Despite having butterflies in our stomachs and exhaustion in our eyes, everyone immediately began to get to know each other. In the beautiful patio of our Kibbutz, the group began sharing our passions, hopes, and excitement.

After a scenic drive to a magical mountain, we began our journey on foot. A green landscape, complimented by pink flowers painted our path.

Our new family woke up bright and early to hike through the Golan Heights and go swimming in a natural spring, followed by rafting down the Jordan River.

Today, we visited the spiritual city of Tzfat where we toured through the hilly city filled with cobblestone passageways.

In the afternoon, we explored Tzfat, one of the four holy cities in Israel. In the "old city," which is made entirely of stone, we saw art galleries, jewelry shops and ancient synagogues. One famous Kabbalistic artist, Avraham Lowenthal, held a discussion for us in his studio about art and spirituality

We at some tasty falafel and shawarma, visited a synagogue, and explored Tzfat's vibrant art community with an impressive glass-blowing demonstration.

So far, the trip has been amazing and I am excited for the next few days, yet sad it is coming to an end.

"I cannot speak for all the members on our trip because seeing the Western Wall is a different experience for everybody, but leaving a note and standing face-to-face with one of the holiest landmarks of Judaism was remarkable."

We ventured to Mt. Arbel, where we went on a beautiful yet challenging hike. While some of the hike consisted of climbing down the side of the mountain, we conquered our fears and saw the beautiful historic sites as well as the city of Tzfat in the distance.

After lunch and the Kiddush prayers, Yossi led a small group around our kibbutz to show us the community, and to tell us about the history and evolution of the kibbutz in Israel.