I have never felt so much love from people I had only known for 10 days.

Today was a day of connecting. Whether it was connecting with yourself in a yoga session or finally feeling connected to Judaism by taking that next step as a Bar Mitzvah. And why not? We spent the first few days getting to know each other: Shorashim, building the roots that are connected to the growing tree that is this new Shorashim family. This trip can only get better and deeper in the land that connects all of us to our Jewish roots.

We woke up in the Bedouin tents after a late night filled with laughter and the kind of joy only brought about after bonding near a campfire.

Our Israeli peers shared personal stories of loss in the IDF, opening our eyes to their reality and increasing our appreciation of their dedication and service to their country.

We rose to the top and floated on the surface of the Dead Sea; rising to the top is a common theme of the day. 
 

After a delicious lunch, we headed off to a mountain that turned out to be an active volcano!!!

The water was refreshing, and most of our group's boats united and floated for a while as a giant flotilla.

We spent our morning hiking in the Golan Heights, swimming in a freshwater spring, and taking in the beautiful views of the vast desert.

I cannot put into the words how amazing this trip has been. I have learned more than I ever imagined learning about this beautiful country.