Day Ten

It was a bittersweet day as we packed up our bus for the final time and headed to the holy city of Tzfat. We admired the view and explored the old synagogues, then celebrated bar and bat mitzvahs of some our group participants. We also gave several members of our group Hebrew names. "I felt like I was being introduced to my Jewish heritage," said Topher Zuleger-Freedman. "It renewed my Jewish spirit," added Sydney Schottenfeld.

After the celebrations, we went to learn about the Kaballah with Avraham Leventhal, an artist from Michigan, who moved to Israel over 15 years ago. He talked about some of the ideas behind mysticism and explained a few of his pieces of artwork.

We then explored the artists' colony and the myriad of shops in the city, with a quick break for lunch (and some frozen iced coffee and pomegranate juice of course). We left Tzfat and made our way to a scenic park for our closing program. We sat in a circle and shared our favorite mental pictures from the last ten days, and listened to our staff speak about furthering our experiences. 
"I didn't think it was possible to feel so close to people after just ten days," said Stefanie Stone. "It was an amazing wrap-up to an amazing ten days," continued Samantha Lang. "It really epitomized the togetherness and family we each found here."

Them, amid much hugs, tears, and T-shirts, we all left for the airport. While we are all so sad to leave, we know we will all be back together on campus soon.


That's the end of the MJX-Birthright Summer 2013 Blog. Looking forward to next season!

Day Nine!

Today was exciting, fun, strenuous and...wet. We started off the day driving into the Golan Heights and hiking along the Chatzbani River. We trekked through water and over rocks, all while admiring the beautiful scenery.

After lunch we went rafting in Kfar Bloom. Battle lines were drawn and bounties were set as we made our way down the Jordan River, racing each other and storming each other boats in an attempt to overthrow Rabbi K and DJ. We all emerged wet and victorious.

Once we had all dried off, we drove further up the mountains to Mitzpe Gadot, a Syrian bunker the Israelis captured in 1967. We learned about the history of the Golan Heights, and heard the story of Eli Cohen, a spy for Israel who was instrumental in the victory of the war, who was caught and murdered by the Syrians.

We ended our day by going over our entire trip with maps, marking all of the places we traveled to, then performed skits to re-enact all of our favorite moments.

(Pictures will be added shortly...)

Day Eight!

Today we said goodbye to Jerusalem and headed to Tel Aviv. Our first stop was Independence Hall, where we learned about the history of Israel's most cosmopolitan city. We learned all about the history of Tel Aviv and the founding of the State of Israel. And then it was time for some serious cultural immersion, aka shopping.  We let loose in Nachalat Binyamin, an area of Tel Aviv known for its shopping but also for its artist’s market, which is open every Tuesday. We all did our best to support the local economy. After our grueling time shopping, we spread out on the gorgeous beach and enjoyed the sun and surf. It was a perfect afternoon.

Then it was time to board the bus and drive North--way North! We arrived in the beautiful city of Tiberias and had some downtime before meeting with Roi Levy, an Israeli musician. He told us his story using his own music to enhance it. He encouraged us to enjoy everything in the moment and not to try and capture it's meaning through a secondary source like technology. Roi was fascinating, and we came away both relaxed and inspired.

Tomorrow we are going to explore the North more thoroughly and enjoy our last few days here.

Day Seven!

Today was an intense yet important day. We began the day at Mount Herzl, Israel's military cemetery. First, we learned all about Herzl, the visionary of the modern Zionist movement. We visited the grave of a relative of our guide, whose family lost many members during various wars and battles protecting the land of Israel, and then to the grave of Michael Levine, an American boy from Philadelphia who moved to Israel to join the army.

From there we went to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust museum.  We wound our way through the exhibits that depicted the rise of Hitler and the mass destruction of the Jewish people in Europe. With the help of our tour guide, we tried to grasp as much as we could about the history of the Holocaust.  Countless stories of those lost were told and we were helped to understand how both Jews and non-Jews felt and why they acted as they did.  Towards the end, we arrived at a room in which we were surrounded by Yad Vashem’s total collection of the testimonials of all those who died in the Holocaust, having collected four million thus far.  All the stories found across the world of people who died were in that room and it was moving to be surrounded by all the knowledge we have left of those people’s lives.  Finally, we watched a moving documentary about a survivor who was originally from Greece. We learned about his childhood in Soloniki and how he lost his entire family—his parents and six siblings—in the Holocaust, It was especially moving to hear his story of navigating his time in the camp and how he met his wife while there. We cried along with him as he revisited Auschwitz after more than sixty years, as a free man, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.

After this, we said goodbye to our soldiers. They each spoke about their experience with us the last five days, and how their impressions of Americans—and Israel—had changed since they joined us. Many of us were in tears as we shared thoughts of appreciation and recalled memories of our time together. 

Now we are enjoying the beautiful weather in the port of Tel Aviv. Tomorrow we explore the city and finally head up North. 

Day Six

We started our day bright and early as we made our way to the ancient City of David. We stepped through the archaeological site and marveled that we were walking the same steps King David himself walked thousands of years ago. The best part of the tour was the water caves. We waded into the caves that King David and his military used to reclaim Jerusalem. The space got smaller and smaller and deeper and deeper, but we emerged triumphantly on the other side.

We then changed out of our damp (and smelly) clothes and headed to the Old City of Jerusalem. We enjoyed a brief lesson about the Jewish Quarter, then explored the city more thoroughly (a.k.a.,  ate and shopped our way through the city). We then stopped at the Aish HaTorah Center for a lecture/musical experience with Rabbi Yom Tov Glaser, rabbi/surfer/mountain biker expert and Rav Gav Friedman, comedian/rabbi.

