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HALB EC kids cheer, ‘Am Yisroel Chai’

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The words “Am Yisroel Chai” were shouted repeatedly last Thursday, as the children of HALB’s Lev Chana Early Childhood Center celebrated the 68th birthday of the State of Israel.

As they alighted from buses and carpools, children pointed to their blue and white clothing and viewed the many Israeli flags. Huge smiles could be seen on their faces as they entered Lev Chana to begin the day-long festivities.

Passports were distributed, checked and stamped, because after all, how can we travel to Eretz Yisroel without proper identification? The children carefully boarded their planes/classrooms, found their seats, and davened Shacharit. Their Tefillot and Hallel were even more meaningful as they talked about how important the Land of Israel is to them and the world.

HALB’s kindergarten children did a magnificent job preparing and decorating the back room so that their friends could get a taste of Eretz Yisroel. Our first stop was Arrivals and Customs at Ben Gurion Airport, designed and created by morot Debra and Abby’s class, where our tourists were questioned as to their purpose in visiting and how long they intended to stay. Then a hop on a bus to visit three of the main cities in Eretz Yisroel: Tzfat, Eilat and Yerushalayim, and a Kibbutz.

Lev Chana children meandered through the cobbled streets of Tzfat, gazing at colorful artwork created by morot Dawn and Lauren’s class. After a “long bus ride,” the children relaxed on the pristine beaches of Eilat, designed by morot Sheila and Sherry’s class, and took a glass-bottom boat ride so they could gaze at the many colorful fish.

They refreshed themselves with oranges at morot Blimi and Ruchie class’ Kibbutz Lev Chana, helped milk a cow and pick some vegetables and fruit. Their final stop was a visit to the beloved city of Yerushalayim, conceived by the children in morot Anita and Tali’s cIass. The children davened at the Kotel, took a shopping spree at Machane Yehuda and Ben Yehuda Street, and enjoyed some delicious pastries at one of the many outdoor cafes.

What a great tour! Throughout the day, the children smelled the delicious aromas of baking pita bread, frying falafel balls and cut-up Israeli salad. (They tasted as yummy as they smelled!) They went home with souvenirs to remember the places they visited.

Could a Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration be complete without the blue and white cookies and the melodious music of Gary Wallin? The children and morot danced, swayed and sang together, concluding with the tefillah, “Next Year in Jerusalem!”