So other than Tsfat being one of the holiest cities in Israel, it also happens to have some of the best shopping in Israel. Luckily, we were able to get a few hours of shopping in around the artists' colony. Before that, however, we had the incredible opportunity to spend time with Ethiopian children in the mirkaz klita or immigration center. This is a place where Jewish Ethiopian families who just made aliyah can learn about the Israeli culture and language. These families come from such small, poor villages in Ethiopia and Sudan that they don't even know what indoor plumbing is, let alone know how to make a living in a strange new country. In the mirkaz klita, children are provided with an education also. We were so lucky to get the chance to spend the morning with these children. We spent about an hour with them, playing ball, singing and dancing, and letting them play with our cameras. By the end of the hour, none of us wanted to leave. Although everyone was so excited for Yom NCSY, we were begging to miss it in order to stay longer. However, that wasn't in the cards. After shopping in Tsfat for a few hours, we left for Jerusalem (finally). Many of the kids have never been to Israel and were eagerly awaiting out arrival in Jerusalem. We didn't stay long though. After checking into the hotel we immediately left for YOM NCSY. For those of us who thought it would just be a bunch of people giving boring speeches, we were in for a nice surprise. The night was filled with speeches, yes. But it was also filled with an incredible band, fireworks, and a light show like we have never seen before. There was also a lot of fun and inspirational words from our fellow NCSYers. We danced and sang the night away...literally. Everyone got to see their friends who were on different programs and we were able to truly show our ICE spirit with the loudest cheers in the room (at least they sounded the loudest from where we were sitting). We left satisfied but definitely wanting to show more ruach. Luckily we have two and a half weeks left of fun in Israel.