Bruriah’s annual Historia Trip affords 11th grade students the opportunity to visit the many Jewish communities in the tri-state area and experience their diverse cultures, historical significance and their incredible contributions to the Jewish community at large. “The Historia Trip has been an integral part of Bruriah’s enriching educational program for many decades. Throughout the trip, the students step into a cultural experience that explores their Jewish heritage and stimulates thought and discourse around the nature and essence of community.”
Students began their two day trip on Wednesday morning in New Square where they met with Mrs. Taub who spoke about the beauty of the close-knit lifestyle of New Square and the tremendous acts of chesed they do in their community. They then headed into Manhattan for a stop at Lander College where they were privileged to hear an informative lecture from Rabbi Dovid Goldwasser on the history of the yeshiva movement. At Stern College, the students met with Rachel Besser, Bruriah alumna who spoke with them about the underpinnings of Torah u’Madda. Finally, they headed downtown to the Bialystoker Shul on the Lower East Side where they learned about the history of the community with Rabbi Zvi Romm. After a fun evening with bowling and pizza, the students rested up for the next day.
On Thursday morning, the students met with Mrs. Deutsch in Williamsburg who spoke about chesed and chassidus in their special Satmar community. They then witnessed this chesed firsthand at the kallah gemach in Williamsburg which serves thousands of kallahs each year. Then they traveled to Crown Heights for a peek into the Lubavitch community where they toured the Jewish Children’s Museum and participated in a panel discussion about the Chabad movement. Afterwards, at the Yad Yoseph Torah Center in Flatbush, they heard from Bonnie Mansour about the history and culture of the Syrian community. The trip culminated with a stop at Touro of Flatbush for some dinner where they heard from the legendary Rabbi Paysach Krohn who spoke powerfully about the beauty of the mesorah in shaping and transforming Jewish communities for centuries.
Bruriah’s Historia Trip was originally the brainchild of beloved Bruriah Principal Chaya Newman a”h and has served as the model for numerous other schools to emulate.
