So it took us a while to get the blog started today because we could not find a good warm place with spectacular internet connection. So while being carefully observed by the black and white cat that is creeping around (one of the many cats walking randomly around the kibbutz), we will start the blog from the beginning of the day. We started by waking up and going to breakfast at 7:43am. After a full breakfast we headed for a tour of the kibbutz gonen, which began at 7:45am, where Tzipi (a resident of the kibbutz) explained the mystery smells of the kibbutz (fertilizer), and the cool features of the kibbutz such as spraying cats from within the confines of your shower, and getting your horoscope from the t.v. (Scott's said no intelligence and no energy for the day). At a platform that overlooked the Hula Valley, we listened and took pictures of the view as a warning siren went off indicating that missiles went off in the area from nearby Lebanon. At first we had no idea what was going on, but the alarm soon stopped. A few moments later the alarm sounded again and this time we get on the bus and left for Safed, where we were updated on the situation. Two missiles were indeed fired and landed in a nearby area but no one was injured and there is no threat from Lebanon. (Scott was able to deflect one of the missiles with his impressive bicycle kick into Syria)

At Safed we explored the ancient mystical city and learned about Kaballah an and Safed's role in the war of independence. While sitting in the cursed square that formerly inhabited by an excommunicated Rabbi, we listened to Gilad's history of the area and visited a flying synagogue which was very beautiful. We also went into another synagogue that was unique because it had a bima in the center. We then had free time to shop, eat lunch and look at the microcalligraphy and art for which the area is known.

We then took a trip to Rosh Hanikra where we took ridiculously fabulous pictures of the grottos. First we took yellow and red cables cars down the steep but short ride to the grottos, then we spent about half an hour excavating the water tunnels. After which we watched an interactive film about the legend of the area during which we got sprayed with water and blown on by the fan. We then took the cable cars back to the top at which point we stood right next to the border with Lebanon and waved at the guards.

We then took an hour drive to Acre during which time we listened to music and jammed on the bus. At Acre, also called Akko, we went through underground tunnels and escape routes including the templar canal. We were also able to witness and hear an army initiation from afar. We then took a stroll through the nearby city and watched a beautiful sunset with a view of Haifa.

The trip home wasn't as long and tedious as usual and the ride went by quickly. After which time we had dinner (better then most nights... schnitzel!!)

During the next few days we may not have internet access because we will be leaving in the morning for the south and the Bedouin tents. (They may be easy on the go, but stubborn about their switch from dial up to T1).

written by: Scott Silver 2012, Julie Chudnovsky 2013, Evan Waltzer 2010, Adam Stambler 2011

Day 7

Today is day 7 of our lovely trip to the holy land.  We began the trip with a delicious breakfast, complete with Kari'ot cereal, which means "pillow".  They happened to be filled with chocolate!  As Brittne said "they are scrumptious in my tum tum!"  After breakfast we jumped in jeeps straight out of a safari movie and started on our journey through the Golan Heights.  Traveling through mud and puddles, while hitting our heads on the roofs of the trucks, we learned about the land surrounding us. We saw cows, gazelles, and abandoned mine fields.  Don't worry! They were blocked off with very sharp barbed wire.  We made our way down the hills and got back on the bus to continue on our excursion.  We then went to the Tel Dan  ("Hi Dan!" says Sarah) Nature Reserve, which houses one of the springs that feeds into the Jordan River.  We learned about ancient flour mills and the history behind the ruins we stood on.  After then we went further up into the mountains to a spot overlooking the Israel-Lebanon, and Israel-Syria Borders.  Although it was mighty windy and super cold, we stuck it out and got a first hand view of the closeness of these countries.  Lunch followed, at Katzrin, the only town in the Golan Heights.  After lunch we went into the Gallilee, and went to a kibbutz-like village called Moshav Shorashim.  There we learned about Arab-Israeli relations, and the conflicts between these two groups.  Following that, we went to a local school gymnasium to see a circus performance put on by local school children, of both Israeli and Israeli-Arab descent.  They were absolutely ADORABLE!  After the performance, they showed us some of their tricks.  Following that, we went back to the Kibbutz for dinner.  After that we had a provocative discussion about Judaism, what it means to be Jewish in America and Israel, and the feelings we are all experiencing on our trip.  This concluded our night, and tomorrow brings another day in the North!  

