Evan Berman
Staff Writer
On February 25th, the 10th grade simultaneously arrived at the Barrack Gym at a painful 7:30 am to board the buses for DC. We were all ecstatic about the annual trip, and after we had our bags checked, we boarded the buses. The two-and-a-half-hour trip consisted of naps, music, snacks, and conversations, and by the second hour, our impatience had reached its maximum. Finally, we arrived at the Sheraton in which we were staying, and indulged in our lunch which consisted of deli meats and cookies. Once we had recuperated, we began journeying throughout Washington DC, and went to the Jefferson, FDR, and MLK memorials, where we discussed American political values within our workshops. After the memorials, the Tenth Grade had the opportunity to walk around the white house, where we saw many protests and demonstrations regarding the conflicts around the world. When we left the White House for our hotel, our legs were aching and we were very hungry, so we were extremely excited to be able to rest a bit. Once we got back, we did some preparation for Capitol Hill, where each group (dependent on addresses) had the opportunity to talk with a representative about the issues we find most important in our lives. After dinner, we had about an hour of free time, and then we all fell asleep within minutes of getting into bed.
The next day, we woke up for breakfast at eight, and then left the hotel for the war memorials. Our grade was able to see the World War II, Korean, and Vietnam War memorials, and we had about two hours to roam around and take in everything we saw. We then went to Sixth and I, one of the oldest synagogues in the country, where we had lunch and heard from two speakers. One speaker taught us about the dangers of gun violence in our country, and the other informed us about how we can decrease our carbon footprints and help preserve our planet. After the two speakers, our grade went to the U.S. Holocaust Museum, where we saw the horrors of the Shoah. We were all very moved, and especially in this day and age, we all kept in mind how important it is to protect our Jewish faith and identity. In order to lighten the mood, we went out to dinner at a Kohser restaurant called Char Bar, which was followed by bowling at pinstripes.
On the third day, we had to wake up even earlier to be down at breakfast by 7:30, as this day was our trip to Capitol Hill. Once we got to the hill, we visited our corresponding representatives, and after, we were able to walk around the hill and visit wherever we wanted. Some groups went to the Library of Congress, some went to the Botanical Gardens, and one group even got to go to the Supreme Court and sit in on a real case. Everyone was very jealous of this particular group. After these few hours, it was time to depart from D.C., and at around 2:15, we left D.C. for Barrack. Unfortunately, there was an accident on the highway, so our two-hour trip turned into more of a five-hour trek, but in the end, we all made it out alive.