Written by: Alexandra Friedlander
On March 19, we all met at 7 a.m. at the Pittsburgh International Airport. The very generous United Airlines allowed everyone attending the trip to take all of their suitcases, with the donations, free of charge – that’s 30 suitcases! Then, the United Airlines attendant checked our bags, and we said our goodbyes to our parents. Shortly after, we took a quick flight to Newark, New Jersey. In Newark, we had a six hour layover, where the group bonded and got to know each other. After the layover, we took a very long flight to Tel Aviv, Israel. The long flight was well worth it. Then, we made our way to the Children’s Village in Karmiel. The drive to Karmiel was filled with beautiful, green scenery and wildlife.
During our drive, we stopped at a small cafe and got snacks and drinks. After that, we arrived at our final destination: The Children’s Village. We quickly unpacked, and took a tour of the village. Then, at the Village, we ate a delicious, homemade lunch of chicken schnitzel and a mixed vegetable salad.
Later on, we all met with our Mishpachton. Every Mishpachton did something different; some played sports and some relaxed in their houses. I and my Mishpachton went to a store outside of the village to buy clothes for Passover. Afterwards, we went back to their house and ate dinner.