Bus 1107: A Great Day

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 

Bus 1107: Welcome to Israel!

Taglit-Birthright Israel - Bus 1107- December 2013 - Day One 

After a very long day/night of traveling, bus 1107 finally arrived in Israel! We got off the plane, got our luggage, exchanged our money from dollars to the Israeli Shekel, and also picked up our rental phones. Then we got straight on the bus and headed 2 hours north to Nof Ginosar, a Kibbutz on the Keneret. While we were on the bus they gave us our first Israeli snack called krembo. Krembo is basically 3 inches of marshmallow on a graham cracker covered in chocolate, yum! 

When we arrived at the kibbutz we had our first Israeli meal of the trip and it was amazing. They had a huge table of hummus, babba ganoush, and many other types of Israeli salads and condiments, which were all delicious. They also had chicken, salmon wrapped in pastry, and spiced lamb patties on a cinnamon stick, it was all so tasty. For dessert I tried a light cake that was layered with coffee flavored whipped cream it was very good. Me and my friends also tried a persimmon which is a tasty fruit that looks like an orange tomato but is very sweet and has a soft texture. 

After dinner the whole group had an orientation to meet everyone, go over the rules, and go over the itinerary for the next day. After the meeting we went to our room which is very cozy, just enough room for 3 small beds and a bathroom. In the bathroom there was a squeegee in the shower but me and my roommates had no idea why. One of my roommates was the first to take a shower and realized that there was nothing to hold the water back in the shower and that you had to actively squeegee to not have a raging flood in the bathroom. Let's just say that I didn't listen to her and didn't actually squeegee while talking my shower and now our bathroom is quite wet...sorry roommates! We finally crawled into bed and tried to set our alarms for the morning but realized that were weren't sure what the local time was because all 5 of our electronic devices had a different time. We decided to call the trip leader to ask him what time it really was. He laughed, told us the time, and then we fell asleep watching some crazy Israeli T.V. show. It was a great first day!

- Olivia Berlin, Junior at Michigan State University 

Totally Tel Aviv

Shalom y'all,

Today we visited the Mt. Hertzl memorial site in Jerusalem before exploring the great city of Tel Aviv. We saw the graves of leaders in the Zionist movement, one being that of Itzak Rabin. Our guide Muki described to us some achievement of Rabin as the first Israel born Prime Minister. Later in the day in Tel Aviv, we drove past the location of his assassination and considered  the significance of his life. While it was a somber moment in our trip, it felt necessary for us to continue learning the history of Israel's independence.

Later, we explored the great city of Tel Aviv. We started off at the Jaffa lookout, and the view was marvelous. We then began exploring the streets of Tel Aviv. The first thing we noticed was how lively Tel Aviv is and how hip the people are. We were given free time to explore the city ourselves and check out the market. The market had a variety of things ranging from knockoff sunglasses to beautiful rugs and tapestries. I was able to grab some more (SHWARMA EVERY DAY) delicious shwarma before we left. After grabbing a few gifts, we headed to the beach for a bit. 

The beach was a great break after many long days of programs, activities and traveling. Shortly after going to the beach we were given a tour of city hall where many events took place that solidified Israel's independence. It was very fascinating to see how Tel Aviv has grown to be one of the most lively cities in the world. 

To finish off the day we visited the port for dinner. It was absolutely beautiful and the view was great. There were many nice restaurants to choose from. We all visited a chocolate factory and found many great souvenirs for those at home.  Tel Aviv was definitely one of our favorite cities and we definitely want to go back some day.

p.s. shwarma is a big deal.

- Elliott Norris & Karl Schwinghamer

Jerusalem Love

Jerusalem

Is there any other place in the world that you wouldn’t mind walking close to a dozen miles in the scorching sun all day?  Is there any place in the world you wouldn’t mind waking up at 6:30 AM and going non- stop until 11:30 at night?  Is there any other place you would want to spend hours touring buildings that are five thousand years old and filled with old, smelly men in suits? The answer is no.  You would only want to do all of that in the most beautiful and holy city in the world: Jerusalem, where the students and staff of bus 1071 were fortunate enough to spend time in today.

