By: Dan Katz, Director Mach Hach BaAretz & Michelle Kaplansky, Israel Programs Administrator

Shalom from Israel! Mach Hach BaAretz 5779 is off and running. After landing at Ben Gurion airport and being greeted by their super-pumped madrichim, the campers each boarded one of nine buses and headed to the Old City of Jerusalem. There they enjoyed a delicious dinner, a special video in which they were welcomed by an array of celebrities, a thoughtful letter-writing activity focused on personal goals for the summer and finally a moving mifkad in the courtyard of the Kotel.

With each of the nine groups clad in different colored Mach Hach t-shirts, mifkad was a memorable and moving experience. After spending the first night in hotels in the Jerusalem area, all buses headed up north. They spent the next few days exploring the stunning Galil and Golan by hiking, kayaking, donkey riding, cruise boating, swimming and of course–  busing. Some groups are currently still in the north, others are in Eilat and many points in between. Nothing on Mach Hach is “just stam” (random); a tremendous amount of thought is put into the construction of the itineraries, each one designed to provide an incredibly educational yet super-fun experience.  When seen through the lens of Mach Hach BaAretz, it is almost impossible not to fall in love with the land and its amazing history; we are only one week in and that is already happening!