By Tori Isaacson
There’s no bonding quite like taking a Jeep through mud with 33 people who you just met. During the opening conference, there was a lot of learning and intense conversation, so having a lighthearted activity was very necessary to let loose a little. It was the first time we got to really see each other’s true personalities.
I was fortunate enough to be in a Jeep with two other cohort members and Rabbi Cohen. I was nervous going in because I was going to be in a little Jeep for over an hour with brand new people. However, that worry quickly dissolved as being drenched in mud from head to toe quickly breaks down your social walls. We divided up based on who wanted to drive. Originally, I said I would be fine not driving, but I ultimately was able to drive. While I drove, we got to talking about Judaism and we asked Rabbi Cohen a lot of random questions about keeping kosher. We also talked about our own individual Jewish journeys. We could not stop laughing the whole time and we got to know each other a lot better. The drive that we went on was absolutely stunning. We drove through orange fields, went on a little hike while Turkish coffee was being prepared for us, and saw a beautiful view of Netanya. It set a good tone for the beginning of The Nachshon Project and I feel Jeeping was truly when the program really started.
