One of Sofia Kostinovski’s (l.) most meaningful moments on TJJ was stargazing in the desert in Eilat.

“We were able to sit quietly and not say anything at all [to each other,] but we were all talking to G-d and connecting with [ourselves,]” she says. “Even without words, it was so powerful and meaningful.”

For Sofia, an incoming junior at Mounds View High School in Minnesota, this “spiritual” side of Israel was something she hadn’t expected to discover.

“What I learned about Israel is that it has a lot more to offer than just the fun sites,” she says. “There were many more holy sites… that I visited on TJJ, and it was super important, and I felt really connected.”

Sofia adds that for her, “connection” also came through music.

“I’ve grown Jewishly by connecting more to G-d and Judaism through singing and dancing,” she says.

Sofia also learned something else on TJJ – what it’s like to be surrounded by others who feel connected to Israel and to Judaism. “I [appreciated] being able to talk to people openly all about Israel and all about their Jewish identity,” she says.

“Israel felt like home.”