Student Reflections: First Week in Israel

Our first week in Israel was full of amazing experiences. It is my first time visiting Israel, so I was particularly excited to see all the places that I had already learned about in person.

Our first stop was Tel Gezer, which is a beautiful mountain believed to be where some of the Bible stories happened. A highlight from this visit was learning about ancient Hebrew writing. Later that day we stopped at Migdal David and learned about Jerusalem’s history.

The next day we saw the tunnels of the City of David. I did not know the story of how they ended up there before, so this was definitely an interesting learning experience. We then walked over to the Davidson Center and learned about how King David unified the tribes. We finished out the day’s stops at the Kotel, which was very meaningful

The following day consisted of a seminar with Stand With Us that taught us the background and history leading up to October 7th and how miscommunications have occurred over time. We then walked to the Museum of Tolerance, where we went further into personal October 7th testimonies.

Finally we closed out the week with a visit to the Temple Mount followed by camel riding and a night of bonding in the Bedouin tents. We woke up and climbed up Masada, then relaxed by the Dead Sea.

Overall, we have had a great start in Israel and are excited for what is to come!