Tyler Gross and Sam Nebel

The crisp desert air of the Negev entered the tent and served as a natural alarm clock.  7:45am seems like a late start following an action packed day of Masada, the Dead Sea, and a Bedouin feast that started yesterday at 4:15am!  After a delicious breakfast (by the way the Israeli soldiers interacted with us by breakfast time would have lead others to believe that we had known them our entire lives) including Turkish coffee, fresh Bedouin style bread and chocolate spread, among other commonplace Israeli breakfast items… we went on a camel ride in the desert.

Fresh Bedouin Bread

Rachel & Heather Enjoy the Camels

Abby & Josh... Lovin' the Ride

It would be a lie to say if the group claimed that some of us weren’t a tad bit intimidated.  The camels were a lot bigger that we thought!  The 20 minute ride included a beautiful view of the canyons and dunes that the Negev has to offer.

The rapid pace of this unique experience seemed to quickly end as we left the Bedouin tents.  Not to worry though, because our next stop was Nachal Haverim.  Usually on our hikes we stop to have discussions, but today we stood atop a hill and silently observed and absorbed the calm, desolate area surrounding us.  We looked out and took in the fact that the landscape hasn’t changed since the days when our Father Abraham walked this desert and pitched his tent here.  We listened to the voice of the desert wind bringing fresh air to our faces.  The wind was the only sound we could hear for miles.  Not to mention the view was nothing short of breathtaking.

A View Over Nachal Haverim

We finished our hike through the rolling hills.  After the hike we went to Kibbutz Sde Boker to the tomb of David Ben Gurion, the first Prime Minister of Israel.  At Ben Gurion’s tomb, we discussed his lasting role in establishing the State of Israel, and his reading of the Declaration of Independence on May 14, 1948.  We also discussed Ben Gurion’s life and philosophies including his time at Kibbutz Sde Boker in the Negev.

Next we went to the Bedouin Market in Be’er Sheva, where our beloved tour guide, Lior was raised.  This market was very different from the one we visited in Jaffa, as it was less geared towards tourist and more so for the needs of the city’s residents.  The market was made up of hundreds of individual stalls selling candy, clothing, toys, meats, fish and a plethora of fresh fruits and vegetables featuring oranges, dates and of course the Jewish fruit… pomegranates.  The seeds were delicious.

From the Market we drove to the Holy City of Jerusalem, where we arrived after dark.  We had a couple hours for dinner and some time to clean up before we went to the Old City for an incredible late night tour of the Western Wall Tunnels.  The Tunnel is an archaeological excavation which began after Israel liberated the Old City during the 1967 Six Day War.  The excavations took over 20 years and have exposed the full length of the Western Wall of the Retaining Wall that King Herod built around the Temple Mount.  It was a remarkable experience that took us under the Muslim Quarter of the Old City and back over 2,000 years of Jewish History.    We also had a chance to experience the Kotel (the Western Wall) at night which was a fairly surreal experience.  We  went back to the hotel overwhelmed and exhausted after such an amazing day.

Western Wall Tunnel

Western Wall Tunnel

Ancient Aquaduct at the End of the Tunnel

Jonah Rosenthal on top of Masada

There is a saying at my school – “Up in the morning with the rising sun.”

Well, this morning started even before that.  In fact by the time the sun rose we had already woken up, packed our suitcases, checked out of the hotel and driven half an hour from Arad, reached our destination and climbed to the top of the mountain that so many of us had heard so much about… Masada!

Although the story of Masada is a tragic tale, there is no denying the significance of it to myself and to every Jew; as a small group of Jews defied the entire Roman Empire almost 2,000 years ago on the top of this remote mountain in the desert.  When the Jews realized that the Roman Tenth Legion had finally reached the summit of their mountain fortress, they chose an honorable death at their own hands rather than defeat to the Romans.  We heard the moving final words of Elazar Ben Yair, the leader of the Jews on Masada:

“Long ago we resolved to serve neither the Romans nor anyone else but God.  Now the time has come that forces  us to prove our determination by our deeds.  At a time like this, we must not disgrace ourselves.  Hitherto we have never submitted to slavery, even when it brought no danger with it.  We must not choose slavery now. For we were the first of all to revolt, and shall be the last to break off the struggle.  And I think it is God who has given us this privilege, that we can die nobly and as free men.  In our case it is evident that day-break will end our resistance, but we are free to choose an honorable death with our loved ones. This our enemies cannot prevent, however earnestly they may pray to take us alive; nor can we defeat them in battle.”

