Although I had been to Israel three times before May 6th, 2018, none of those experiences were as special and joyful as this. The opportunity to share Israel with sixteen incredible students and two phenomenal MJDS educators, in Moshe Katz and Dacy Jirovetz, was beyond compare. Add in a one-of-a-kind, uber knowledgeable guide in Maya Pas and a warm and charismatic guard/medic in Ohad Navon and we were set up for the trip of a lifetime.

I invite, no urge you, to read through our Israel blog by clicking HERE so you can live the journey through the eyes of our graduating class of 2018.

The most popular question I’ve been asked upon my return to MKE is ‘what was the best part‘ and my answer is simple…the kids! The way our students chose to engage with Israel and more importantly, one another, throughout an intense and exhausting (w/ many ‘firsts’) twelve days is the most authentic assessment I can imagine to measure the kind of people we are helping to develop at MJDS. Easy evidence of this is the video below that one of our students created. In sound, color, and foods, she captures the essence of our experience and the empathy and wonder ever-present in the lives of our students, our staff, our school.

Thank you to Jori Broidy and Cheryl Siegel-Gajewski for their endless work to ensure a smooth and successful trip. Thank you to our 8th grade parents for trusting us with their treasures. Thank you to my wife and children for their support and special thanks to Moshe for connecting us to our homeland in the most amazing and unique way.