The day started much like any other: An early wake up, and a typical Israeli breakfast (don't expect common breakfast foods like apples, hash browns and sausage, but do expect foods filled with chocolate spread, vanilla pudding, and rice). We then listened to two interesting lectures about political science in Israel (from an award winning professor at Hebrew University) and about how Israel's public perception can be changed quickly due to media biases (from an organization called "CAMERA" which provided some of the funds for us to have our free trip). Finally, we took a short bus ride to the old city of Jerusalem, where we were quickly greeted by the burning sun, a walking tour of the old city, and extremely informative stories and information, told by our amazing tour guide, Muki, about everything from where exactly the stones that support the buildings came from to exactly how many shwarma shops there are in the old city. 

The day was filled with a variety of sights, smells (some good, some VERY bad), and explorations.  For the people whose first time it was in Jerusalem, the emotions were overwhelming.  There's just something about walking around within the walls of the old city that just feels so different, something that you can only dream of and that most people will, unfortunately, never get to experience in their lifetime.  Just to think about our Jewish biblical ancestors once roaming about on the very roads that we were roaming about on is a surreal feeling.  Many tears were shed as we all prayed for our friends and family at the western wall, and the men got to try on tfillin and talis while getting the authentic orthodox praying experience.  After more walking (and sweating) we finally took a break and got to relax, eat, drink, and shop at an outdoor mall.  This was a welcome change of pace from the cheap, but fun, knick-knack souvenir shops in the old city, that all sell the same tourist oriented items (even though most people were successful in finding plenty of gifts for friends and family).

This amazing day came to an end when we were lucky enough to watch two short films from the Jerusalem College of Video and Media. With one about the moral dilemmas that Israeli soldiers face on an everyday basis, and one about the difficult lives lead by daughters of rabbis, there was much conversation to be had together afterwards.  Jerusalem is an amazing city, and not one that any of us lucky students will ever forget.

-Max Lippitt

Boker Tov!

Boker Tov everyone!  We are all having an incredible experience so far in Israel.  The past three days have been extremely special.  We are all getting to know one another better and are enjoying learning about how incredible Israel is together.  On Sunday we went to the Holy City of Safed  where we got to see ancient temples of mystical and rationale Judaism.  While the Temples were beautiful it was also interesting to learn about a type of Judaism that many of us were not very familiar with.  The girls also loved the shopping!  Later that day we went rafting on the Jordan river which was very relaxing and refreshing.  Finally, we went to `Mount Bental where we learned about the Battle of 1967 between Israel and Syria.  It was especially moving to be able to experience it with the Israeli soldiers on our trip that we have all learned to know and love. 

Monday and Tuesday were even more busy then Sunday!  On Monday we went to Yifat where we got to meet people involved in the partnership between the metro Detroit area and their designated city in Israel.  This was especially meaningful for me because last summer my family hosted two girls from Nahalal which is Ann Arbor's sister city in Israel.  It was very cool for me to be able to see where the girls were from and be reminded of how important these partnerships are.  Later that day we went to climb Ein Ovdat which was very special.  I am afraid of heights but even I could greatly appreciate the beautiful view.  After that we went to visit the first Prime Minister of Israel, Ben Gurion's grave.  I loved learning more about this incredible person's life and why he chose that place in the dessert to be buried.  Finally, we made our way to the Bedouin tents in the dessert where we got to ride camels!  All of us were so excited for this.  While the Bedouin tents did not provide for the best sleep, it was very cool to be able to meet up with other Birthright groups from all over the country and I think it made our group even closer.

