Shavua tov!

Do your kids help make Shabbat dinner at your home? If not, know that they are more than capable! Friday's theme was Tikkun Olam, and we spent the morning at Ichlu Re'im Soup Kitchen. Our students and staff peeled and chopped potatoes, chopped onions, inspected rice, chopped salad vegetables, cleaned fridges, shlepped boxes, mopped floors, set up tables, and more, all to help prepare Shabbat dinner for some of Jerusalem's neediest residents.

We stopped next at Machaneh Yehuda, the outdoor shuk in Jerusalem, where students explored the fun of bargaining while purchasing lunch and goodies for a group oneg. Following Machaneh Yehuda, we had time to prepare for Shabbat.

Rested, showered, and in our loveliest clothing, we began Shabbat with a student-led program to put us in the mindset for a day of rest. We davened together at Beit Shmuel and enjoyed a delicious dinner. After dinner, another group of students led the class in a bonding activity.

This morning, we walked to Ma'ayanot, a Conservative congregation in Talpiot. Members of the congregation hosted our students and staff for Shabbat lunch following tefillot. We davened mincha there and then returned to Beit Shmuel.

Following havdalah, we had dinner and participated in a drummers' circle, an extraordinary experience of energy and sound which will make more sense when you see your children's pictures.

Tomorrow morning, we leave Jerusalem for several days in the North. We want to reassure you that our entire itinerary has been and will continue to be cleared by the security authorities in Israel on a daily basis and will be modified as needed. We do not know whether we will have access to internet in the North, so our blog may be on hiatus for a few days.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call any of us on the staff (keeping in mind the time difference).

Shavua tov!

Caroline Musin
Claudia Linda
Ted Schaffner