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Maranatha Youth’s Odyssey through Ariel

June 21, 2013

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After a good night’s sleep at the Eshel HaShomron hotel in Ariel, the youth delegation of Maranatha Chapel, San Diego, was ready to kick start its June 21 visit to Ariel at the Ariel National Leadership Development Center (ANLDC).

The ANLDC is an outdoor learning facility modeled after JH Ranch in Israel that inspires Biblically-based values of leadership through outdoor obstacle courses.

The group of 16 strengthened their bond through the Odyssey obstacle, which has individuals hone their leadership, patience, teamwork, and confidence by working together to walk across tight ropes with harnesses as their only safety. They then visited the burial site of late Mayor Ron Nachman at ANLDC to learn about the life and accomplishments of one of the great Jewish leaders of modern times.

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After experiencing hopeful, modern Israeli adventure, the group got to feel Jewish tragedy of the past. The fun they had at the obstacle course was quickly transformed into sadness at Ariel’s Holocaust and Heroism Memorial House founded by Irena and Kuba (z”l) Wodislavsky, both Holocaust survivors who felt compelled to ensure the stories of the victims will forever be told. Through a personal tour by Irena, the group deepened their understanding of the atrocities of the Holocaust, made even more real by actual artifacts from the period: uniforms from concentration camps, “Jude” badges that Jews were forced to wear, SS badges consisting of skulls of death, and even a walking cane with a top consisting of an antisemitic caricature of a Jew.

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The festive, fun atmosphere returned at Ariel’s Youth House, where the group wrapped up their visit with a special lunch and show prepared by Ariel teenagers, many of whom will be visiting San Diego over the course of the summer.

We are confident that these youth will emerge as future leaders and Ariel’s ambassadors.