Over the summer, senior Nikki Frazer went on a trip to Israel through her temple to see the Jewish homeland and enhance her knowledge of the Jewish culture. lhsimage.com asks Nikki questions regarding the trip and her experiences.

Q: Where and when did you go on the trip to Israel?

A: We literally covered everywhere except for parts of the Gaza strip. The trip started June 26 and ended July 16.

Q: What did you and the group you traveled with do on the trip?

A: We went back to our homeland and it was a very special trip. There were 26 youths, two adults, and a guard. We hiked from one side of the country which took four days. Each day we hiked around 13 miles. The Jewish culture believes every Jew should see the homeland so you can connect with your roots and be around everyone with the same religion.

Q: What was your favorite part of the trip?

A: My favorite part was a combination. We camped out in the Wege Desert and you could see every star in the sky. It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. We slept in Bedouin tents and woke up at 4 a.m. Then we rode camels and climbed the Masada Mountain and watched the sunrise.

Q: What did you learn from your experience?

A: I learned a few things about my religion that I didn’t know about. It was nice to be in a place that you weren’t the minority.

Q: Are you planning on taking another trip to Israel in the future?

A: I definitely want to go back to Israel. In our synagogue, we have a birth rite which means from ages 18 to 22 you can get a free trip to see part of Israel.