In a small ninth-grade classroom, 27 students could hardly sit still or focus on the prayers they were supposed to be reciting — until they reached the prayer for Israel.

When they did, a hush fell over the room at the Solomon Schechter Day School of Essex and Union in West Orange, and they started, nearly in unison: “Avinu shebashamayim…” — Our father in heaven, the rock of Israel.”

It was, after all, just a few hours earlier when, with the rest of their classmates, they had landed at Kennedy Airport, returning from an eight-day trip to Israel. After prayers, the jet-lagged but excited students talked about their trip and how it made concrete so much of what they had learned about the country in the abstract.

Beginning on Sept. 12, the trip included a chance for the students to spend time with their ninth-grade peers in the western Negev town of Merchavim, staying in Israeli students’ homes, visiting their school, even climbing Masada together. They also took time to do some touring in the Negev, although they avoided the North of Israel, still recovering from August’s war with Hizbullah.

The trip launched a newly intensified component of Israel education at Schechter. It marks the beginning of a relationship between the students from New Jersey and those in Merchavim, a sister community to United Jewish Communities of MetroWest NJ through the Jewish Agency for Israel’s Partnership 2000 program. The students will continue to interact over the next four years through curricula and additional trips.

“We want to provide each high school class with a significant Israel experience,” said SSDS head of school Dr. Joyce Raynor. “We want them to make lifelong friendships through ongoing contact.”

Beginning with this group of ninth-graders, each entering high school class will start the year with a similar trip. In 10th grade, the curriculum includes a book-sharing project, in which both sets of students will read together the same works, and in 11th grade, the Israeli students will come to New Jersey. The program will culminate with the already existing second-semester senior-year program in Israel known as Neshama. Until now, Neshama has been a free-standing program.

Each family contributed $500 toward the trip, although the actual cost was closer to $2,100 per student, with the remainder offset through grants. “We could not ask parents in April for another $2,100,” said Raynor.

The students spoke of the familiar highlights of an Israel tour, including Shabbat at the Western Wall and sunrise prayers on Masada.

They reflected on the personal encounters with teens and the things they share despite different cultures. And they also discussed the difference between learning in a classroom and learning in the world.

Liat Kessler of West Caldwell was worried about meeting the Israeli teens. “I was nervous. I didn’t know what to say. But then they started talking to us, and we all connected.”

Added Avi Cohen of Essex Fells, who has been to Israel before but never had a chance to hang out with his peers, “The culture is different, but they were similar in the types of things they did. They talked about video games; they play the same sports.”

And while some acknowledged having a bit of language trouble during the home hospitality visits, Madison Cargan of Springfield, who is a newcomer to Schechter, was surprised “by how Americanized Israel was. A lot of things were in English. I thought it would all be in Hebrew, and I thought I would be the only one who couldn’t understand.”

Andrew Wingens of North Caldwell focused on the intensity of the learning experience. “We learn a lot about Israel at Schechter. But going there really brings it to life. We don’t learn [in class] what they eat or what their houses look like or what it’s like to live on a moshav. That was cool. The dad of the kid I stayed with offered to take us to [a relative’s] cow to milk it.”

Added Adam Karp of Springfield: “I knew if you went into the Dead Sea with an open cut, it hurts. Now I know how much it hurts.”

Many said they plan to stay in touch with their Israeli friends through e-mail. All of them seemed to agree when Devon Skydell of Bridgewater said what she is most looking forward to is the Israeli students’ coming to New Jersey in two years. “Barely any of them have been to the United States. It’s going to be a big experience.”

Before departing for Israel, the Schechter students had conducted a toy drive, and each brought a large box of toys to be distributed to families from northern Israel temporarily resettled in Ra’anana. After delivering the items, they had the chance to meet with one father who expressed his gratitude. The incident had a significant impact on several of the students.

“At Schechter, we do a lot of drives for different charities,” said Karp. “You know it’s important. But we never experienced what people actually think. Now I understand when we’re giving something, there’s a real point to doing it.”

“I felt like I was doing a mitzva. It’s not a feeling you can describe,” said Shannon Landau of Parsippany.

Added Gila Akselrad of West Caldwell, “I think we’re going to want to learn more and be more involved in Israel and its culture. I think we’ll have more drives now that we know how it felt and what an impact it really has.”