Day Nine: More Desert

Unfortunately, yesterday was our last day of sight seeing in Israel. After waking up in the Bedouin tents with my fellow group #995 members all around, we went to Lakiya, which was a Bedouin Center Women's Rights. There we learned about how the Muslim woman have to fight for a better life, because according to their laws, men come first and women must serve their every wish. After serving us tea, they showed us their beautiful weavings which they make for profit with other women from around Israel in their organization. As we left their village, we all felt very fortunate to be Jews, each and every one of us living freely. We then went to the Israeli Air Force Museum, where we learned about all the ins and outs of the complexities of the air force, and how important their services are to Israel. After our tour around the museum our tour guide, Rome, took us outside to look at many of their fighter jets. We were able to take pictures inside the jets, and get a taste of how it felt to be in such a small space and have such control all at the same time! After we left the museum, we went to a farm called Salad Trail, located in the south. Our tour guide took us around the different green houses they had, showing us all of the herbs, plants, tomatoes, cucumbers, and strawberries. It was interesting to see how they grew the plants, and of course we were able to taste everything, and it was all so delicious! We were then individually given a piece of dough which we shaped and then eventually made into fresh pita. After being cooked, everyone enjoyed their pita bread with a fresh pesto sauce, and a cup of tea, all made from the plants, herbs, and vegetables from the farm. We were sad to leave the farm, but by 4:30 pm we were all exhausted from our action packed day, and were ready to get to our last hotel in Ashkelon. After dinner we had our last group discussion,which was emotional, heartfelt, and sad, knowing that this was our last night together in the amazing state of Israel. After our evening program we had a very special surprise, our soldiers came back and hung out with us in the hotel on our last night. -Lindsay

Day Eight: Into the Desert

Yesterday was the day of our big hike! We left Jerusalem early in the morning to make our way over to Mt. Masada. It was about a 40 minute climb to the top of the mountain. At the top, we explored the land and learned about the Zealots. We had a beautiful view of the desert and the Dead Sea. After the walk back down, we drove over to experience the Dead Sea for ourselves. The water was calm and warm, but because it's so salty we had to refrain from splashing each other too much. We covered ourselves in mud that's meant to make your skin feel great. Once we were done at the sea, we had to say our goodbyes to the Israeli soldiers that we became great friends with. We learned a lot from them and we were sad to see them go. We all vowed to keep in touch, and those extending their trip made plans to see them again. Later in the afternoon, we arrived to our Bedouin village in the Judean Desert. The first thing we did was go on a camel ride! It was a lot of fun. Then we had time to sit down and learn about this Bedouin community and its people. The man telling us about the village didn't speak English, so we had Dor translate for us. By this time we were all starving, and we were treated to a delicious Bedouin meal. In the evening, we had a drum circle. We experimented with different sounds and rhythms we could make with our bodies. Once we got some consistency in our rhythm, we were given drums to play around with. We made some great beats! We spent our night together in one giant tent, and we were given mats and blankets to sleep on. It was a very interesting privilege to sleep outside in a desert in Israel, and it's something we will never forget! -Suzy

Day Seven: Memorials and Markets of Jerusalem

Yesterday began as probably the most emotionally difficult day for us all. We began our day at Mount Hertzel in Jerusalem. As we walked through the cemetery we heard stories of Israeli heroes who either made a significant difference in Israel or died heroically for this country. We visited the grave of Theodor Hertzel and of former prime minister Yitzhak Rabin and heard the story his assassination. Our tour guide Yoni also took us to see the graves of some heroic soldiers such as Hana Senesh and Benjamin Natanyahu's brother Yonatan, who was killed in Uganda after his troop saved a group of Jews from abduction. Some stories he told brought tears to a lot of our eyes. We then moved on to another tough place, Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial museum. Our museum guide took us through from before the war to the aftermath. We had an interactive session where we discussed important questions that arose about the Holocaust, and finally finished with a walk through the children's memorial. To lighten all our moods, we moved on to Machane Yehuda market in Jerusalem where they sold a variety of foods, deserts, spices, candies, breads, nuts, clothes, souvenirs, and many more. We ended our night on Ben Yehuda, where we were free to get dinner on our own. What was very special about it that it was Jerusalem Day, and there were people playing music and dancing in the streets waving Israeli flags. I think it was an amazing experience because it made our emotionally distressing day a lot happier and showed us the pride Israelis have for the country and how they celebrated their love for Jerusalem and Israel. -Sharone

Day Six: Shabbat

This week our group had the opportunity to experience Shabbat in Israel. Every Passover we hear “next year in Jerusalem;” and this year I was a part of that wish coming true. Although we’re here for such a short period of time, or group is able to get the most of out of our experiences, like Shabbat. When the night started, we all got dressed up and prepared for services –Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, or mediation. Having very few Shabbat experiences in my life, I was so excited to spend this time with ours and other schools’ Taglit groups. I went to meditation, led by Greg, before eating dinner; it was great to relax and begin a real day of rest. Dinner on Friday night was cool --we ate so much food (some of which I hadn’t even tried before). Before eating, we read the prayers and shared challah. This experience was especially interesting for me; I loved getting the opportunity to say these prayers that I haven’t revisited since the times of Hebrew school. The best, and most unexpected, part of Shabbat was waking up on noon Saturday morning. We had the option to go to morning services; this was enjoyed by some of our group, but I think most of us were really excited for 1pm lunch and afterwards. During the day we had our own IDF boot-camp experience, courtesy of our Israeli friends, and b’nai mitzvot services for our own Americans. (We are all so proud of them!) This week has been such a great time, and I can’t wait for the rest of the experience! Jayme

