Aliyah Chet is Heilicher's eighth-grade trip to Israel, and the inaugural trip is happening right now! At the end of each day, a couple students will write a recap. Keep up with Aliyah Chet here!
Day 1: Stacie A. and Delilah R.
The first day of our Israel trip was long but meaningful, with memories that will last forever and activities that will never be forgotten. We started off the day by finishing our long flight. The journey begins, and we are all so excited! We got to see Aviva and Maayan [fellow student and teacher, respectively], who were waiting for us in the airport, and we met our awesome tour guide, Yoav. From there, we took a bus to the Negev, where we had our first Israeli meal. Many of us practiced ordering in Hebrew and got to try new foods. Next, we relaxed in the sand dunes, surrounded by the beautiful desert, and tried sandboarding, an activity similar to sledding and snowboarding, which was new to most of us. This was an amazing way to start off the trip, and made us even more excited for the coming days! We went to Sde Boker to visit the burial site of Ben Gurion, looking over Nachal Tzin, a beautiful canyon, where we did our shehechianu ceremony with many songs to celebrate being in Israel for the first time as a class! We ate our first dinner in Israel, and went to our hotel in Sde Boker to relax and get a good night's rest. Today was an amazing day, and we can’t wait for tomorrow!
Day 2: Gabby A. and Aidan R.
Today is Day Two. In the morning we visited Ben Gurion’s desert home at Sde Boker and learned cool facts about him. After, we went cliff rappelling. It was so fun and a little scary at first! Next, we all split up in jeeps and rode through Machtesh Ramon (Ramon Crater). We learned cool facts like: if you mix certain plant leaves with water and oil you can make soap. Last, we hiked to a camel riding place in the Negev. We rode camels and played cards (while waiting for the other riding group—not while we were on the camels!
Day 3: Ezra A. and Rina S.
Today was our second full day! We spent most of the day in the Negev, filled with breathtaking sights and deeply emotional moments. We began the morning overlooking a stunning view of the Negev, a scene so beautiful that it’s indescribable. It made us think and feel many things. Sitting in peaceful silence, we took in the quiet beauty of the desert. Later, our journey took a heavy turn as we visited Kibbutz Nirim, one of the communities attacked on October 7. Despite it being heartbreaking and hard to hear these stories, we feel that as young Jews of this generation it’s crucial to hear and learn about these horrors. It felt both interesting and important to feel such strong and opposite emotions in the same day. In between, we had a fun and stunning hike in עין עבדת. Lastly, we also got to participate in an experience where we got to try fresh vegetables, fruits, and plants and meet some really cute animals! As the day came to an end, we drove to Jerusalem, where we shared dinner at the hotel. It was a day of extremes—beauty and sorrow, peace and pain—all of which made it incredibly special.
Day 4: Myra B. and Eve S.
Today was our fourth day in Israel. It was our first day waking up in Jerusalem, and it was a great experience. We started the day exploring the City of David, which was very meaningful because we learned a lot about him in Jewish Studies. It was interesting to see where it all happened in real life. Then we went to these underwater tunnels where, 3,000 years ago, people used to carry water to one another. It was a really cool experience because it’s not something you could see anywhere else.
After that, we took a tour under the Kotel, which was really interesting because we had never known so much about [the Western Wall Tunnel]. Some of us didn’t even know it was there, and we loved learning about its history, the many layers it has, the different stories that came from it, and why it was built there. Later tonight, we are going to return to the Kotel for a meaningful Kabbalat Shabbat experience.
Day 4: Kabbalat Shabbat: Doc (Dr. David Ackerman, Director of Jewish Living and Learning)
Shavua tov and chodesh tov to everybody. We left the hotel in time to reach the kotel for Kabbalat Shabbat, which we davened as a group at the back edge of the public plaza. Then everybody had time to enter the prayer sections of the kotel to pray, observe, think, or place a kvitl (note) in the wall. I will describe one indelible image, since I couldn’t photograph it. Imagine you are ten or fifteen feet or so from the kotel, and in front of you there are three or four chassidim in shtreimlach (fur hats) and bekeshes (coats) to the right and three or four to the left, all facing the kotel. In between is someone wearing a light blue hoodie (with the hood on) with “Aliyah Chet” on the back (Elnatan). Priceless.
We walked back from the kotel to have dinner at the hotel, followed by a reflection session on the trip so far. Simcha asked the students to identify five things: something good, something that made them think, something that they treasure, something that was a challenge, and something small. It was quite moving to hear their thoughts and feelings.
Day 5: Aviva B. and Adina T.
