Schechter’s Class of 2019 kicked off its life-changing trip to Israel with a visit to Neot Kedumim, a 625-acre ecologically restored recreation of the Biblical landscape located midway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Students experienced the ambiance of the Bible “as it was lived 3,000 years ago,” gaining a greater appreciation for the hard labor of our ancestors and applying team-oriented solutions to modern challenges. The highlight of the day? Sheep and goat herding.

For the past 13 years, the Solomon Schechter Day School of Bergen County has taken its graduating eighth graders on a two-week Annual Israel Encounter, which serves both as the culmination of students’ Schechter education and a powerful introduction to the next step of their Jewish and Zionist journey. Since the program’s inception in 2006, Schechter has sent some 600 students to Israel.