In to the Desert

With Shabbat over, it was time for our adventure to begin again. We started the day with a walk through ¬¬¬---. We saw synagogues, heard stories, and enjoyed some shopping. After that, we added eight new members to our birthright family – the soldiers! Everyone was excited to interact with each other and find out what life is like in the army. Likewise, the soldiers were curious about the life we have in America. It was mind bottling to think about how different our lives are when we are all the same age. For our first activity as a united group, we went to --- where we discusses, in a more structured form, the similarities and differences between us. The soldiers told us which unit they were a part of, and we responded with what our college majors are. We then went to a former military base, and learned about its history; getting a chance to walk through a bunker where soldiers would stay was unreal. The day ended upon our return to the kibbutz, where we got to know the soldiers in a more personable and modern way. Monday morning started with our last meal at the kibbutz. We were told to pack our carry on with everything we need for the next 24 hours because we were going to be sleeping in the Bedouin Tents that night. Once we said goodbye to our suitcases, we drove to the destination of our first official hike. The scenery was beautiful. Once at our final destination, the tent site in the middle of the Negev, we dropped our backpacks and headed to the camels! In pairs, we all got to experience the joy of riding on a camel’s back, a joy that was definitely an awesome experience. There was a lot of laughing and picture-taking atop the camels. When dinner time came at the Bedouin tent, we were all excited and maybe a bit skeptical at what we might be served. Turns out (in my personal opinion) that meal was the best of the trip (and one of the top meals of my life)! We sat five or six around a huge platter of pita, chicken, rice, hummus, etc. all seasoned perfectly. There was little talking to do as we savored the tastes of this delicious dessert dish. After seconds (and thirds and fourths) of the meal, we had a night of dancing and singing with each other, with our wonderful Israeli soldiers, and with the many other Birthright trips who were also staying at the tents that night. No matter how well we knew each other, we were all dancing together and getting on each other’s shoulders and losing our voices as we sang into the night. Another activity we partook in that night was a walk through the desert, where we got to experience a few meaningful moments of silent meditation. As we looked up at the stars, bright and white, we listened to the wind and felt the beauty that surrounded us. It was a few special moments of gratitude and personal thought, and I think I can speak for all of us in saying that it was really special to have those few moments to ourselves in such a peaceful setting. Waking up on Tuesday morning was a little rough. Sleeping on a mat on the floor of a cold desert tent was not exactly the most comfortable sleep we’ve had in our lives, but we were all looking forward to the day ahead – Masada and the Dead Sea! As we departed our tents and boarded the bus once again, we took off for Masada. It was hot, and hiking up actually took much shorter than I had expected. The views as we climbed higher and higher were beautiful. Many of us remarked the similarities between the views from Masada and the Grand Canyon. One of the greatest and coolest moments on top of the fortress was the Hebrew naming ceremony. A few of the kids in our group who had not been given Hebrew names from birth had the opportunity to choose a Hebrew name. We all stood at one of the highest points on top of Masada and shouted each new Hebrew name into the distance, and since it was an echo point, we heard the name off in the distance and it sounded like an entire football stadium was shouting the name. I think that everyone who received a name on Tuesday afternoon will never forget their naming ceremony. After a long, windy, and sweaty hike down, we got to cool off in the Dead Sea. We covered ourselves in mud, and experienced the weightlessness of floating in the salty sea. Many of the soldiers even said that this was their first time since they were young children going to the Dead Sea, so it was a very refreshing and new experience for everyone. Tuesday was definitely one of the most exhausting days of the trip, but also extremely rewarding, and we all slept well Tuesday night! Wednesday was a day that we had all been looking forward to. It was the day that our travels in the country and the desert were ending, and we would embark on Jerusalem. We got to Jerusalem on Tuesday afternoon, and I think that our entrance into the city was unforgettable. When we first arrived, we saw the amazing and famous view of the Dome of the Rock, and many got emotional at the sight of this amazing city of which we’ve heard so much about. When we finally stopped, our group along with a few others, were welcomed with challah and grape juice. We were also greeted with happy Israeli songs, and more singing, dancing, and celebration as we began our journey in Jerusalem. Stay tuned for more on the Old City and Tel Aviv, and we all cannot wait to see our families soon to tell them details of our adventures in the Holy Land! Jackie & Sabrina

Adventures from the first days: Bus 1070

We started out our first full day of touring on the bus, en route to the Gaza Strip. Once there, we were in disbelief that we could stand so close to danger in such safety. After walking around for a while, we boarded the bus to Ein Hod, an artist village in the mountains. It was impressive to see that the villagers turned their passion for art into a means of living and survival. We had the opportunity to hear a drummer, originally from New York but now living in the village, show us his passion for music. Afterward, we stopped for our first Israeli lunch, where many of us enjoyed our first falafel/schwarma in Israel, where others tried the pizza and Chinese food. After our meal we had some time to talk to native Israelis and shop at a local mall. We quickly found out that the stereotype about Israelis being unfriendly is not altogether true. The locals engaged us in conversation and seemed genuinely interested in where we were from and our lives. Our last stop for the day was a date farm, where we got to try different types of dates as well as date honey. We also go to try strawberry tea, which was yummy and fresh. We watched a video about the land’s history and how its’ natives transformed it from an uninhabitable dry environment to one of milk and honey. We boarded the bus one last time for the day, where we drove to Degania Bet, the kibbutz that we are staying on. We were impressed by the accommodations and Shabbat dinner at the kibbutz dining hall, or “cheder ochel,” which was a delicious spread of meat, vegetables, and of course, hummus and babaganoosh. We ended the night with a group Oneg and then spent time exploring the kibbutz, where we found many, many cows. On Shabbat morning, we all appreciated the chance to sleep in. Many of us slept until twelve, and then we all spent the afternoon together at the pool. We then took a walking tour of the outskirts of the kibbutz, where we learned about the quality of the Jordan river water and Israel’s water in general. Afterward, we got ready for Havadalah, and did a beautiful ceremony together with Syracuse. We spent Saturday night out in Tiberius, exploring the night life and felt what it was like to be a young person in a popular Israeli city. We got to do a little bit of shopping and a lot of us purchased delicious Nutella crepes, with sprinkles! As our first Shabbat came to a close, we are looking forward to an awesome, action-packed day tomorrow and a great week! - Jackie and Sabrina P.S. Hi families, we love you and miss you and we’re having a great time, can’t wait to see you and tell you more stories!!