Day 16 – Yom NCSY!

My name is Oryah Bensalmon, and I’m from Toronto, Canada. I came on Israel ID because I knew that it would be an inspirational and moving experience that would really aid me to improve and grow religiously and spiritually through connecting to the holy land of Israel.
Today, we travelled to the the blind museum in Tel Aviv. The special quality that the blind museum possesses is that the group is brought into the exhibition while not being able to see anything surrounding them. This allowed the group to enter the mindset of a visually impaired person, and the struggles they face daily.
After the blind museum, we progressed to the diaspora museum, near the University of Tel Aviv. The diaspora museum focused on the Jewish people who were scattered throughout Chutz Laaretz following the destruction of the second Beit Hamikdash. The museum was a highly interactive and entertaining exhibition, which helped our group gain a vast amount of knowledge in regards to Jews outside and inside of Israel.
After a lovely picnic lunch, Israel ID volunteered at Save a Child’s Heart. Save a Child’s Heart is a lifesaving organization that provides medical care to children in developing countries, free of charge. We were privileged enough to have the opportunity to play with the children being helped by Save a Child’s Heart, and brighten their day by putting a smile on their faces. This was my favourite part of the day, because it made me realize how lucky we are to live in countries that have immediate access to medical care at any given moment. Being with these sick children hit me really hard, and it makes me want to make a difference in this world and help in any way possible.
After giving back to the less fortunate, we travelled to Yom NCSY, which is a massive concert that all 19 NCSY Summer programs attend. This event was probably the most fun I’ve ever had. Joining with the other programs, making new friends, and overall having an amazing time was a memory I will never forget. I am so thankful that Israel ID has given me such a memorable experience so far, and I can’t wait for the rest of the trip.