Today (or was it yesterday?!) we got onto the bus at 4.15am and left for the kotel. we got there and prayed the Shacharit prayer together (the boys on the men’s side of the barrier were right next to the girls on the girls side, so we could hear each other). After Shacharit, we left the kotel and came back to our hotel to eat breakfast. We then had a bit over two hours to pack and sleep if we wanted to.

We went back onto the bus at 10.15am and helped pack all the suitcases onto the bus. We then went to a place near Jerusalem to eat pizza for lunch – Rabbi Rael spoke to us about the summer, and we each in turn went around the circle saying how this summer had affected us, and anything that has changed in us thanks to this summer – whether it be that we became a more considerate person, or that we became a better listener, or that we decided to start wearing tzitzit or start praying – we got many different examples and it was beautiful to appreciate the diversity of comments that were shared with the group. After finishing the pizza, we got back onto the bus and drove to the airport. When we got there, everyone was teary-eyed and a few people were crying a lot! It was really very sad to say goodbye to everyone…

We got onto the plane, half of our number left behind in the holy land, and slept most of our way to New York. We then got to JFK, more tears, more goodbyes, and onto the rest of our lives. Rather than be sad that we finished TJJ though, we’re excited for everything that will be going on during the year, because this is just the beginning of something great!

TJJ will forever be etched in our hearts. We will remember Rabbi Rael and hid dedication to the program, we will remember our amazing advisors who gave so much to us, we will remember the incredible friends that we made and experiences that we had. But most importantly, we will remember ourselves, how TJJ changed our lives – in 5, 10 or 20 years time, we will be able to say: That was the turning point. That was the summer that made me think, that changed me, that made me into a better person…