Day Five: Tel Aviv

Hello from Tel Aviv! We're currently en route from Tel Aviv back to our hotel in Jerusalem! Our group started out the morning in Jerusalem with a speaker from Hebrew University who talked to us about the many conflicts facing Israel today. Our group was joined by the other two birthright groups that are staying in same hotel as us for the remainder of our time in Jerusalem. After the speaker finished, we hopped onto the bus and drove about an hour to Tel Aviv! Upon arrival we were given free time to walk around the shuk (or market place). The shuk was filled with vendors selling everything from fresh fruit to underwear, and everything in between. Some of our braver group members tried the fresh and exotic food that the vendors were selling. Next, we headed over to Independence Hall where the document declaring Israel as its own Jewish state was signed in 1948. We watched a video highlighting the important moments that led up to the historic signing, and then sat in the very room where it was signed. We got to spend the rest of the day at the beautiful Tel Aviv beach which has much softer sand and warmer water than the Jersey shore. After about two hours of splashing around and working on our tans, our group found a shady spot to sit together and talk about our previous Shabbat experience in preparation for tonight. Tonight, there will be 5 different options for Shabbat services, including a meditation session and a "why I'm not at services" service. Shabbat Shalom! Danielle Denisenko

Day Four: Yerushalyim (Jerusalem)

Shalom and Boker Tov from Jerusalem! My name is Melanie Waldman, I will be your blogger for today and I am going to tell you all about our wonderful first day in Jerusalem. We are currently en route to Tel Aviv, but you'll hear more about that tomorrow. Anyway, early yesterday morning we packed our bags and said goodbye to our first home, Thai Village. We then drove about 2 hours to Beit Shean where we met our Mifgash (Israeli soldiers). For those who don't know, Birthright arranges for a group of soldiers (about the same age as our group) to join us for a few days. The soldiers travel with us to all of our scheduled destinations and even stay at our hotels. They get free time off from the army to meet college students their age and sometimes act as our own personal translators (especially in places like Ben Yehuda). So after we all met our new Israeli friends we all boarded the bus and drove to Jerusalem. Our first stop was at the Tower of David Museum, where we all recited the shechiyanu to commemorate our first time in Jerusalem and shared some challah and (virgin) wine. We then walked through the cobblestone streets and stopped for lunch on our way to the Western wall, where most of us noshed on fallafel and shwarma. After that we stopped under a shadded pavillion where we wrote notes to put into the wall. We also had a short ceremony for some of our group members, who did not have Hebrew names. They chose their own names and explained to the group why they chose them, after our group leader (the wonderful and fabulous Greg) recited "the blessing over the children", which was followed by a very hearty "Mazel Tov". Afterwards, we walked to the kotel together, which was incredibly crowded, however as I am speaking for an entire group of 40 people, I believe that we all had a fantastic time. The day overall was very hot but after our long day it was very nice to finally get to the hotel. Dinner was delicious and kosher and we noshed on kosher chocolate ice cream.. or sorbet. Then we had a music program with an artist from a group called "The Shuk" (who is also a Rutgers Alum!) and our very own Eric Tapper played percussion and even threw in some harmonies here and there. It was a wonderful day in Jerusalem and we will be returning there Saturday night to explore Ben Yehuda street. Shabbat Shalom and Toda Raba for reading my lovely blog =) -Melanie Waldman

Day Three: Another Day in the Golan.

Hey there! Eric Tapper here to recant the wondrous journey of our third touring day in Israel (fourth of the trip). After breakfast in Thai Village, we hopped aboard our chariot driven by the skilled Moshe (I did not think buses could make such tight turns) and drove to the Tel Dan Nature Reserve. We were surrounded by greenery that painted a lush background for the beautiful azure water rushing by us as we walked. Yoni informed us of the importance of the land at various checkpoints throughout the reserve. We then made our way to Mount Bental in the Golan Heights. Here sat a former Israeli bunker that was as dark and grey as the sun was blazing hot. Our soldier Yair told us that modern living quarters are not really all that different. At this vantage point, we were able to look out on where Israel ends and Syria begins. A surreal moment in which I made the connection of having only looked at the Arab land on a map and then it being no more than a few miles in front of me. There was an eerie realness to be in such close proximity to a place that up to this point, for me, has only been substantiated by the American media. To add to the drama of situation, I was facing a rather difficult decision. I had packed a lunch of a makeshift sandwich comprised of Thai Village's breakfast spread while before me was a falafel shop. "Which should I eat?" I asked myself. Unable to find solace in either option, I went for both. On to the kayaking! Or rafting, more accurately. The 995 fleet had four to six members in each of its vessels as we navigated the treacherous tributary of the Jordan River. Why treacherous? Was it the violent water? No, the water was quite calm. Was it the jagged rocks jutting out helter skelter? Nein! The trip was mostly smooth sailing. It was... the children. Armed with water guns and a passion for splashing passerby's. Greg and I navigated our boat artfully so, and long story short, we were dripping with finesse by the time our expedition came to a close. In addition to our now-chiseled triceps, the zip line directly into the river was a solid reward for our efforts. Needless to say, I slept like a baby and am now well rested as we are currently making our way to the ancient city of Jerusalem. Stay tuned! -Eric

