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!!

Bus 1047 Jerusalem

Old City - We went walking through the old city and it was definitely an experience I will not forget. Observing all the architecture and the people around the town was one thing to be amazed by, but when I came upon a local citizen playing some guitar instrument I stopped in my place. This man was by himself on the steps playing this instrument so beautifully; I felt so inspired. I felt like I was in a movie. Definitely a moment I will remember from this trip. -Eden Sapir

Dead Sea - The Dead Sea was definitely was one of the more anticipated scheduled events during this trip. Floating in a sea of water was something that most of us have never experienced. I always saw pictures of people reading the newspapers or playing chess inside the sea, but never really understood how it worked. I literally walked on out into the sea, (which I highly recommend water shoes or flip flops of some sort) and just dreaded the time of entering my body into the freezing body of water. I walked out 50 yards or so, and dipped my body in believing I would sink a little bit. However, that was not the case. I immediately started to float on top of the water. As I looked around in amazement and took in the moment of just being able to lay down and relax in a body of water without having to lay on top of a raft, I heard the tune of Gangnam Style. I watched as me and other members of the group threw balls of salt crystals at each other. Also, while defending myself from being hit by a ball of salt, I splashed myself in the face with the Dead Sea water. Never have I ever had my eyes burn so bad for what would be one long “blind” minute or two. As I got out of the Dead Sea, I felt really dry and clean, but knew it was a feeling I would never experience again after swimming with over forty other humans. -Justin Bennett

Yad Vashem Of all experiences we had over the course of the trip, Yad Vashem was by far the most difficult. Looking back, I’m glad we headed there early on in the trip, so as to not dampen our moods later on. In a nutshell, Yad Vashem is Israel’s Holocaust Memorial. The park consisted of a multitude of memorials, parks, nature trails, as well a museum, all of which covered a mountainside that facing the beautiful valley below. The visit brought us to several memorials, but the two that I remembered the most were the Children’s’ Memorial and Hall with all the concentration camps. In the Children’s Memorial, we entered a dark room that a large black column. Lit candles coupled with mirrors gave the appearance of an eternal sea of candles, one for each child that had perished in the Holocaust. The room was quite dark, and as I followed the path, the speakers boomed out the name, age, town and country of a different child. In the next memorial, In the Hall with all names on the concentration camps, we entered a short, rectangular structure. On the inside, the dark metal floor was inscribed with the names of different concentration camps across Europe. In the center of the building stood a flame, housed by some contorted, twisted metal structure. Upon talking about this memorial afterwards with the group, many of us agreed on the unwelcoming, uninviting, and somewhat frightening atmosphere that the building gave to its visitors. Perhaps the hardest part for us was the museum itself. If I had to, I couldn’t use words to really describe the museum and my experience there. The site described in detail the events that led up to the Holocaust, the sequence of events in this point in history, as well as the aftermath. It offered photographs, first hand accounts from several sides, as well as historical artifacts. It was a very sensitive topic for us all, and there were a lot of strong emotions. Ultimately, I believe that this was an insightful and important experience as myself as a Jew. For anyone looking to further their understanding of the Holocaust and Jewish history, I would definitely recommend the museum, and Yad Vashem as a whole. - Dan Munoz

Jerusalem Having been in Israel before, and having gone to Jerusalem before I did have some experience to build my thoughts off of. However, this time was so different than the last. The last time I was in Jerusalem I was 12, for my Bat Mitzvah, and although I did tour around and see all the sights I did not feel the connection that I do this time. Being able to experience the Kotel was an amazing thing. Having learned about Israel my entire life, the Kotel had the largest meaning to me. Being able to pray at the Kotel was unbelievable! Additionally, I really enjoyed visiting Yad Vashem. I have learned about the Holocaust in the past, however, this museum really brought it to life in a scary but very real way. Overall, looking back at my Taglit Birthright experience I can say in full confidence that I felt the biggest and deepest connection with the city of Jerusalem. -- Dahlia Schudrich

Bus 1050

The past few days have been absolutely amazing, educational, eye-opening and wet, very wet(it seems that we brought a lot of rain with us). After a grueling, turbulence filled flight we saw the bright Israeli sun(it hadn't started raining yet) and could smell the freshness of the air. Even though I had barely slept on the plane, the Israeli sun and air reinvigorated my tired body. I was ready for everything and anything that would come our way, except the amount of rain we would soon receive. It's Israel, its not supposed to rain right? Our first stop was the gorgeous ancient seaport of Jaffa. We basked in the sun and surroundings while our tour guide, Hannah, taught us the history of the area. We would then walk through Jaffa towards Tel Aviv, the bustling Israeli city that I have been waiting to see my entire life. While in Tel Aviv, we learned about the founding of the Jewish State at Independence Hall. I have never been overly inclined to call myself a Zionist, but listening to our guide speak about the declaration of Israeli independence gave me the chills, one student on our trip even cried. We moved from Independence Hall to Rabin Square. Yitzhak Rabin has always been a man that I've admired due to his commitment to peace with Israel and the Arab neighbors. As young Americans, we relived the horrible day that stalled the Israeli-Arab peace process, again I was in chills. The following day, we traveled to Tzipori, an ancient archaeologically filled city. The city was beautiful and the history of not only the Jewish people in the area, but everyone was fascinating. From Tzipori, we moved on to Tiberius for lunch and shopping in preparation for Shabbat. Our Shabbat would be spent on a kibbutz called Nofei Gonen. Spending our first Shabbat in Israel was an experience unlike any others. Our leaders had to find a way to make an egalitarian Shabbat that all would feel comfortable and peaceful at. It was achieved, but that was not the experience that was different. There was a feeling, an essence, in the air that made this Shabbat so drastically different than any other Shabbat I've ever celebrated. Everything just seems better in Israel. Our Shabbat was definitely a relaxing day, since we will be waking up very early and traveling a lot for the remaining of the trip. After Havdalah, we all jumped on the bus eager to get off the kibbutz and go to the ancient hot springs, Hammat Gader, and swim in the volcanic, sulfuric water. On Sunday, we got to explore the north of Israel, the Golan Heights. We learned the troubled history of the area and the defense tactics to protect and hold control of this area, all while "off roading" in jeeps older than a few of us students combined. The most exciting part of any birthright trip is when the Israeli soldiers come to join us for about five days. We picked up our soldiers on the side of the road and welcomed them with loud cheers of excitement and warm greetings. The entire experience so far has been absolutely amazing, and the trip still has the best to come! -Glenn Corregano 2013

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