After that sleepless night we woke up at six in the morning to climb Masada.  The climb up to Masada was fairly easy and we greatly enjoyed learning about King Hordos and the sprawling castle he built upon this beautiful mountain.  The way back down was a little harder and all of us couldn't wait for lunch after that!  After that we made our way to the Dead Sea which sounded so great after walking in the dessert in extremely hot weather.  The Dead Sea was very cool, we all rubbed mud over our bodies and then jumped back in to wash it off!  After this we all crashed on the bus and made our way to the Holy City.  Upon Arriving in Jerusalem we were greeted by a woman from Hillel Israel at Mount Scopes which looked down upon Jerusalem leaving a beautiful view.  It was a very moving experience looking down on Jerusalem and saying the Motzi and reciting the Shecyanu.  It was so fun dancing around with our Hillel groups.  I am so excited to explore the old city tomorrow and go to the Western Wall.  I can't believe it will already be our seventh day, I already know I'm going to be missing Israel and the lifelong friends I've made.

- Maya Greifer 

Bus 1071 Adventures

Greetings from Israel!

Hello from Israel!  To all the parents who have been checking this blog to see how we are all doing, don't worry, we are great! Between the arrival, activities, and celebration of Shabbat this past weekend, we could not get to a computer to write to all of you and let you know how we are doing.  So we guess we'll just start from the beginning.  The first flight was long but meeting everyone was a great thing to do on a long flight because honestly we didn't have anything better to do than talk on a seven and a half hour plane ride.  The multiple days of travel definitely took a toll on our sense of time, it felt like 4 or 5 days not 36 hours.

The flight into Tel Aviv was nice, customs was a breeze and meeting the Israeli soldiers was a great experience to have.  The soldiers are all from different parts of the Israeli army and all have very cool and interesting stories as they all are at different parts of their tours and all have different stories to tell.  The soldier's names are Aviv, Noga, Gal, Chen, and Ya'el.  They are all on vacation from their tours and it's really nice to know that even the people who live here haven't seen it all or done it all.  They are people just like us and like we haven't all seen all of our home states and countries, they haven't seen all of the things there is to see in Israel even though it is their home.  But I digress.  The first place we went to was Ashkelon and it was a great time meeting everyone fully and visiting the town, getting the first real taste of the Israeli lifestyle was a fantastic experience to have.

On Friday, we visited Ceasaria and had our wonderful tour guide, Muki, show us the first of many great places we have seen thus far.  We visited Herod's Palace and learned of the Roman occupation of Israel.  we got to get our first taste of the mediteranian sea since we were able to feel the sand,  smell the air, and hear the water. ramot hamadiv was the next place that we traveled, followed by the memorial garden in zichron yachov. This is the memorial site for Barron Rothschild. It was a beautiful garden that showed how prosperous the area is and is resilient throughout time. We enjoyed a secular shabbat service led by Muki and Jess (a participant on the trip). We had a wonderful dinner that evening. The next day was Shabbat so the entire town was shut down. We were able to take a walking tour of a Druez village which we are currently staying in.

Shabbat ended with Havdalah. We then had a free night in Naharym and were able to bond with one another in the land of Israel. 

Keep checking back for more updates from Bus 1071! 

North Carolina ASB

This spring break, I went with a group of 15 other Michigan state university students to Bayboro, North Carolina to clean up after hurricane Irene. In the fall, I became one the alternative spring break chairs at Michigan State Hillel house meaning I would help plan a charitable spring break trip for Jewish college students. The plans ended up completely different as they started; we expanded the trip, through Destination Detroit, to people of all races and religions at Michigan State, Grand Valley, Central, Kalamazoo, Eastern, Western and Albion. As the trip neared I was anxious of how it would go because of the unfamiliarity I had with the new group of trip goers; however, although different from my expectations, the trip turned out to be life changing. We arrived to a town in North Carolina, population one thousand, where there were more churches than businesses and every food was fried. It was completely different than any of us were used to and at first we were a little apprehensive, especially when they told us the daily schedule. We had to be up at 6:30, to the work site at 8 and after a long day of work we could return to the church at 5 for showers and dinner. I think we were all nervous about having to work that hard with the only reward being the satisfaction of helping other in need. However, after the first day I think all of our mindsets had changed. The people in town told us about the hurricane while we worked and I think we were shocked to realize how horribly random it would be if that happened in Detroit and how blessed we were to not have to face coastal increments. It felt good to make a difference for those who do not have the luxury of doing it themselves. Not only did the work bring us satisfaction but it also brought us together. It went from riding in a car with two African Americans and Asian Americans I did not know or feel any connection to, to singing Mulan, laughing about college life, and painting the walls with new friends. As the trip progressed, we grew closer and sometimes discussed the marginalization we sometimes all feel as Jews, blacks and Asians; I think we all realized we have more in common than we think. We all had a great time together and have plans to reunite at one boys house for homemade Korean food, all attend a Black Caucus meeting with one of the presidents of the organization on our trip, and to all sit down for Shabbat dinner at the Hillel house. I am glad to say I made a new group of diverse friends roofing a family’s house in Bayboro than partying on a beach in Florida. I am honored to have been a part of making this trip happen and will carry the lessons it has taught me throughout my life. Alternative Spring Break 2013 was not easy, but nothing life changing ever is.

