Taglit-Birthright Israel - Bus 1107 - December 2013 - Day Two
We began our day at 6:30 AM with 3 alarms going off at the
same time plus a wake-up call from the front desk; we really wanted to be on
time for our first day touring Israel. My roommates and I went to breakfast
together not knowing what to expect on the menu. I was surprised to see salads
on the table but everything else was pretty common in the U.S.
Our first stop
of the day was to visit the Golan Heights where we learned the history of the
land and why it is important for Israel to have control of it. After we saw the
incredible view from the lookout we went on a Jeep ride. It was very muddy and
there were puddles everywhere. I almost got splashed by the water, but luckily
it missed me by an inch. It was very surreal to be in a place that had so much
history of conflict. After the Jeep ride we visited an olive oil factory and
learned how it is made. The best part was that we were able to taste many
different kinds and they were all very delicious. After the oil factory we had
our first lunch in Israel which, of course, had to be Shwarma and Falafel. I will
not be able to eat Shawarma back home in the states after this experience
because it is so much better in Israel. After lunch everyone fell asleep on the
way to our next activity because we ate way too much.
We headed to Tel Dan
nature reserve to walk along the streams of the Jordan river and stopped in the
middle to play some fun games with our bus to get to know each other better and
feel more comfortable with everyone. We ended with a game that linked everyone
together and by the end everyone was laughing and having a good time. The next
stop was to Metula, the most northern city in Israel which also borders Lebanon.
We saw the border line between Israel and Lebanon and I think it was very
important for me to connect what I hear in the news to an actual place that I
have seen. Before this trip I used to listen to the news and wasn't able to
connect with the events that were going on in the middle east but after
actually seeing the land with my own eyes I see the conflicts in a different
and more tangible way. When we were in Metula we were also able to see the
hachulah valley which was very beautiful and all the mountains surrounding the
valley were covered with snow.
After we got back to the hotel me and a couple
friends walked around the kibbutz and found the beach during our free time. We
had another amazing dinner and followed it up with a great conversation about
what it means to be in a community. After we were done for the day a bunch of
people from our bus played soccer together slipping and sliding on the wet
grass. We had a great second day.
- Olivia Berlin, Junior at Michigan State University
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