Thoughts from April Akiva

“Mah Tovu ohalehcha Ya’acov Miskenotecha Yisrael! How fair are your tens, O Jacob, Your dwellings, O Israel,” the 10th Grade Confirmation class sang from the hills looking down on our simple desert campsite. For three days we went back to our ancestral roots and got a taste of what it might have felt like to be an Israelite living in the desert.

On Erev Shabbat our outdoor educator, Josh Lake, led us on a hike through a dark desert maze of cacti. Barely able to see the person in front of each of us, we learned to rely on the moon for direction; after some time our eyes adjusted to the darkness of the silent desert night. We learned that the ancient Israelites were forced to do all of their traveling during the night because of the heat and dry winds of the desert. They tracked hundreds of miles in the darkness when making pilgrimage to Jerusalem on festivals such as Pesach, Sukkot, and Shavuot. All of our students felt a deep appreciation for the lives our ancestors led and the sacrifices they made to travel to Jerusalem to praise God.

On the Confirmation trip our students had opportunities to try many new things and embraced each experience with excitement and enthusiasm. We hiked, boulder-hopped, baked homemade pie over the campfire, and even some of us slept outside beneath the stars. Josh taught us all about the local plants and how they might have been used in ancient times. We spent time laying in the desert and contemplating what being Jewish means to each of us.

People say that Jews don’t camp—I’ve always been one of those people. But after experiencing a glimpse of Israelite life in the desert of Joshua Tree, I’ve changed my mind.

To see more pictures of the Confirmation Retreat in Joshua Tree click here.