“Let our wives die unabused, our children without knowledge of slavery.  After that, let us do each other an ungrudging kindness, preserving our freedom as a glorious winding-sheet. But first let our possessions and the whole fortress go up in flames.  It will be a bitter blow to the Romans, that I know, to find our persons beyond their reach and nothing left for them to loot. One thing only let us spare — our store of food.  It will bear witness when we are dead to the fact that we perished, not through want but because, as we resolved at the beginning, we chose death rather than slavery.”

With the tale fresh in my mind, a tear formed in my eye as I stood atop this mountain watching the sunrise, as I imagined Elazar Ben Yair did so many times as well.  All of us were moved by this experience and felt something very special on top of Masada.

Sunrise from the top of Masada

Derek on Masada

Matt on Masada with the Dead Sea in the Distance

After a couple hours on top of the mountain we began the exciting adventure of climbing down the mountain via “The Snake Path.”  It is a long, winding, beautiful and perhaps somewhat dangerous path.  Finally, over an hour later, we were all at the base of mountain; tired, exhausted, thirsty and in pain from the lengthy hike but all of us were exhilarated by the thought of our connection to Masada.

The Whole Group on Top of Masada

Looking Down The Snake Path

Next on our itinerary today was more hiking.  This time to the beautiful desert oasis of Ein Gedi.  We learned that this is the place where David, before he became King of Israel fled when King Saul tried to kill him.  Today it’s a beautiful national park.  We hiked a long trail which led us to a wonderful desert pool.  After a quick dip in the pool, we kept hiking until we reached a gorgeous waterfall.  It truly is an oasis.

Students Swimming at Ein Gedi

From Ein Gedi we drove to the Dead Sea.  Floating along with all of us in this incredible place at the lowest point on earth, were all of our thoughts from the day.   The Dead Sea is so salty and with such a high concentration of minerals that nothing can live in its waters….. and nothing can sink.  Some of us caked ourselves with the Dead Sea’s famous, therapeutic mud and some us just walked slowly into the chilly waters.  It’s a weird experience to get into a body of water and not be able to sink.  We all had a great time and were sorry that it seemed to have ended too quickly, but also floating in the water with us all were our thoughts about the day.  I tried to clarify my own thoughts about the day; about everything we had been experiencing, about Israel, about Masada, about the past, about the present, and about what it means to be a Jew and part of this incredible people, but it seems the more answers I seek, the more questions I find.

Bus #3 Participants Floating in the Dead Sea

Once we all finally got on the bus, we had a two hour ride to a Bedouin camp.  We were welcomed by Saleem who gave us an introduction to Bedouin culture.  We learned about the traditions, and then were treated to a delicious Bedouin feast.  Afterward we had a program of stargazing in the desert sky and a bonfire.  It’s hard to imagine that our day began at 4:00am and there’s no doubt that we are all going to sleep well tonight… together on the floor of a  big Bedouin tent.

I guess you could say it was a pretty overwhelming day, and one that none of us are likely ever to forget.

Saleem Teaches Us About Bedouin Culture

After an wonderful night on the town at the Port of Tel Aviv, we all had a 7:00am wake-up call.  We rolled out fo bed to pack and eat breakfast.  As breakfast came to an end, and we filed into the bus, the soldiers we made our way to Rabin Square where we were greeted by 8 Israeli soldiers.   After spending time learning about Yitzhak Rabin, his achievement and assassination, we got back on the bus again to make our way to the south of the country. We were joined by a filmmaker from LA named LauraBialis.  She had heard about the town in Israel that was being constantly bombarded with qassam rockets and wanted to learn more about it since it seemed that the world media didn’t care.  She learned that Sderot was famous in Israel as a place that produced the best rock bands in the country.  So she made a documentary called “Rock in the Red Zone.”  She showed us a trailer for the movie on the bus and we learned about the amazing music scene in this little town.   You can learn about her documentary at www.sderotmovie.com.   We continued our drive to an overlook and were able to see the Gaza Strip, where we learned about the area and looked out on what turned out to be a lovely view… by the looks of it anyway.   We received an excellent explanation of the current situation in Gaza and began to get a better understanding.  Our understanding of the situation was about to seriously change as we got on the bus and headed over to Sderot.  Five minutes from the overlook is Sderot.  We entered the town which is beautiful, but this is the place that up until the war last year in Gaza, had been hit by qassam rockets launched from Gaza every day for the past 7 years; sometimes as many as 60 rockets a day would land in Sderot.  Laura pointed out all of the bomb shelters ever couple hundred feet, because when a “Code Red” alert was announced over the town’s loud speakers, the people had only 15 seconds to get to a shelter before a qassam would hit.  Even the playgrounds in the town were constructed as bomb shelters.   Now, the situation is pretty quiet and it was hard for us to imagine what life was like then in this beautiful little place.

