Snapshots of a Prozdor Trip

 

I’m just coming off yet another incredible Prozdor trip to NYC, and while I’d love to paint a full picture of everything we did, that would be impossible to pull off in a 500 word blog. What we see and do in a single day my friends that live in NYC struggle to pull off in a whole year. Instead of describing all of our activity in detail, I’d like to share four snapshot moments that capture the rich tapestry of the experience of a Prozdor trip.

 

Snapshot #1

 

We made it. Not just to NYC, but to the peak of the skyline, the “Top of the Rock.” From here you can see everything, and I mean literally, EVERYTHING. Central Park, Times Square, the Empire State Building, Queens, the Bronx, Long Island, New Jersey, and into office buildings of workaholics pulling all-nighters. Our 31 8th graders wander around the 70th floor observation deck, some thrilled, others terrified, and all in their own way absorbing this breathtaking view.

 

Snapshot #2

 

That magical, magical bus ride, which will forever be remembered, and is best described by the beautifully written blog Director Dan Brosgol posted: http://bit.ly/AD3RWP

 

Snapshot #3

 

While a Prozdor trip is certainly meant to be fun, it is important to leave space for the more serious issues in life, which is why one of the most powerful moments of the trip was when we visited the 9/11 Memorial. In contrast to the towering presence felt at the Top of the Rock, the experience at the memorial had our students looking deep into two deep and hollow spaces dug out in the ground, representing the endless void and grief left by the events of that tragic day. Waterfalls plummeted down the sides of the empty spaces, representing the endless tears shed for those that were lost. Our students walked around the memorial at their own pace, allowing them to reflect on that national tragedy that will forever live on in our communal memory. Students then had time to come together and reflect on their experiences with the group, each student touched or moved in their own way.

 

Snapshot #4

 

After a 4 hour bus ride home that was full of fun, laughter, and way too many M&Ms, at last we reached the final stretch home as we hit the bottom of the Herrick Road Hill. A slow clap commenced, and grew, and grew, and by the time we reached the top of the hill the kids were cheering and hollering in joy, expressing all the good feelings that were radiating inside of them from the trip. As the kids got off the bus one by one and I stood by to say goodbye, one of them casually replied “See you Sunday,” and I thought, wow, I get to hang out with these awesome kids every week…seriously, do I love my job.  

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