Freshmen Hike Israel on Na'ale

By Marley Fischer ‘26

1. Splash Fight on the Jordan River
   

Immediately after arriving on their first day, the Freshmen rafted on the Jordan River. While this started as a calm boat ride, each person's competitive side slowly began kicking in, with the class eventually having a splash fight and getting off the rafts soaking wet. Head of School Rabbi Nevins even participated in the splashing, with his group winning the race by a large margin. Henry Sacks said, “It was such a great start to the trip, I had so much fun!”

    2. Pizurim
Pizur was when students were given money and split into smaller groups to buy food, clothes and more, and was a particular highlight of the Na’ale trip for many. The class had pizurim regularly, such as in Jerusalem’s Old City, Machenai Yehuda and Ben Yehuda Street. Being able to explore a new place with friends and choose our own nosh was very memorable for the freshman, as it was an opportunity to experience Israeli culture in new ways. Arielle Karni said, “The Pizurum helped the class learn independence and was a great opportunity for us to practice our Hebrew speaking.”

    3. Mount Arbel
One of the trip’s most fun moments was a hike up Mount Arbel in Israel’s north. Consisting of vertical climbs, steep hills, rocky paths and beautiful hilltop views, the hike was an opportunity for freshmen to push themselves out of their comfort zones. "Mount Arbel was a great learning experience for me, [as] it pushed me to get over my fear of heights and changed my mindset so now I know I can accomplish anything," said Amber Fulop.

    4. Birthday Celebrations
While in Israel, three 9th grade students celebrated their 15th birthdays, with rooms decorated and birthday cake getting all over the hostel floor. "Although it was hard not being with my family in America, to share the experience with my grade in Israel was really special and I will never forget it," said Gracie Sacks. These celebrations were a great way for the class to bond.

    5. Food Crawl in Machane Yehuda
In order to make sure the class was able to try as many foods as possible, Rabbi Rob Kahn, the leader of GOA’s Israel programs, organized a “food crawl”around Machane Yehuda. The 9th graders tried delicious rugelach, halva, fresh pita with zaatar, candy, fruit and many other tasty foods. “I tried so many new and exciting foods, it was a cool thing to do,'' said Isaac Jacobs. 
    6. Free Time at Hostel and Kibbutz
The downtime that class had in between activities or after dinner led to fantastic bonding experiences, and were definitively when the grade had its most fun. “On Kibbutz Gadot in the North, we bought snacks and shared them outside together,” recalled Maya Footerman. At other times students would cook using the rooms’ microwaves and kettles, making s’mores, chocolate cake, pasta, ramen, popcorn and even caramel apples. In Jerusalem, the grade shared a floor of the Agron hostel, making TikToks, chilling on the balcony and blasting music around the halls. 
    7. Madrichim and Teachers
Without the madrichim and teachers, the trip would not nearly have been as fun or meaningful. GOA language arts teacher Ms. Jankoski and GOA learning specialist Ms. Pierce ensured that the class was always prepared for the day’s events, and were ultimately the freshmen class’s adult support throughout Israel, while the Israeli madrichim brought joy and spirit into each day, teaching the grade about their nation. A particular highlight was when madrichim Itay Avivi and Yaron Marco helped students make malawach. "I had the best time with [the students], from dancing, singing in tefillah, and more,” said Yaron, who was also a madrich for the Na’ale and Neshama classes last year.

    8. Bus Rides
While some times on the bus were set aside for sleeping and relaxing after the long days, students had many memorable moments singing together. The class of ‘26 made an exciting playlist that they listened to on every drive, creating an incredible bonding experience that boosted everyone’s spirits. “I loved the bus rides because after such a long day we were able to come together and keep having fun. I definitely miss it a lot,” said Brandon Schall. 

    9. Silent Disco
In one of their last activities, the freshmen class danced around Tel Aviv with headphones playing music in a silent disco. The class did the hora on the street and even went up to a glass window and danced for people in an office building. “It was the most unique experience we had and probably the most fun,” said Ashton Weiss. “Dancing around Tel Aviv and making random people smile was a highlight of my trip,” said Madison Meirzon.

    10. Being Together
Yet despite the many memories, fun moments and great experiences, the most important part of Na’ale is the bonding. At the start of our high school experiences, and while still finding ourselves as individuals, Golda Och Academy gives freshmen the amazing opportunity to come together as a grade. 
“We shared numerous incredible experiences on Na’ale, making far deeper connections with one another,” said Isabel Horn. 
Even with all the outstanding moments mentioned above, the best came simply when spending time together.