Before leaving for the trip, Rabbi Netanel Giat, a Yemenite Rabbi who is Israel's foremost specialist in the meat-koshering art of nikkur (removing the forbidden parts from the hind part of the animal), came to Lech Lecha to give a special introductory class on Koshering meat and animal sacrifice in the temple.
The Lech Lecha program, also known as "The Jeep Yeshiva" was created for students who dropped out of conventional educational frameworks and needed more of the outdoors to complete their high school education.
The students traveled deep into the Negev desert far from civilization bringing along sheep for the Paschal study seminar. Rabbi Giat joined them for one day, and gave the students hands-on experience in ritual slaughter, and koshering of meat. Using live (and later dead) sheep, he explained exactly how the Passover sacrifice was done.
"This trip changed my whole perspective on the Passover night 'seder' [the festive meal which relates to the Paschal sacrifice]. This was a vital part of our prayer service in the times of the Temple, and I feel much closer to it now," said one of the class participants.
They learned the traditional blessing before slaughtering an animal, what parts are kosher, and what parts not and why. They saw the gid hanasheh (a forbidden sinew), and learned about the prohibition of eating blood and how to salt the meat to soak out the blood.
"We didn't roast the entire sheep on a wooden skewer as will be done with the real Passover sacrifice," said the school's dean, Rabbi David Samson, "but, the students did enjoy grilling and eating the smaller pieces of meat and more importantly, seeing firsthand the various Jewish laws relating to ritual slaughter and animal sacrifice."
Rabbi Samson explained that the whole three-day outing was a type of inner, spiritual "search for hametz." Hametz is leavened bread which is forbidden on the Passover holiday, and symbolizes a person's egotistical inclinations.
"We want to get the kids into the frame of mind of helping others, and specifically helping their parents with the numerous household chores before the holiday, which begins Saturday night," said Rabbi Samson. "Not all of our youth at risk are on good terms with their parents, and we encouraged them to use this opportunity of helping out as a way to mend their family relationships."
Jewish religious rock star Sinai Tor journeyed out to the Ramon Wilderness in the Negev desert to play a concert for the students around a campfire. He was able to get all the students into a frenzy of song and dance singing the songs of Passover. "It was a very meaningful, soul-searching rock concert which I am sure the rocks of the desert have never heard before in all of Jewish history," said Rabbi Samson.
Rabbi David Samson has announced the opening of a new high school yeshiva in Jerusalem for English-speakers in September, 2008.
More info on the Lech Lecha Yeshiva.