Students on a Playground in Sderot. The Caterpillars are Bomb Shelters

From Sderot we went to Moshav Yechini (where our staff member Olga lives) outside of Sderot, where a traditional Yemenite meal of Jachnun was prepared for us.  We saw an informational film about a new movement which established this Moshav and what they are doing around the country to encourage young adults to move to more remote areas and create new communities.  It was very interesting.  After the film we got back on the bus and 45 minutes later arrived at Shvil HaSalat, about 5 miles from the Egyptian Border.

Enjoying Traditional Yemenite Jachnun at Yechini

Shvil HaSalat is an amazing farm in the middle of the desert.  This really is a perfect example of how Israel has made the Desert Bloom.  All of the water used at Shvil HaSalat is reclaimed water from Jaffa that is piped down to the desert and purified.  We first went to a huge green house that had rows and rows and rows of hanging strawberry plants.  Our guide explained how they raise them and then let us pick strawberries from the vine and eat them.  They were DELICIOUS!  It was really interesting.

In the Strawberry House at Shvil HaSalat

Then we got back on the bus and went to the citrus orchard where there we thousands of orange, grapefruit, lemon, pomello and kumquat trees.   We picked the fruit and even made necklaces from the kumquats.  He also taught us about pigeons.  Yes, pigeons.  Shvil HaSalat has a large number of homing pigeons.  He told us how they do it and then gave each of us a pigeon to let go.  He said that they would be waiting for us when we reached the end of our trip at his home which was 20 kilometers away.  After the pigeons, it was back on the bus for a drive to the vegetable garden at his home.  Carrots of different colors, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers were all there for the picking.  Then our guide made us fresh Bedouin style bread with a  fresh pesto spread that he made in his herb house.  It was an incredible experience and we were all amazed to see how Israel really did make the desert bloom.  Oh yeah, and the pigeons were waiting for us at his home.

Erica and Ashley Making Kumquat Necklaces

Preparing to Release our Pigeons at Shvil HaSalat

Ethan & Alyssa Picking Vegetables at Shvil HaSalat

We were all exhausted after a full day and drove 2 hours to our next overnight stop in Arad.  We’re going to sleep early because we have to get up at 4:ooam to climb Masada in the morning.  We’re all very excited.

]]> http://suncoasthillels.wordpress.com/2009/12/26/day-5/feed/ 2 scubijew Mari Prauer DSC00533 - #2 Resized DSC00553 - Resized Enjoying Jachnun in Yechini DSC00570 DSC00583 - Resized DSC00602 - Resized Releasing our pigeons DSC00610 - Resized http://suncoasthillels.wordpress.com/2009/12/21/52/ http://suncoasthillels.wordpress.com/2009/12/21/52/#comments Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:03:58 +0000 scubijew http://suncoasthillels.wordpress.com/?p=52 ]]> Today’s post is from Amy Share, Eckerd College ’12.

Amy Share with Mt Hermon in the distance

“Today Bus 3 went to Independence Hall in Tel Aviv, which was a nice change from the history of war and conflict that we’ve been learning about for the past couple days.  The building in which the State of Israel was declared was the first building ever built in Tel Aviv.  It was owned by the first Mayor of Tel Aviv, Meir Dizengof, who donated to the city to serve as an art museum just before his death.   It was a very moving experience.  Our guide told us about the circumstances surrounding the ceremony and then played a recording of David Ben Gurion, the first Prime Minister of Israel, making the Declaration of the Establishment of the State.  This was followed by the playing of HaTikvah, the national anthem of Israel.