After a beautiful day in the Old City, went back to the hotel for dinner to prepare for tomorrow, what will likely be our most intense day of our trip, Mount Herzl and Yad Vashem, (the Israel Holocaust museum). First, our soldiers shared with us some meaningful moments from the army. We then broke up into small groups and read different quotes that gave different perspectives on the Holocaust, and discussed our connection and interpretations of them.

Days Four and Five!

Friday morning we departed Ashkelon and headed towards Jerusalem. As we approached the city, we closed the bus shades and our eyes to increase the anticipation at seeing the city from our panoramic lookout point. Our soldiers helped us off the bus and we formed a human chain. We listened to Rabbi K’s words welcoming us to our spiritual home. And then...we turned around and opened our eyes, gazing at the glowing city below us.

We then trooped over to Machane Yehuda, the big market and pedestrian mall, where we watched the locals buy food and flowers for Shabbat. We ate more falafel and schwarma and bought gifts for our “Secret Moseses,” then rushed back to the hotel to get ready for the Day of Rest.

 

We initiated this special day by convening on a rooftop in the Old City, offering us a majestic view of the Western Wall below. The siren blew, announcing the arrival of Shabbat, and we discussed the meaning of the sight below us. The girls then went off to light candles and received special gifts  for Shabbat,  and as the sun set, we marched down the steps among hundreds of other Jews, joined in singing and dancing together. It was an overwhelming and emotional moment for each of us as we stood in front of the Wall. "It was absolutely incredible," said participant Elyssa Morris. "I felt so connected to everyone around me and I was overwhelmed by the passion everyone displayed, whether it was through prayer, dancing, or singing."

 

After our meaningful experience at the Wall, we enjoyed a delicious and very lively dinner, followed by a seemingly endless lovely walk back to our hotel.The next day, we slept in and had a delicious lunch, followed by an activity where we discussed and debated different Jewish values and their connection to Jewish continuity. It was really incredible to hear everyone's thoughts and understand their views on Judaism. The rest of the day was spent relaxing around the picturesque hotel grounds, offering us all some much-needed down time. We concluded Shabbat with the Havdalah ceremony; then we switched gears to hit the town for an evening of (tempered) merrymaking and shopping at the Ben Yehuda plaza.

The night ended with a spontaneous sing-a-long on a balcony overlooking Jerusalem, the whole group arm in arm. It was the perfect ending for such a special few days. 

Day Three!

Today was a day unlike any other in Birthright history. It started off with one of the cornerstones of the trip, meeting our soldiers! We have 8 Israeli soldiers who are the same age as our students who join us for the middle 5 days--not as security, but as participants. After a quick stop for some "speed dating" to get to know each other, we headed off to the very first Taglit-Birthright Sports and Spirit Mega Event.

Together with another 2000 Birthright participants, we met up and competed against each other in a variety of sports and physical challenges. Our team designed a beautiful flag combining Testudo, UMD's mascot, and the Israeli flag, which we waved proudly as we cheered our teammates on. From tug-of-war, tractor pulls and paintball to volleyball and basketball, our team gave it their all. And what we lacked in skill, we made up for in spirit (GO MARYLAND!). Despite the heat, it was an incredible experience to bond with each other and be with so many other Jews, celebrating our homeland.

But the day did not end there! After all the sports and challenges, we were treated to an incredible show, featuring Israeli Cabinet Member Naftali Bennett and Birthright founders and sponsors Charles Bronfman and Michael Steinhardt, who so generously give their money for us to have these incredible experiences. And there was still more! After the speeches, the awards ceremony, the flag presentation....there was an energetic concert starring an Israeli reggae band called Hatikvah Shesh.

It was quite a day, and we know it will only get better, as tomorrow we (finally) make our way to Jerusalem. 

Day Two!

We got up early this morning and headed to Masada. Originally a fortress built by King Herod, a group of Jews rebelling against the Romans hid there until they were surrounded.After hiking up the trail, we explored different areas on the top of the mountain—including a synagogue, bath house, and mikveh. After a brief game of Capture the Flag, we headed down the mountain. We shopped and ate lunch, then boarded the bus for our next stop—Ein Gedi, a beautiful hike ending in a spring, where we frolicked in the falls and washed off all of our Masada dirt to prepare for...The Dead Sea. At the Dead Sea, we covered ourselves in mud and jumped in, then floated and relaxed together. It was the perfect end to our day.

But wait! It's not over! We headed out to Ashkelon, where we had dinner and prepared for tomorrow's activities--an all-day sports tournament with all the other Birthrights in the country--and one of the highlights of our trip, the arrival of the Israeli soldiers. We drew posters to depict different Israeli/American stereotypes and then reflected on our favorite moments so far. 

Today we found out why they call it the 10 day adrenaline rush.  It was a jam-packed day, and though everyone is exhausted, we are ready to hit the ground running tomorrow.

Day One

We made it! After our long flight from New York (and action-packed drive from College Park)we finally arrived in Israel! We had a brief orientation to our program and met our Israeli staff;  then we ate lunch, boarded our patriotic blue and white bus, and headed South. Our first stop--Sde Boker, where Ben-Gurion, the first prime minister of Israel is buried, alongside his wife.We posed for pictures and admired the stunning views while discussing Ben-Gurion's dream for building the desert.

 We drove through the beautiful countryside to the Bedouin tents, where we were treated to a delicious traditional feast, sitting on colorful mats and displaying excellent table manners. (Who needs utensils anyways?) We then got up close and personal with the night's main attraction, the camels. We rode off into the sunset and explored the desert, and then learned all about the Bedouin culture from one of the locals, complete with tea and music.Now it's off to bed for a jam-packed day tomorrow. Stay tuned for guest posts by our amazing participants in the days to come!