Jerusalem and Day of Reflection

On the 25 of May, we spent the day exploring the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem. We perused the market streets in search of Hamsas, mezuzot, and Chanukiot. We came out with some really excellent finds! While it got hotter, we strolled through the Old City, and saw some really inspirational sites. We saw the South Wall of the Temple Mount where the ancient Temple stood over 3000 years ago. After that, we were given the chance to visit the Kotel, one of the holiest sites in Judaism. It was a really spiritual experience for many people. Many of us wrote prayers that we placed within the cracks of the wall. After that, we headed to a traditional Israeli market, to enjoy the food of the land. Some of us ate Schwarma, falafel, or pastries. Then, we visited a site that overlooked the West Bank, and there we discussed the implications of the area and its people. After a long day, we headed back to the hotel for a night in. Our Israeli soldiers prepared a game of "Israeli Jeopardy" for us. We competed as three branches of the IDF: Airforce, Navy, and Infantry. The infantry unit came out victorious!!

Today, May 26, we started our day at Yad Vashem, the national Israeli Holocaust Museum. It was a deeply moving and profound exhibit that inspired a lot of emotion for everyone in the group. After a quick lunch, we headed to Har (Mount) Herzel, the national Israeli military cemetary. We visited the graves of famous Israelis such as: Theodore Herzel, Yitzach Rabin, Golda Meir, and others. After we visited a few graves of soldiers who gave their lives for the advencement of the Jewish State such as Michael Levin and Yonatan Netanyahu. Before setting out for Tel Aviv, we said our tearful goodbyes to our eight Israeli soldiers. In Tel Aviv, we had a nice variety of dinner options on Jaffa street. Anything from Shwarma to pizza was available; and the ice cream was only 8 shekels! We ended the evening by seeing a play performed by blind and deaf actors, detailing their struggles and dreams. Overall, it was a humbling and reflective day.


Kimberly Syvarth, Rutgers 2013
Sabrina Rackow, George Mason Dec 2011
Jonathan Levin, Rutgers 2013
Sofia Kremer, Rutgers 2012

to the south

yesterday, we went to tzfat or safed - there's no standard spelling - it was very beautiful, with a great view of the surrounding countryside. we visited two synagogues, then went shopping. after shopping, we worked with livnot u'lhibanot - to build and to rebuild - an israeli group a bit like habitat for humanity. we did some weeding in a park in tzfat, where there was an old fortress dating back at least to the romans. after tzfaat, we went to bet she'arim, where there are caves where jews were buried during the roman period, and we learned about the revolts against the roman and the greeks. finally we went to a bedouin camp, where we rode camels a short distance, then enjoyed traditional bedouin hospitality and coffee. the bedouins drink three cups of coffee with their guests, one to honor the guest, one for protection, and one for fun. we took a night walk into the negev desert where we meditated a bit, then came back and discussed faith and religious experience in the desert. we slept at the bedouin camp after a night of singing and fun around a campfire.
today we got up very early to go to masada. we saw an infantry brigade, the young pioneers, walking through the desert on a long hike to masada, where we climbed the roman ramp with the soldiers. we viewed and learned about the ruins at masada, then went to the dead sea for lunch and relaxation. after that we went to ein gedi, a freshwater spring, where we haad fun in the water. after ein gedi, we went to jerusalem, where we had a short shehechiyanu ceremony before going to the hotel. we spent the night out in jerusalem, in a pedestrian mall. we had a lot of fun, especially tonight.
sammie - george mason
dov - rutgers

SUMMER 2011!!

Driving to the airport some of us were nervous but once we met each other on the plane, everyone shared the same feelings and were welcoming. Although the plane was an 11 hours long, it went by pretty fast; we talked, napped, and watched movies.
Our first shabbat was nice because it was nice relaxing from being rushed into Israel for our first times. We stayed at the Kibbutz in Machaniam. We noticed instead of squirrels, Israel has cats and dogs running around. Everyone we have met so far is really nice and understanding that we do not speak Hebrew. Many people are connecting to their Judaism and others are still finding themselves. We all manage to coordinate and find time to spend our spare time together.