Bus 3 at Independence Hall in Tel Aviv

Afterwards we headed by foot to the port and old city of Jaffa.   We had a beautiful view of the Mediterranean Sea as we walked along the coast the Jaffa.   Once we arrived we learned about the history of the city, going all the way back to the time of the Prophet Jonah (yes, the one who was swallowed by a whale).   It is a beautiful place and we all took a lot of pictures.

We then went to the Jaffa Market and shopped around.  We bargained with the vendors.  Some of us got souvenirs at great prices and some of us didn’t.  For lunch I had a felafel which was delicious, but others had fish straight from the sea and others had shakshuka.  Everyone was satisfied.

After lunch and shopping we went to the Jaffa Institute where we learned about the different programs they provide like providing food boxes for under privileged families and after school programs for children at risk from poverty and crime.  After the presentation we packaged food boxes in their warehouse and then went to the children’s center where we played with kids who were taking part in their after school programs.  It was so much fun playing soccer with the children and teaching them tricks with their computer games or helping them with their English homework.

Helping at the Jaffa Institute's After School Program

Jaffa Institute's After School Program

It’s been a long day, but we’re going out shortly for a night on the town in Tel Aviv.  We’re not going to get back late so I thought I’d do Rabbi Ed a favor and get this done early so he could post it.

We’re all fine and are having a great time.

Amy Share – Eckerd College

A FEW MORE ITEMS….

Here are some people we’d like to introduce you too:

Our Amazing Tour Educator - Lior

The Other Half of our Staff - Olga

Our Fearless Security Guard & Medic - Yuda

We all had a restful Shabbat and the real pace of Birthright is kicking in.  Our 6:30 wake up call gave everyone enough time for breakfast so that we could be on the bus and on our way to Mt Bental at 8:00am.  We climbed the road up the Golan Heights to Mt Bental which is a large mountain on the border with Syria.  It was an Israeli army base that provided front line intelligence to the IDF for many years before it was moved to another location nearby, and now Mt Bental provides visitors with the same view the army had.  It was a brisk morning and we could see well into Syria with the snow capped peak of Mt Hermon (the largest mountain in Israel) looming behind us.  Lior gave us a comprehensive overview of the Yom Kippur War and how the Golan Heights played a significant role in that conflict.

Lior Teaching about the Yom Kippur War on Mt Bental

Erica, Rebecca, Ashley, Amy and Lauren on Mt Bental

After Mt Bental we went to a new business at Kibbutz Ein Zivan, called De Karina.  It is a chocolate factory on the Kibbutz.  We had a tour of the factory and were treated to a chocolate tasting.   It was wonderful to see Israel producing boutique chocolates as good as anything you would find in the United States.  The fact that it was being produced at a beautiful little kibbutz on the Golan Heights just added to the sweetness of the chocolate.

From the Golan we took a long bus ride down to the Galilee for a unique experience.  We viewed the Security Barrier which Israel erected to stop terrorists from infiltrating the country and perpetrating attacks against Israel citizens.  We all learned about the controversial barrier, but we had the opportunity to hear from and speak with a local resident named Zeevkah, who explained that the Israelis in the area are very pleased that their lives are much safer now than they were back in 2003 and 2004.  We then had a special program which took us to the Israeli Arab village of Umm Al Khatif to visit with an Israeli Arab family to learn their perspective on living as a minority in the Jewish State.  It was an eye opening conversation and something that everyone appreciated.  We sat in the back yard of Hamudah’s home in Umm Al Khatif surrounded by fruit trees and listened to what Hamudah had to say and asked him questions.  From there we went to Kibbutz Ein Shemer to learn about a program of Jewish-Arab co-existence.  It was an incredibly educational afternoon and helped everyone to gain a better understanding of the complexities of the political situation in Israel.  We then drove to Tel Aviv where we checked into our hotel, ate dinner and then broke up into small groups to discuss the afternoon experiences.  The conversations were lively and inspiring.

Everyone was tired, but we found the energy to walk a couple blocks to go to a coffee shop/bar on the beach in Tel Aviv for a relaxing evening of conversation amongst 40 new found friends.

It was a great day…. and we can’t wait for tomorrow.

Ed

Due to some technical difficulties, it looks like the first email that was supposed to have been sent didn’t get sent until today.  So it’s a little behind because we’re already here and having a fantastic experience.