Rachel Hodes: 2011

Jessica Falk: 2011

Julie Britton: 2011

Maddie Witchel: 2011

Days Four And Five:

Yad Lakashish-

At Yad Lakashish we took a tour of a tzedek project aimed toward helping elderly people socially, economically and physically. The project was started by a teacher who wanted to bring resources to impoverished elderly people. The seniors were given jobs that ranged from knitting to metal working and book binding. They were given a stipend, hot meal, bus pass and resources for all there work. Although most of the people spoke very little English or Hebrew they were still able to communicate with some of us through languages such as Spanish and Russian. 

Tour of Ultra-Orthodox Neighborhoods-

Because of the strict dress code enforced by the Ultra-Orthodox we were unable to walk through these neighborhoods. We took a bus tour during which Gilad, our tour educator, guided us and explained how these people live their daily lives. He discussed the ins and outs of all the different sects and divisions within the community which expand our definition of "orthodox" into something much more complex. Tiny variations in dress code signal which sect one belongs to, and what we realized is that this community is much more multi-faceted than it would appear to the uneducated outsider.

Ben Yehuda

This is the tourist center of Jerusalem, where tourists such as ourselves are hustled everyday by the quick witted salespeople peddling cheap souvenirs. Guys and girls started off shopping together but quickly split up; the girls heading for shoes and scarfs, while the guys went straight towards the army-navy store. I, Matt,  ended up falling in love, with a sweet guitar in the window of a music store. For 250 sheckles (about 65 bucks) I was able to acquire a nice little acoustic guitar which will become an invaluable asset to our group jams.

Yad Vashem

An incredible an unforgettable experience. This trip to the holocaust memorial lasted four hours, but will live on and continue to stay with us for the rest of our lives. The recently redesigned memorial is a brilliant marvel of modern architecture, containing elements of symbolism and artistry that leave any visitor in awe. Gilad led us through a journey of words and images which took us through the chilling story of one of humanities greatest tragedies, but eventually led us to a message of hope and redemption for the Jewish people and the world. We left Yad Vashem with a new sense of what it means to be Jewish. 

After we returned from Yad Vashem we did a short preparation session for our mifgash (encounter) with the Israeli soldiers who would be meeting us tomorrow. Later in the night we were able to go let off some steam at a local club which was rented out specifically for all of us birthrighters from all across the USA. We all danced like it was 1999 and then called it a night and went to sleep happy.

Day Five

Tel Aviv

Today we left the holy city of Jerusalem for the beach city of Tel Aviv. Right before we arrived at a scenic overlook in the nearby city of Jaffa, we picked up three of the the five soldiers who will be with us until Friday. After taking a few pictures we drove to Tel Aviv, where we met the other two soldiers. In a park in Tel Aviv we did a few more icebreakers in order to become better acquainted with our fellow birthrighters and the soldiers. Afterwards, we took a tour of Yitzhak Rabin Square and learned about Israeli politics. Gilad also taught us about the assassination of Rabin, the popular Israeli Prime Minister, by a fellow Jew in 1995. To lighten the mood, we went for lunch in downtown Tel Aviv. 

To continue our education about Israeli history, we the went on to Independence Hall.  It is an unassuming house in the middle of Tel Aviv.  From this house in May 1948, David Ben Gurion proclaimed Israel's independence and created the Jewish state.   

After we finished Independence hall, we left Tel Aviv for the long drive north to the Kibbutz Gonen.  

There you have it, two days in the life of birthrighters.

Brought to you by:

Ross Kleiman-  2012

Matt Mantel -  2008

Dan Rauchwerk -  2011

Adam Stambler - 2011

The Third Day!

