This past week, Heichal HaTorah sophomores traveled to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for a meaningful day filled with inspiration, education and a little leisure. The morning began with a stop at the vaunted Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia where one of its esteemed roshei yeshiva, Rav Shalom Kaminetsky, addressed the students about taking ownership over their Torah learning and exceeding their own expectations, a theme of their experience at Heichal. After visiting the yeshiva, the students began an afternoon of reliving American history, starting with a guided tour of the Liberty Bell and the background behind it. The students then had free time to visit many of the historical sites including the American Revolution Museum, Independence Hall, Carpenters’ Hall and other sites of the historic district in the center of Philadelphia. The students were privileged to daven Mincha at Congregation Mikveh Israel, known as the American Revolution shul, and attended a fascinating presentation about the history of the shul, including a look at some of the sifrei Torah that dates back to the 19th century. The students found the final stop at the Eastern State Penitentiary especially fascinating, as they saw one of the first modern penitentiaries founded on the modern goals of the criminal justice system. The prison also included a shul where the prisoners were able to daven and gather together.