Day 1:  We arrived safely at Ben Gurion Airport at about 6:00am, went through passport control and customs with ease and without incident.  We all got our luggage, converted money, picked up our phone that we rented and got on the bus for a 3 hour drive to the Holy City of Tzfat in the northern Galilee.

There was a slight delay because it was raining and as we climbed the mountains of the Galilee the fog was so thick it slowed us down a bit, but it only added to the mystic of the area.  Tzfat is holy because it is it the place from where the Kabbalah has always emanated.  So the fog added a nice touch.  After getting an historical over from our tour educator Lior, we walk through the narrow winding street and up and down the treacherous stairways to take in all we could of this beautify city.

Tzfat in the Rain

Unfortunately, because it was so close to Shabbat we weren’t able to get into some of the synagogues, but we had a wonderful opportunity to walk through and browse the artist colony of Tzfat.  After lunch in Tzfat we got back to the bus for a quick drive to Kibbutz Gonen in the Golan Height.

We arrived at Gonen with enough time to clean up (remember we still hadn’t showered since the plane ride over) and get ready for Shabbat.   Since it was also the last night of Hanukkah, we lit a full Menorah and sang some Hanukkah songs before we lit the Shabbat candles and brought in our first Shabbat in Israel.  We had a very nice Kabbalat Shabbat Service followed by dinner in the Kibbutz Dining Hall.  After dinner, we had an orientation session to the next ten days, we did some ice breakers to help everyone get to know each other, and then we at Sufganiyot (jelly donuts customarily eaten in Israel during Hanukkah).  After this, we were all exhausted so everyone went to bed and slept the type of restful sleep that one only gets on Shabbat in Israel.

Day 2:  Since everyone was so exhausted from the flight over and the full day of traveling yesterday, they got to sleep in and had a late breakfast in the Dining Hall (Chadar Ochel in Hebrew).  After breakfast we got a tour of Kibbutz Gonen and an explanation of the history of the Kibbutz.    The weather cleared up from yesterday and we could not have asked for better weather for a nice walk around the Kibbutz.  Our guide, Tzubik, took us around the Kibbutz and we all were pretty overwhelmed by the gorgeous views of the Hula Valley which spread out before us.

The Hula is the finger of the Galilee in the far north of Israel.  It is bordered on one side by the mountains of the Galilee and on the other (the side we’re on) by the Golan Heights.  We could see Kiryat Shemona (the largest city in the upper Galilee) before us, and Misgav Am, a kibbutz looking down from the highest peak on the other side of the valley.  Later in the afternoon we had a wonderful session with Lior, giving us an introduction to the many cultures of Israel and the Middle East in general.  We played some games for fun to help everyone continue to get to know each other and we concluded with Havdalah to end Shabbat.  Then we had dinner and got ready for our evening program… a trip to Hamat Gader.

Hamat Gader are the hot springs of Gader located at a beautiful kibbutz on the Jordanian border.  The hot springs are modern and beautiful and located next to the excavated ruins of the ancient Roman spa that they build at Hamat Gader almost 2,000 years ago.  The water is said to have healing properties.  All I can say is that it was so hot and relaxing that we all understood what the Romans also knew.  The hot springs of Hamat Gader are AMAZING.

Bus #3 Enjoying the Hot Pools at Hamat Gader

We stayed for a couple hours and then took the 40 minute bus ride back to Gonen and arrived at about midnight.  All of the students are now asleep, and I (with the technical difficulties which kept the Notes from the Road being sent out yesterday under control) am sending you this email.  I’m sitting on the porch of the Kibbutz office using their wifi, with an owl hooting close by and the jackals of the Golan are howling in the distance.  The Golan is a very rural area, and everything is so peaceful and quiet.  As the Psalmist said: “it is as if we were dreaming.”  We’ve been waiting for this trip for so long, all of us feel like we’re in a dream.  A very wonderful dream.

From now on, the Notes will be written by the students and you’ll get their perspective.  For now, I just wanted to let you know that everyone is safe, well fed, rested and having a fantastic experience in Israel.

I wish you all Laila Tov (Good Night) and Halomot Paz (Sweet Dreams) and will send you the next installment (internet allowing) from the great city of Tel Aviv.

Ed