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.

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.

We all hurried into the stalls of Machane Yehuda as we were given an hour and a half to explore this enormous market looking for lunch, secret Moses gifts, and a snack to share. 

It was some of the most fun I've ever had; the students weren't shy at all and grabbed our hands to dance with them in circles and teach us their dance moves. 

We really came together as a family for our last Shabbat together. It was really amazing how the group became so close and cohesive after only spending ten days together. Feeling like we were a Birthright family made the experience that much more special.

Talking to the Bedouin woman who is an activist for women's rights was our favorite part of today because she was working to positively change her community. 

Seriously, these past ten days have flown by. It was an incredible, life changing experience for Bus 818 and we can't wait to see our friends back on campus in the Fall! It's not goodbye, it's see you later, Israel. 

The most powerful point of the day was when Dvir gave us his personal testimony. Up to this point, we only knew basic facts about Dvir, simply because he only speaks Hebrew and we are very much an  English-speaking crowd. That darn language barrier. Cut to an extremely beautiful day in Jerusalem, with our group gathered around one of the graves in the new section of Har Herzl. Dvir starts speaking in Hebrew, and tells us that we are standing at his cousin’s grave.