Written by Betsalel Shafa

Valley Torah offers many opportunities for bonding and entertainment to all students. Just last week the 9th grade embarked on an exclusive retreat for the entire day, which was filled with many activities. The morning started just like a normal school day with davening and a Gemara shiur. After our Gemara shiur, we were given time to change into casual clothes and so after we walked to went to Rabbi Striks’s house for an early Pacific lunch including pizza and fries. After we satisfied our appetite, we got ready to head to Sky Zone, our first thrilling activity. Several activities were available at Sky Zone such as an arcade, a dodgeball area, a trampoline section, and a huge basketball court. After hours of fun, phones were given out for a short period, and mincha was said. After leaving Sky Zone, we went to Santa Monica and stopped at Will Rogers Beach. There we changed into proper beach attire and went down to the sand. There were many activities like volleyball, soccer, football, spikeball, and frisbee. We were busy for hours with all these activities with our Rebbim, thus strengthening the bond between the students and Rebbim. After a couple of hours, clouds started to form, and all the tired 9th graders boarded the vans to go to Pico. After the beach, all of us were very hungry and were thrilled to enjoy a delicious meal. As soon as we arrived at the household of the R’bibo, we were presented with a number of different food options from Jeff’s Gourmet Sausage Factory. After devouring such a pleasant meal, we said Bircat Hamazon and thanked the R’bibo family for their hospitality. We couldn’t believe that the trip was already over and we were heading back to Valley Torah. This trip was so amazing and strengthened the bond not only with students and Rebbim but also with students altogether. As a Freshman, I feel that I have a lot to look forward to in the coming years, Bez’rat Hashem.