Today we went on a nature walk in Tel Dan. It was fascinating. We learned about Syria and Lebanon, and how the conflicts arise between the close borders. We saw exotic birds and how essential the conversion of swamps were into agricultural land. The soldiers joined us they are very nice and open to any questions; they will be joining us for a few more days, and we love them already. Traveling up the Golan Heights really put things into perspective for us and how important the IDF is... it is not just being apart of an army, but having a special identity and pride for your country to maintain its significance. We have all gotten really close and it is only the third day. So far, birthright is an amazing experience and I cannot wait to see what else comes this week.

Today we visited Yad Vashem, which is the Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem. It was a very large museum located on Memorial Hill. Besides the actual museum, there was an education center which is where we saw a Holocaust survivor named Chana Pik. Chana’s story was very interesting and she was a good friend of Anne Frank’s in Holland. Outside the museum there were many memorials including the children’s memorial for the 1.5 million children who perished and also a memorial for the righteous people of the Holocaust including the Schindler’s.

What I found the most powerful was the video we watched as soon as we entered the main building of the museum. It showed the life before the war, and there were Hungarian children singing Hatikva in the video. Hatikva is the national anthem of Israel, though the children were singing it before Israel was established. The last exhibit before we left was the same video of the children that we saw in the beginning. The most powerful thing was the fact the children were singing about hope and Israel was created after the unfortunate death of about 7 million Jews. The museum was designed to be a timeline and the building itself was designed as a triangle. That symbolizes half of the Star of David to show that the Jewish population decreased.

After we went to Yad Vashem we visited Mount Herzel, also on Memorial Hill, which is where many important people are buried, including Theordore Herzel (father of Modern Zionism) and many prime ministers including Golda Meir and Yitzhak Rabin. Other people buried there included veterans of the Israel Defense Force. Some people buried there were as young as 12 and as old as 86. People who were victimized by terrorist attacks were also buried there. The cemetery was very beautiful as it was also on Memorial Hill and it was filled with lots of trees and beautiful scenery.

Tonight we also watched a short Jewish film and went out for a last dinner together at an amazing restaurant that served Israeli food. Tonight we are wrapping up, celebrating Andrew Zharnest’s birthday (today) & Jasmine’s birthday (which is tomorrow) and packing and going back to New Jersey by tomorrow!

L'hitraot (see you again) Israel!!

Jaclyn Lazarus, RU ‘12

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Tuesday…A SUNNY DAY! Finally!

We began our day with a trip to what we thought was the oldest house in Tel Aviv. We soon found out that the home Kobi took us to was actually the home of our beloved soldier, Nitzan!! We were welcomed into her home (which was in a small town, not in Tel Aviv) where her parents arranged a small party for us. They were so warm and friendly and explained to us the history and importance of their village. Also, it should be noted that they had an extremely fluffy puppy named Leelu. :-)

Next, we got on the bus to head to the real Tel Aviv. After a nice nap, we arrived to Rabin Square right in front of city hall. We all got together to learn about the history of Tel Aviv, and the assassination of the Prime Minister Yitzhach Rabin. Then, we had an arranged activity where we were divided into groups and had a list of questions to ask Israeli people in the square. When we presented our findings, we soon learned that many people have many different opinions and stories about Israel. We also learned that Israelis are very welcoming and eager to share with people. Also, Kobi ran a chocolate milk drinking contest. The milk came in a plastic bag which you had to open with your teeth, drink the milk, blow up the bag, and then pop it by stepping on it. Emily came out the winner in a race competing against Nate and Jasmine.

Then we headed to the apt. of a Rutgers University Alumna, Nina. She very kindly opened her roof for us to have a small party to celebrate Rabbi Reed’s Birthday and to welcome us to Israel. We then had some free time for shopping and food.

