Hey guys it’s your neighborhood friendly advisor Shalom Zharnest.

Today began the last exciting week of TJJ. The day began a bit easier than it has over the past few weeks. Today began with a riveting presentation by Neil Lazarus, the famed Israel Advocacy speaker. Mr. Lazarus explained the political spectrum the Islamic world and how it relates to Israel, America, and the world community. He related to us how we can get involved in Israel advocacy. We thoroughly enjoyed his presentation. Many of us remained behind to discuss the issue at hand. It was awesome!

Next we moved on for a chance to give back. Guys and girls were divided as we split up into different soup kitchens. The girls sorted different foods and packed boxes for the needy. All the girls truly were moved by some of the stories they heard about the recipients of the food.The guys worked at Yad Eliezer in Jerusalem. Like the girls they formed an assembly line and began to pack boxes. After 40 boxes were packed the guys then had a little fun surfing on the conveyor belt. Packing the boxes gave the us a chance to reflect on how fortunate our lives really are.

Falafel lunch was served at architecturally fascinating Israel supreme court. Our guide, David taught us about the Israeli court system and even let us sit in on a case! The supreme court also houses a law museum. We enjoyed seeing court documents from the Ottoman period in Israel. Who knows we may have some young lawyers on our hands.

We ended the day by driving out of Jerusalem to visit Machon Maayan and KBY. Our very own Rabbi Rael Blumenthal attended the yeshiva KBY for 2.5 years! While at Machon Mayan the girls were treated to many snacks and a short tour by Rabbi K, a Rabbi at Machon Maayan. Rabbi K entertained questions from the girls and made sure they all had a good time.
With the boys, we entered the Beis Midrash to hear from Rabbi Bannet, the older brother of Ariel Bannet for those Englishtowners. We asked some powerful questions and he gave some powerful answers. We then broke up into smaller groups and learned together for a few minutes. We all learned something different and traded notes later. It rocked!
We rounded out the day by returning to our hotel for dinner and some much needed rest. It’s a long week ahead but we’ll keep you posted. So long for now.