Today was an early morning for some of us by choosing an option to take a walk to the Kotel in the early morning, others went to see different types of Shabbat saturday mornings. Another option was to take a stroll to see a variety of diverse sabbath rituals throughout villages in Jerusalem. Others slept in! After everyone returned from their walk, we rejoined for a Shabbat lunch, the third meal. Following lunch a Rutgers Alumni who now lives in Israel, came to speak to us about an important topic in Jerusalem. Sarah's friend Shira spoke to us about her job at the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transexual Open House which helps bring together the LGBT community within the Old City. This talk was very interesting and opened our eyes to a whole new problem within this country. Later that day all the birthright groups met up outside for a Havdallah candle lighting to end shabbat, celebrate the new week and recognize the members who received their bar/bat mitzvahs today! We then traveled to the Ben Yehuda market to shop for souvenirs and experience delicious Israeli dinner. Gilad then took us to a the Mamilla Mall outside the walls of the Old City to hear a humourous speech from Avraham Infeld, an old President of Hillel. His speech taught us what it means to be jewish, and explored new ways of considering this religion and culture. Immediately after the speech a local band, Marsh Dondurma performed with their unique sound. Everyone danced and enjoyed their sounds of the many instruments and drums. Today started off very relaxing, but then sped up as we traveled through Ben Yehuda searching for souvenirs and then danced together for the rest of the night!

-Julie Britton, 2011
-Sharon Tompa, 2011
-Madelyn Witchel, 2011
-Jesse Adler, 2010

Jerusalem Day 2

We woke up well-rested (finally) and took an early trip to Mount Hertzl which is the national cemetary of Israel. Among the graves we saw were Yitzhak Rabin, Theodore Hertzl, and Golda Meyir as our tour guide explained Israel's political history to us. After viewing more graves and memorials of the cemetary, we took a political tour of Jerusalem by bus, stopping at different viewpoints such as Gilo, Har Homa, and more. Perhaps the most moving part of the day was the sight of the security fence blocking Jerusalem and the West Bank; between our guide's discussions of Israeli political history, the call to prayer echoing over Jerusalem in the morning, and our tour we got a unique understanding of contemporary Israel.

After the political tour we visited the Machaneh Yehuda Market, a crazy, crowded, bustling market filled with traditional olive stands, falafel, shwarma, candy, spices, bakeries...pretty much anything you'd want to eat! We shopped for Oneg Shabbat tonight and just arrived back at the hotel to prepare for Shabbat.

Shabbat shalom!

Amber Smith (2012)
Becky Gimbel (GMU 2009)

Our First Day!!

After an exhaustingly long flight, we finally made it to our destination-THE HOLY LAND!!!!! We landed around 7 in the morning and immediately proceeded onward with our day. We picked up our phones and exchanged money in the back of our bus (sketchy....perhaps??). We met our tour guide Gilad, who provided us with the best dried fruit in the land. We traveled to Jerusalem through a maze of twisty turney roads, filled with history and knowledge. After entering the city, we proceeded to the Haas Promenade to say the traditional shehechiyanu blessing. Again, our wonderful tour guide Gilad provided us with some sweet treats. We got on the bus and traveled to the Old City, entering the city through the Zion gate. Gilad led us on a detailed tour of the city's ruins and showed us the underground hidden treasures located in the city, itself. After that, we went on our own to find lunch, with most of us ending up in a small schwarma/falafel restaurant. We did a little shopping and met back up with Gilad to continue our tour of the Old City. Although we were all exhausted, we proceeded on to the Western Wall, or Kotel. We learned about the construction of the ancient temple, and the surrounding area, and saw various places in which ruins still exist even after 2000 years. Our tour guide led us on an imaginary tour of the city, describing. After spending some time there, we checked into our hotel, napped, and had dinner. Some notable highlights of our first day in Israel-the extraordinary amount of feral cats roaming around the city, the immense amount of archaelogical sites in the Old City, and "the spices of Israel at lunchtime" (Matt Mantell) We're all beat, and everyone is looking forward to a full night's rest before our very busy day tomorrow. Pictures coming soon! Be on the lookout! PEACE OUT CUBSCOUTS!
-Rachel Hodes 2011
-Julie Britton 2011
-Sharon Tompa 2011
-Matt Mantell 2008

Getting Ready!

Check back in a few days to follow Hillel's latest Taglit-Birthright Israel trip!