Na'ale 9th Grade 2025-26

List of 9 items.

• Wednesday, September 10

  Doron and Lucas, capturing the last day of Na’ale and the meaning it carried:

  Today was our last day of our amazing and special Na’ale trip.
  
  

  We started at the Ma’aleh film school, where we learned about how students create short films in their senior year—many of which are submitted to film festivals around the world. We had the privilege of watching three of these impressive short films.
  
  

  The first, a documentary titled “The Wall,” focused on a physical wall that combat soldiers must climb to finish their training. Former soldiers shared their stories and how the wall represented a physical and mental challenge.

  The second film was a fictional story about a boy preparing for his Bar Mitzvah, only to realize he had studied the Torah portion for the wrong week. The story also followed his single mother, who worked hard to make the day meaningful for him.
  
  

  The third film explored relationships and the consequences of pretending to be someone you're not. A man lies about being religious to date a girl who only dates religious men. Eventually, he feels guilty and confesses. Though they break up, the story ends with them finding their way back to each other.

  Each film taught us something valuable—about resilience, honesty, family, and identity.
  
  

  After Ma’aleh, we visited Ben Yehuda Street for lunch, then headed to the Hebrew Music Museum, where we learned about Jewish instruments from around the world and heard them played live.
  
  

  We ended our day at Pantry Packers, where we packed food for Israeli families in need. It felt incredibly fulfilling to know we were making a real impact.
  
  

  That evening, we gathered as a group to reflect on the moments that meant the most to us—what we called our “tree moments.” We shared when we felt most connected to each other, to Israel, and to ourselves.
  
  

  Saying goodbye to our madrichim—Yaron, Amit, and Kim—was emotional. It reminded us just how close we had all become. This journey was truly magical, and we return home ready to carry these memories into high school and beyond.

• Tuesday, September 9

  Tamar and Adina:

  Our last full day in Israel was one of the most meaningful of the trip. We began in Ofakim, a city deeply impacted by the events of October 7th, where we met with a school principal who shared not only his responsibilities, but powerful personal stories about the challenges and catastrophic loss his community has faced.
  
  

  His honesty and blunt truth revealed a deeper understanding of life in Israel—beyond what we usually hear from afar. While we were there, we also unexpectedly ran into Rachel, whose heroic story became known worldwide after October 7th. Meeting her face-to-face was emotional—it made everything we’ve learned about that day feel real and personal.
  
  

  The emotional turmoil of the day gave us the chance to reflect deeply. From there, we visited a school and spent time with Israeli kids our own age. What started as polite introductions quickly turned into laughter, conversations about school, and a real sense of connection. Even though we come from different places, we realized how much we actually share.
  
  

  Later, we took a long drive south to the Dead ​Sea​Sea, where we braved the boiling-hot water, floated effortlessly, and covered ourselves in mud. It was both hilarious and surreal—an experience unlike anything we’d ever had.
  
  

  To close the day, we gathered at an ancient synagogue in Ein GeEin Gedi to pray Mincha together. Standing in such a historic space brought a sense of grounding and reflection, making it the perfect way to end a day—and a trip—filled with meaning, connection, and unforgettable moments.

• Monday, September 8

  Bryson and Reese -

  It’s crazy to believe that we only have two more days left on our Na’ale trip. Today was a sad and joyful day. We visited and walked around Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial museum. We felt very connected to the museum because many of the stories took place in Poland, where our families are from.
  
  

  After the museum, we went to Har Herzl, where we saw Theodor Herzl’s grave. We also saw over a thousand graves of fallen soldiers and a timeline of terror attack victims in Israel. Seeing photos of these fallen soldiers made me realize that they lived normal lives and had families who really cared for them.
  
  

  We then went to a nearby park, where we were able to take a break from the sorrow. We ended our day at Machane Yehuda, a shuk in Jerusalem, where we walked around, found places to eat dinner, and did some shopping.
  
  

  Today’s activities allowed us to be a part of history. We learned about the time of our great ancestors and also learned about the history of the country of Israel.

• Sunday, September 7

  Ben R. and Bella

  Our first week of Na’ale has already been full of amazing experiences, but today definitely stood out. We began at the Kotel, where we prayed together and felt the power of being at the holiest site for the Jewish people.
  
  

  We then explored the Old City of Jerusalem and Ir David (City of David), where we led tefilah, shopped in the markets, and learned about the ancient roots of Jerusalem and its importance to Jewish history. One of the coolest parts of the day was walking through the underground water tunnels, which once played a role in the conquest of the city.
  
  

  Later, we visited the Hand in Hand School, where we met students our age from different backgrounds. What makes this school so special is how it brings together Jews and Arabs to learn and grow in one community. While we were there, Ben Rost donated artwork from his mitzvah project as a symbol of peace and unity—something that felt especially meaningful in light of October 7th.
  
  

  Today gave us the chance to connect more deeply with our heritage and with each other, and it’s something we’ll carry with us throughout the rest of Na’ale.

• Friday, September 5

  Cayla and Hazel

  This Friday, we spent our morning learning about architecture through the caves at Beit Guvrin. Not only did we learn, but we got to dig in the excavation site and experience it ourselves. We looked for pottery, seashells, and even bones in the sand. It made us feel like real explorers in ancient times.
  
