It’s crazy to think that just four weeks ago I was sitting on the couch binge watching TV and packing for Yad b’yad. I threw in some T-shirts and water shoes and just figured that this summer was going to be like every other Sleepaway Camp experience. But boy was I wrong! because when I walked into the first day of Yad B’yad in West Orange I already felt that this summer was going to be a summer I would never forget. On our first Shabbos in West Orange we had a learning program that I think really set the tone for the summer. We were given a bunch of values and had to keep narrowing down and prioritizing our values as a group. As we were discussing which values to keep, I began to reflect on my personal values and wondered how I would grow over the summer. now, four weeks later, I want to discuss a couple of our experiences and reflect on our growth over the trip. One of our first activities in Israel was building rafts on the kinert. Each group was given materials and working together were instructed to build a raft. After all the rafts were built, we set out into the water preparing to race but instead of racing everyone ended up jumping in the water and having a great time together. It was very powerful watching us all join together instead of being divided into competing groups, resulting in a much more enjoyable experience. another activity that made an impact on me was when we went to the absorption Center. Although it was difficult to communicate with the children, we all managed to participate in the activity and have fun with them. It was amazing that we were able to spread our message of inclusion even with the challenges of a language barrier. Lastly when we reached Yerushalyim, we headed to the Kotel. Personally, going to the Kotel is always an emotional experience, but coming with Yad b’yad really made it much more meaningful. On our way to the Kotel, we covered the eyes of all of the participants who were about to see the Kotel for the first time and guided them to the wall. Watching their reactions and seeing everyone participate in this special experience, filled me with a strong sense of belonging and pride. I am proud to be apart of a program that promotes inclusion, which I now view in a new light. But now that we have all of these experiences and understand what it means to say that everyone belongs, how are we going to continue to spread these messages after the summer and incorporate them into our lives? Looking from a religious standpoint, in Judaism, we value inclusion, which can be seen every Monday and Thursday when we read the Torah. After Torah reading, we say a list of s which ask for various needs of the congregation. Afterwards, we say where we acknowledge that all of the Jews in the world are one big community. The significance of this is to show that no matter what challenge an individual faces, when we show support as a community it provides strength to the person enduring the challenge. I think we should all reflect on our experiences on Yad b’yad and ask ourselves how are we going to continue on this path of inclusion? How are we going to promote inclusion in our communities? How are we going to take our experiences on yad byad and the lessons we’ve learned and make an impact? Now that we have all of the tools, let’s go out and take on the world!