by members of Machon
This past Tuesday, our Yahadut (Jewish studies class) took a trip to the island in the middle of Lake Buckatabon. Before we left we spent a week learning about the connection between Judaism and nature. We learned that by listening to nature, our personal prayers are enriched.
Finally the day of our trip arrived and we were woken up at 4 AM. We went down to set up the boats and then left for the island in canoes and rowboats. Once we arrived we took 30 minutes to be by ourselves and listen to our surroundings. We heard birds singing, leaves rustling, and waves crashing onto the shore. We had time for reflection, an experience that doesn’t happen very often. When the 30 minutes were over, everyone came back together and we davened shacharit while watching the beautiful sunrise and thinking of the prayer “mah rabu – how many are your creations, O God!” We felt very grateful to have this experience.
After tefillah was over, we began gathering wood and kindling for the bonfire. Since the day was windy, every match that we lit went out right away. After a long time, we finally got the fire going. After a tasty meal consisting of omelets, hot chocolate, and Israeli salad, we loaded the supplies into 
our canoes and rowboats and headed back to camp to begin our day.
We would like to thank everyone that helped organize this trip. Our morning on the island is a an experience we will never forget!