Day Two: Up North- The Golan Heights and Tzfat

Yesterday . . . we did a lot. After waking up and eating breakfast (true to what I have been assured, Israeli breakfast, even at Thai Village, includes fresh salad as a major component. Also cheeses and eggs and rolls and chocolate milk in a bag). Pretty much on time we got on the bus and moved out of the valley partway up to the Golan Heights to Mitzpeh Gadot, where we got to see a memorial to Israeli soldiers who died fighting in the area and an abandoned Syrian bunker overlooking the Galilee. Yoni told us about the area, especially in terms of modern Zionism up to the Six Day War and Yom Kippur War. After that we drove up to onto the Golan Heights themselves (and saw a good number of cows and a few horses in the fields we passed along the way. We arrived at Chan El Al, where team building sessions were lead by Yaakov for the guys and his wife Leah for the girls. I can't speak for what the guys did - I'm pretty sure some of their activities varied - but Leah gave us various challenges and encouraged us to work as a team, with different leaders for each activity. Some were physical, some were mental puzzles (she taught us that lots of times solving a problem is %90 planning and %10 execution) and included rolling our entire group over on a barrel, getting our hand on and swinging over a dip on a rope (she called this the Tarzan challenge), walking one girl on a series of planks held off the ground, among a few others. After discussing what we learned, we went in for a delicious lunch including many more salads, chummus and babaganoush, potatoes, rice, and chicken - and wonderful tangerines. That done, we drove down and through the Galilee, passing the Kinneret, or the Sea of Galilee, along the way to Tzefat, or Safed. This city, Yoni told us, was one of the four holy cities of Israel and the highest city in Israel; it has also been a center of Kabbalah, or Jewish mysticism, since the Middle Ages, and today also boasts an artists' colony. The first thing we did when we got there was visit Sheva Chaya, a local artist who paints and does glassblowing art connected to Kabbalah. She spoke a little bit about her life, and how she came to love Israel and become interested in her Judaism and Kabbalah, and she demonstrated glassblowing, making a small drinking or shot glass with L'chaim!' written on it in Hebrew. Then we moved onto the main area of Tzfat, where Yoni told us more about the rise of Kabbalah in the area and we got to visit the synagogue of the Ari, a primary Kabbalist of Tzfat (which has a beautiful ark brought from Europe which had to bend at the ceiling because the measurements had been wrong. Then we got to visit the shops, stalls, and galleries along the way, which old and displayed beautiful and diverse pieces of art and functional Judaica. I got to try Lachuch, a Yemenite Jewish dish vaguely akin to pizza but much more interesting and delicious, sold from a shop that opened onto the street. All too soon (or so it felt), we had to go back to the bus and back to Thai village, where we concluded our day and got ready for today, which, presumably, you'll hear more about tomorrow. -Tamar

Day One: Welcome to the Motherland

After an exhausting 12 hour flight to Israel, we finally touched ground in Israel. Though sleep- deprived and slowly adjusting to the new time schedule, we exchanged our money, received our Israeli cell phones, and boarded the tour bus. We were introduced to Yair, a former paratrooper in the IDF, but now serving as the Security Guard/medic. Our first destination- Caesarea. The newer area features grand mansions and views of the Mediterranean Sea. The bus took us to the ancient section of Caesarea. Yoni, aka John from Brooklyn, also the tour guide for this trip, first showed the Rutgers students a stone theater constructed by the Romans in 66 BCE. Through the greatly preserved ruins, we could easily see the coliseum-like style, that theater-goers would flock to view lighthearted shows and comedy acts. The next stop was a recently excavated amphitheater that originally served as an arena for chariot races. It was later converted into a battleground for gladiator fights. Sitting in the ampitheater, we could see Herod's palace, which overlooks the Mediterranean Sea. The final stop in Caesarea was the Buthusian exhibit, where Yoni explained that Caesarea was originally built as a port city. Over time, the Nile River deposited mounds of sand and the Russians built a damn that prevented the sand from entering. We boarded the bus and departed to Zichron Yaa'acov, the first town established after the first wave of aliyot. We were able to explore this small village and have lunch. We sampled the local cuisine of shwarma and falafel sandwiches, and cooled down from the heat with a gelatto. The food was yummy and was a great introduction to the Israeli culture. At the conclusion of lunch, our group boarded the bus to check-in at the hotel for dinner. After a tiring afternoon in the heat,we took well-deserved naps during the entire ride to the hotel! Over and out until next time, Steph R and Mollie K!