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Students at UPenn on Birthright tour of Israel

R. Haskelevich speaking to the students about Kabbalah in Tzfat

Mayanot, the Chabad arm of ‘Birthright Israel’ brought 14 buses of students from Penn University to Israel this winter break. Students spent 10 days touring Israel with their local Chabad on campus Shliach. The students, whom most have never visited Israel before visited sites like the Kotel, the City of David, Western Wall tunnels, Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum, The Golan Heights wineries, Tzefat, Teveria and Tel Aviv.

The students were engaged in discussions directed toward rekindling their Jewish identities, they participated in Farbrengen’s, lectures and leisure activities.

The trip is a gift from Birthright Israel and was organized by Mayanot in conjunction with the local Shluchim and Chabad Houses. This group from the Jewish Heritage Programs at Penn led by the Shliach Rabbi Levi Haskelevich had participants pointing out that the highlight of their trip was the brotherhood common bond amongst Jews they experienced while in Israel. One of them pointed out how when a truck load of tomatoes overturned, the bus stopped and many of the students helped gather the thousands of tomatoes scattered along the street in the center of Tel Aviv. Others pointed out the intense effect Yad Vashem had on them and yet for others, the joyous dancing at the Kotel on Friday night was their highlight.

More pictures in the the Extended Article

When a truck load of tomatoes overturned, the bus stopped and many of the students helped gather the thousands of tomatoes scattered along the street in the center of Tel Aviv
Michael Steinhardt (C)

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