Dear NCSY TJJ Bus 3 Family,

Greetings from the lowest place on Earth!!!!!

NCSY TJJ Bus 3 had an EARLY start this morning (5:00!!!!!) so that we could fit all of our amazing plans into one jam packed day! We arrived at Masada around 8:00am so that we could have ample time to learn about its origins and why it is a major symbol of Israeli resislance, all while beating the heat. By the time we were ready to leave everyone was melting! We went straight for the Dead Sea, the lowest elevation on planet earth, in order to cool off. Everyone had a great time floating and gathering minerals and mud. You could say we turned the Dead Sea into our very own lazy river!

From the Dead Sea we went to Ein Gedi where before exploring the desert oasis we had a well deserved lunch. Following lunch everyone rushed through the streams and rocky terrain on our way to enjoying a dip in the natural pools and waterfalls. We learned about Ein Gedi’s biblical significance and how it is one of the most important fresh water springs in Israel. This was also a great opportunity to talk about the dead sea scrolls, as they were discovered in a cave not far from where we stood!

After having such a great day everyone was very sad to head to the drop off locations and say goodbye for the weekend!! For those of us that are visiting family and friends we hope you have a great time and we look forward to seeing you on Sunday! For everyone joining NCSY on the shabbaton, enjoy meeting TJJers from across the US!! It’s going to be an amazing shabbat either way!

Hope everyone enjoys the weekend off! We are looking forward to Sunday when the Family will be back together.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Yitz

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