Early this morning, an entire yeshiva high school in Silver Spring, Md., trekked up a mountain and recited morning prayers just as the sun was rising - several thousand miles away from home. It happened on Massada, beside the Dead Sea, as part of what is arguably the longest-distance school trip in history.
The entire Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy of Greater Washington has closed its doors for two weeks, with almost the entire student body and teaching staff, as well as some parents, transplanting to Israel for the duration. The program is a learning mission developed by the local Torah MiTzion Kollel and largely funded by parents and local sources. Close to 200 students, 90% of the student body, as well as 40 teachers and parents, are taking part.
"Rabbi Eli Aidelberg, a Torah MiTzion member and a teacher in our school for four years, has been about 50% of the driving force and energy of this trip," said Headmaster Rabbi William Altshul yesterday, "and the other half has been Robin and Dennis Berman, parents in our school. They participated not long ago in a shorter trip of this nature, realized the educational potential if such a mission could be undertaken for an entire school - and decided to do it!"
The trip is recognized as regular school time for all intents and purposes. "Students are learning that our most substantial connection with Israel is through the T'nach (Bible)," Rabbi Altshul told Arutz-7's Yosef Meiri. "This is the land of the T'nach, and with their Bibles in hand as we go from place to place, they see how the two are intertwined."
Another goal, the school administration announced, is to "show our solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the Holy Land, especially during a time when so many choose not to visit Israel."
On the itinerary are Jerusalem, Meron, the Golan Heights, Tzfat, Ceasaria, Zikhron Yaakov, Arad and more. Each day, the students, teachers and parents board one of five buses, each one with its own route, according to preferences chosen in advance. The students themselves, before they left for Israel, organized who would take which route - but each evening they all end up in the same place.
"The school decided that rather than talking about Zionism, it would give the students an opportunity to 'walk the talk,'" said Dr. Robin Berman. "We are trying to spread the news about this to everyone possible, to motivate other schools to do the same, and to give support in the deepest way to our brothers and sisters in Eretz Yisrael."
Tomorrow night, a festive "Thanksgiving dinner" will be held in Jerusalem - a reunion of all past and former MJBHA students and teachers presently learning or living in Israel, as well as previous Torah MiTzion Kollel members.
On Monday night, the school paid a visit to the Haas Promenade overlooking Jerusalem, where Tourism Minister Rabbi Benny Elon greeted them with undisguised emotion. He told them that because of the special nature of their trip, he had canceled his other plans in order to be with them. Joyous singing and dancing ensued, and the group then made its way to the Western Wall.
Looking out over the Old City, 9th grader Emily Duman, who said that she had previously not given much thought to Aliyah [immigration to Israel], told her friends, "This would be such a great place to live and raise my family." She told Arutz-7 that she had been somewhat frightened of coming to Israel at first, "but my mother told me that I couldn't pass up this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And now that I'm here, those fears seem so far away!"
The entire Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy of Greater Washington has closed its doors for two weeks, with almost the entire student body and teaching staff, as well as some parents, transplanting to Israel for the duration. The program is a learning mission developed by the local Torah MiTzion Kollel and largely funded by parents and local sources. Close to 200 students, 90% of the student body, as well as 40 teachers and parents, are taking part.
"Rabbi Eli Aidelberg, a Torah MiTzion member and a teacher in our school for four years, has been about 50% of the driving force and energy of this trip," said Headmaster Rabbi William Altshul yesterday, "and the other half has been Robin and Dennis Berman, parents in our school. They participated not long ago in a shorter trip of this nature, realized the educational potential if such a mission could be undertaken for an entire school - and decided to do it!"
The trip is recognized as regular school time for all intents and purposes. "Students are learning that our most substantial connection with Israel is through the T'nach (Bible)," Rabbi Altshul told Arutz-7's Yosef Meiri. "This is the land of the T'nach, and with their Bibles in hand as we go from place to place, they see how the two are intertwined."
Another goal, the school administration announced, is to "show our solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the Holy Land, especially during a time when so many choose not to visit Israel."
On the itinerary are Jerusalem, Meron, the Golan Heights, Tzfat, Ceasaria, Zikhron Yaakov, Arad and more. Each day, the students, teachers and parents board one of five buses, each one with its own route, according to preferences chosen in advance. The students themselves, before they left for Israel, organized who would take which route - but each evening they all end up in the same place.
"The school decided that rather than talking about Zionism, it would give the students an opportunity to 'walk the talk,'" said Dr. Robin Berman. "We are trying to spread the news about this to everyone possible, to motivate other schools to do the same, and to give support in the deepest way to our brothers and sisters in Eretz Yisrael."
Tomorrow night, a festive "Thanksgiving dinner" will be held in Jerusalem - a reunion of all past and former MJBHA students and teachers presently learning or living in Israel, as well as previous Torah MiTzion Kollel members.
On Monday night, the school paid a visit to the Haas Promenade overlooking Jerusalem, where Tourism Minister Rabbi Benny Elon greeted them with undisguised emotion. He told them that because of the special nature of their trip, he had canceled his other plans in order to be with them. Joyous singing and dancing ensued, and the group then made its way to the Western Wall.
Looking out over the Old City, 9th grader Emily Duman, who said that she had previously not given much thought to Aliyah [immigration to Israel], told her friends, "This would be such a great place to live and raise my family." She told Arutz-7 that she had been somewhat frightened of coming to Israel at first, "but my mother told me that I couldn't pass up this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And now that I'm here, those fears seem so far away!"