  

  Next, we moved on to a different cave, where we crawled through tiny tunnels and saw unique markings on the walls. Some of us were nervous to go in, but looking back, we're glad we faced our fears—it was so much fun!

  After our adventures underground, we drove to a campsite and made our own pita from scratch—it was delicious! As the day came to a close, we lit candles and prepared for a meaningful Shabbat with our Na’ale community. We all participated in a beautiful Kabbalat Shabbat service, and ended the night with a fun game led by our madrichim that helped us bond even more.

  On Saturday, we had the chance to sleep in and reflect on our first Shabbat as a grade. For morning services, we chose from a few different synagogues, which made it feel more like our own Shabbat at home. Everyone at the synagogues was welcoming and made us feel safe and comfortable.
  
  

  After services, we shared Shabbat lunch together and had some downtime—some of us met up with family, while others relaxed with friends. It was really nice to take a break after such a busy week. In the afternoon, we walked to a nearby park, where we read, talked, and just enjoyed being together.
  
  

  We wrapped up Shabbat with a group Havdalah ceremony, and then headed to Ben Yehuda Street for our third pizur of the trip. We enjoyed dinner and some shopping, ending the day feeling refreshed and grateful for our Shabbat in Jerusalem.

• Thursday, September 4

  Ben and Reese:

  Today started with a bus ride to the long-awaited trip to Tel Aviv-Yaffo. In Yaffo, some met up with family and friends, but most of the group got to experience an excellent food tour through the port city of Yaffo. The food consisted of classic Israeli dishes that we have learned about throughout our years at Golda Och. The food tour also included interesting historical pieces of information throughout the city.
  
  

  After the food tour, we went further into the city for our graffiti tour in the neighborhood of Florentine. We walked around and were immediately inspired by the artwork, which helped Israeli citizens stay hopeful throughout the war. We found it very cool how people were expressing themselves through graffiti, which helped people hold out hope for the hostages. At the end of the tour, we learned that our guide had a majestic singing ability, so she sang to us. Unfortunately, we could not visit Hostage Square due to heavy traffic.
  
  

  After our beautiful trip, we took a long but gorgeous ride to Jerusalem. We walked over to a memorial tent set up for the families of the hostages. Following that, we went to a rally where we held a banner with the names and pictures of all the hostages, which was impactful as we got to see that they had lives outside of what has happened over the past two years.
  
  

  While we learned a lot today, we also discovered how beautiful Israel is, and we were able to collaborate with each other.

• Wednesday, September 3

  Leo and Isaac:

  Today we got to experience the beautiful and clear springs of Tel Dan, where we also learned about the story of the golden calf and gained a deeper understanding of Israel’s geography.
  
  

  We then switched into a more serious mood when we visited Sha’ar Yeshuv, the site of the Helicopter Crash Memorial. There, we learned about the victims of the tragic accident and heard a powerful song written in their memory.
  
  

  Afterwards, we went canoeing down the Jordan River, where we embraced the peaceful sounds of nature. As we traveled down this historic site, we also discovered the power of teamwork, learning to paddle and move forward together as one.

   

• Tuesday, September 2

  Hannah and Perri (in rhyme!):

  In Kfar Kedem we learned lots about how the Jews once were
  Milking goats and shearing sheep—so different from today for sure!
  And through it all we reconnected with our heritage and land,
  The animals brought joy to all—who knew life without phones was so grand?

  Then the pièce de résistance: riding donkeys was a blast,

  We rejuvenated on the bus ride, though it went surprisingly fast.
  We walked around in Tzippori, learned of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi,
  Who organized the Mishnah, reigniting Jewish identity.
  
  

  To beat the heat, we made a splash and cooled off at the pool,
  We had a blast relaxing—just chilling out was super cool.
  At dinner we split into groups to eat and bond with friends,
  Some grabbed a sweet treat after—that’s how a fun day ends!

  At night we played fun games with our amazing madrichim,
  Strengthening our connection—not just as a class, but as a team.
  Our day was filled with learning, laughter, and adventure through and through,
  And that was our poetic recap of Na’ale day two!

• Monday, September 1

  Bitsy and Batya:

  We are excited to report back from our first day of Na’ale! We started the morning at Ben Gurion Airport after landing at 4 AM Israel time (9pm EST). Once clearing through passport control, baggage claims, and customs we met our madrichim Yaron, Kim, and Amit. We then departed on a long bus drive to our first activity. Throughout the bus ride, the group really bonded through laughter, music, and the common fatigue we were all feeling after a 10-hour flight.

   

  Our first activity, sightseeing at the historic city of Caesarea, was thought-provoking; the king who built the first temple didn’t have a single street named after him. We learned how even though King Herod might have been the most influential king of Israel, he is also widely disliked due to the violence he committed against his people and family. People even thought Caesarea was not a proper capital of Israel due to its Roman architecture style, rather than the typical Israeli architecture.

   

  Afterwards, we made our way over to Har Arbel where we found out that we weren’t able to hike since it was too hot out, but we could still walk on a beautiful path along the mountain tops. Once we got to the end of the path we sat down in some shade and learned about Kineret and how we won control around all of the borders. In all, the day was full of many informative activities and we cannot wait to learn more and grow closer together as a grade.