Next, we left and headed to Jaffa where we saw a beautiful lookout of Tel Aviv and the ocean. There, Kobi told us more stories of Tel Aviv and the importance of it to the beginning of Israel. After this, we got right back on the bus for a long drive back to Jerusalem.

After checking into the hotel and eating some dinner we gathered for a meeting to listen to a number of speakers. First, we heard from a representative from an organization that provides students with financial aid for opportunities to attend a post-college long term program in Israel. The next speakers were a bit more unique. They presented a clothing line of T-shirts which each carry a story significant to Israel and its people. These shirts are not only stylish but represent and support a number of causes. Our friends bought a few!

Then, to end the night, we had a serious talk about tomorrow’s visit to Yad Vashem, Israel's Holocaust Memorial. Members of the group shared their personal stories about their family history in the holocaust. The group showed support for each other and we are confident that our group will be extremely supportive tomorrow.

Till then,

--Alyssa Greengrass RU '13 and Emily Stanton RU '13.

Sunday, January 9 - Monday, January 10, 2011

Sunday, we did a lot of cool things. We packed up our things and left the Leonardo Hotel in Jersualem, and drove to Sderot. We met Laura Bialis, a tour guide who showed us what it was like to live in a town that was constantly under surveillance and getting hit by Qassam rockets. Laura talked about how you have fifteen seconds to get in to safe quarters once the loud speaker says “Red Alert” when a rocket is launched.

Then, we stopped at a children’s playground and we saw a bomb shelter painted as a caterpillar. I thought that this experience was very emotional because the people of Sderot have to live in constant alertness because a rocket could be launched at any given moment. Afterwards, Laura took us to a Kibbutz outside of an army base that was exactly 1 mile from the Gaza Strip. We were able to look out across the valley and see the boundary line in the near distance.

Next, we had lunch in Sderot and formally said goodbye to our Israeli soldiers. We all made speeches and gave many thanks for everything that we had learned from them in the past four days. We also showed them the original posters with imagined pictures of them, that we made the night before meeting them. We all had a good laugh!

After that, we participated in a community service event where we played games with a bunch of children. It was fun to see everyone laughing and having fun with the Israeli kids.

Finally, we began our journey to the Bedouin Tents in the Negev Desert. When we arrived, we had a traditional Bedouin dinner, sitting on the floor under a huge tent, then we had a welcoming ceremony where we learned about their traditions. After that, we took a walk through the desert. This was my favorite part of the day because it was completely silent and dark in the desert. Kobi gave us 20 minutes to go off on our own, find a comfortable spot, and enjoy the silence. Afterward, we got together and individually said what we thought about and we were able to open up to each other. Also, we saw a shooting star. Sababa! Before bed, we sat around a campfire and Alex brought out her guitar. We had a sing-a-long and people from other groups joined in with us. That was fun, as well. Then we went to bed.

Sleeping in the tent was an experience in itself. It was freezing, and everyone ended up cuddling next to each other to keep warm. After breakfast, we rode camels and donkeys through the desert, which was an awesome time. Then we went to Masada and climbed up the Roman ramp.

After having a tour on the top of Masada, Courtney, Hana, Karen, Caelynn, and James had a Bnai Mitzvah Ceremony. This was an amazing experience, having the opportunity to be called to the Torah on top of Masada. I truly loved this experience.

After climbing down and having lunch, we drove to the Dead Sea. We covered ourselves in mud and wrote out RUTGERS across our bodies. The Dead Sea was an unusual experience because the water is completely different from the beaches at home. Floating was exhilarating. We had lots of fun putting mud all over each other and taking lots of pictures (sorry, but we can't upload them to this blog in Israel). After that, we drove to Netanya and stayed at the Galil Hotel.

These were some of my favorite days of the trip.

- Courtney Davis RU ‘13