Today we woke up and we went to a Sephardic synagogue. It was a really meaningful experience to be able to listen to all the prayers and tunes. Then, after we had a little menuchah (rest time), we got to explore the old city, where we walked up several (spiral) staircases to a beautiful view of the entire city. We also got to go to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the holiest place in Christianity. After yet another menucha (well it is the day of rest after all), those who had relatives in Israel got to meet up with their family. Then we all got to spend some time walking down Ben Yehuda street, where we all got to have a pizur dinner, [where we split up and pick what we want to eat]. Now we are just settling down and going to bed.
Day 6: Stacie A. and Sylvia G.
Today we woke up and travelled through the West Bank to Ein Gedi. In school, we learned with Morah Dalia about the story of King David and King Saul, which happened at Ein Gedi. In the story, David was hiding from Saul in a cave, and it is likely we saw that cave on the trail today. This was very meaningful to us because we were walking in the footsteps of our past kings. Ein Gedi was beautiful with waterfalls, which we got to swim in, and lush greenery. After the hike, we drove closer to the Dead Sea, where we took a tour and learned about the sinkholes around the dead sea and why they happen. We also learned about the importance of water and salt in Israel’s history and how the Dead Sea is unfortunately getting smaller every year. We stopped for lunch at the “lowest bar in the world,” which was at a resort right next to the Dead Sea. After lunch, we got a chance to cover ourselves in natural mud, which was in a pit naturally created. Our skin was so smooth! We washed it off in the refreshing waters of the Dead Sea and let the beauty of the landscape sink in. (Oh wait, you can only float in the Dead Sea!) We cleaned up, boarded the bus, and had a nice, peaceful drive back to Jerusalem. We then got ready for dinner, and enjoyed a relaxing night! Today was an amazing day, where we had the privilege to connect to our land and our ancestors. Our day was pretty salty, but we hope yours was sweet!
Day 7: Atara M. and Lila M.
Today was a very meaningful day. After checking out of our hotel in Jerusalem, we started the day by going to הר הרצל (Mount Herzl) to view the graves of Israel’s leaders, including Yitzchak Rabin, Shimon Peres, and Golda Meir. We also got the very special and rare opportunity to see soldiers serving in the IDF practicing for the יום העצמאות (Yom ha-Atzmaut) ceremony. We then took a path that led to a bridge to the יד ושם (Yad Vashem) Holocaust remembrance museum. It was a thought-provoking and hard experience, but essential to go to at the same time. After that, we transitioned to a pizur lunch where we had a delicious variety of food, some including falafel, shawarma, and Golda’s famous ice cream. Following lunch was a bus ride to the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation in Tel Aviv. This was a fascinating center, and we all learned lots about the past, present and future of Israel. We then went to check in to our hotel and get settled in our room before meeting up for dinner with Heilicher alumni who are currently in Israel, many of which are or have made Aliyah. After dinner, they had a chance to introduce themselves and we had a chance to ask them questions about their life in Israel. We are all looking forward to meeting the students of the Katzir school tomorrow!
Day 8: Dalia D. and Delilah R.
Today we started off the day by meeting up with students from our partner school in Rechovot and doing some group activities to engage and get to know each other better before going to Shuk HaCarmel where we were able to walk around to shop and get some food with the students. After we said goodbye to them for the day we did a fun photo scavenger hunt along Rothschild Street, where we were sent in small groups with one staff in each group to find certain things and photograph or video them. After we finished, we headed to Jaffa where we were able to learn a little bit about Jaffa’s history and went to a few cool sights before a quick visit to the Shuk.
For our last part of the day we went over to Hostages Square where we were able to look around and really separate ourselves from any other things going on and take some time to focus on the hostages. This time was very emotional for us and we were able to have a conversation about what it means for us to be here in this time. After this we headed back to the hostel for dinner and bed. We’re looking forward to having another fun day tomorrow.
Day 9: Aidan R. and Rina S.
We started our day by meeting up with the Katzir School again, which was super fun! We had the chance to talk with them and see their school before heading out on a hike together at the Sataf. The hike was beautiful and such a great experience! Afterward, we enjoyed some lunch before separating for the afternoon.
Our class then visited Machon Ayalon, a really cool bullet factory, where we learned about the secret manufacturing of bullets between 1945 and 1948. Before heading back to the Katzir school, we made a quick stop to pick up some snacks. Everyone got a bunch of fun Israeli treats, making it a special and exciting experience!
To end the night, we headed back to have dinner and spent time hanging out with the Katzir students. We formed amazing bonds and new friendships that we will cherish forever. Sadly, we had to head back to the hotel for our last night. While we’re all sad to leave, we’re excited to make the most of our final day!
Day 10: Doc
What a day! A graffiti tour in the Florentine neighborhood in Tel Aviv, an encounter with darkness (simulation of blindness) at the Israel Children's Museum, and a dance party starting at Dizengoff Center (major mall in Tel Aviv) and ending up on the street, followed by a closing dinner at Dr. Shakshuka in Jaffa. Then off to the airport. The students have many stories to tell!