Charlotte Master
Alternative Spring Break Chair

Alternative Spring Break: New Orleans

Our journey began with a group of 13 students from three different Universities: Michigan State University, Central Michigan University, and Grand Valley State University.   It was so heartwarming to have a group of students, many underclassmen, open up so quickly.  Through the words of Sarah Shulman, “I feel one of the most valuable lessons we learned was not from the farmers but from each other, going on a trip such as this one with 12 other 'strangers' is something that not everyone would do. I mean, I am so thankful for this trip because no matter what problems and stressors we encountered, support was always exuded by all, meeting each other was a learning experience because we all have different personalities and lifestyles and it was awesome to learn about and from others and within a few hours become comfortable enough to be our true selves”

Whether someone needed motivation to get through the physically exhausting workday or applying aloe to a heat rash back at the center, we became each other’s support system.  This support system gave us the opportunity to give back to the community at our highest potential. These experiences were ones none of us will forget.   It is amazing to hear the inspirational stories and the dedication of all the community partners.  Especially the farmers we were able to get close with. 

After canvassing for political justice in New Orleans, the volunteer coordinator, Gahiji, took us down to the lower 9^th ward where Hurricane Katrina hit the hardest. What really amazed the group was how much devastation was still present. Gahiji explained to us that a lot of people did not have enough money or did not receive appropriate refunds from insurance companies to properly rebuild their homes. It was really sad to see the spray-painted Xs on the homes stating how many people in the house were still alive; it reminded us of the Jews in the Holocaust who were singled out, not having the power to do fight for their freedom.

The racism dialogue helped us become more understanding of the racial battles that are still prevalent in all of society, especially New Orleans.  This was a structured dialogue led by two professionals who stimulated conversation between the two groups residing at the Center for Ethical Living and Social Justice Renewal

Green light was a unique opportunity because we got to enter homes all over the community with various different socioeconomic statuses.  This is an organization that doesn’t discriminate by income.  It helps install Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs in any home in the Orleans Parish that wishes to become more sustainable.  It was touching to witness the raw emotions exposed by revealing the amount of money that would be saved by the simple change of installing

            While navigating through the city, we drove past Tulane University’s Hillel house. As a Hillel group, we instantly felt excitement and were eager to go in and visit. We entered the house, and immediately, our jaws dropped in awe. It was such a beautiful place with great resources for students on Tulane’s campus. They were implementing the ‘Green Revolution’ that New Orleans is aiming for; they provided meals for students using local ingredients and had sustainable energy sources throughout the building. The house was homey, and had beautiful portraits on the walls, Macintosh computers, and a lovely dining area for Shabbat dinners and other meals. The Hillel house also provided yoga classes and Krav Maga classes to help ease the stress of being a student. They invited us for dinner, but we already had plans to indulge in the authentic southern cuisine.

We would like to Thank ASMSU and Repair the World for granting us with funds for this unbelievable trip.  We could not have done it without their financial support.  We would also like to extend our thanks to The Center for Ethical Living and Social Justice Renewal for their gracious accommodations. 

This alternative break is supported in part by Repair the World, to learn more about Repair the World, please visit www.weRepair.org.