We also…

Dear NCSY SUMMER TJJ BUS 11 Parents,Let the summer begin!The group arrived after a long flight in great spirits and after a quick bite in the airport we headed up North.  Stopping in Zichron Yaakov, we learned about the challenges that were faced before the State of Israel existed when building cities with people from…