Bus 937 Enters Jerusalem

Friday was when the “fun trip” became an “amazing trip”.  We all woke up early at our hotel, ate a nice Israeli breakfast, and hopped into our bus.  Our first stop was the Kinnerat Cemetery, which was a place along the Kinnerat filled with the graves of some of the earliest settlers of modern day Israel.  It was there that we learned about the early Zionist pioneers and their dreams for the state of Israel.  It was also a plus for us to have some of the soldiers joining us on the trip (even Dor…J ), because even though our guide was very interesting, they made it even better, offering a different and unique perspective. 

On our way to Jerusalem, we passed the West Bank, which was a very interesting part of our trip, because back in the United States, all we know about is what we saw on the news, and the fact is that this area that we were passing through was the center of it all.  Truthfully, there were some bunkers and tanks, which we could see, but it was a lot different than what most of us had thought it would be like.

After we passed through there, we entered the city of Jerusalem.  One of the best memories of this for us was when we were driving through the tunnel to enter the city, and one of our trip leaders (Sam) got up and right before we entered, he said “Ladies and gentleman, look to the left and you will see the city of Jerusalem.”  Immediately, we saw a bright light at the end of the dark tunnel, and we all shifted ourselves to the left side of the bus.  While looking at the city that we have heard so much about (but never been too) was an amazing sight for all of us, the looks on all of our faces were absolutely priceless. 

After we arrived in Jerusalem, we stopped at Mount Scopus, overlooking the city and all of its beauty.  There, we admired the beautiful view with several other Birthright trips, and we all partook in the traditional “schehechiyanu” blessing.  But not before we busted out into a crazy, emotional dance session.  It was truly a magical experience, not only to see Jerusalem, but to share it with other people, and express it through song and dance. 

Next we went to the Machaneh Yehuda Market, where we had about an hour and a half to walk around and just explore.  Searching through the market, we experienced tastes and smells that reminded us of something from our childhood while also encountering things that were alien to us.  Some of us bought lunch (falafel, shwarama, etc), some bought knick-nacks, and some just stopped and listened to the funny looking lady playing the ukulele at the front of the market. 

With Shabbat looming, we checked into our hotel in Jerusalem, washed up, rested, and got ready for a nice and relaxing Shabbat. 

A lot of people would agree that today was hands down the best and emotional day of our trip so far.  It only gets better from here, and I hear that we may get to sleep in on Shabbat…

-Noah Rozenberg

 Bus 937 takes a picture with a beautiful view of Jerusalem

 

Israeli Dancing

Bus 937 Gets Spiritual in Tsfat

Today we woke up at the crack of dawn as usual (6:30 a.m.), and went for an early morning hike along the peak of Mount Meron with views of the Upper Galilee. It was chilly when we got off the bus but we were thankful it wasn’t warmer while we were hiking.

After the hike we headed to Safed to meet our eight soldiers that will be joining us for five days. There are five men and three women, all very friendly and eager to join our lively group of Americans. After a quick lunch in Safed, we went to a glass blowing demonstration where an American-Israeli artist Shava  Chaya spoke with us about her life in Israel while creating a beautiful mezuzah cover out of glass. Then we toured the spiritual town of Safed and its old synagogues that preserve traditional values and practices.

We ended day four with our last dinner at the hotel, followed by a group discussion about our individual connections with Israel. Tonight is our last night in Tiberias and we’re looking forward to see what Jerusalem has to offer tomorrow.

-Danielle Beer

 

Glassblowing in Tsfat

 

Delicious Shwarma Lunch with Rafi

Noah's Great Adventure

                With all the amazing sites we had visited in the past three days, we finally had a chance to experience some of the religious aspects of Israel.  Today we had the opportunity to visit the mystical kabballah city of Tzfat.   After our scenic drive from our hotel, we came to a city that was breath taking.  After an earthquake destroyed the old city in 1837, Tzfat was rebuilt with buildings overlooking the picturesque valleys surrounding it, with winding cobblestone streets to match.  The city had a certain sense of calmness even though the town’s people were out in the street, enjoying what was the beginning of a gorgeous day.  We began our Tzfat experience by meeting a representative from a local community service organization.  She gave us a mission, a Tzedek (Justice) mission.  She explained that Israel is very rich in stones, but many areas including Tzfat lack lush green places for the local people to enjoy and relax.  She challenged us to help her build a local park, a challenge that would not only help their organization and the city, but an experience that we could apply to better ourselves as well.  By working in teams of gardeners, schleppers, and cement mixers, we were able to build upon what other groups had started and laid the ground work for future groups to complete the park.  In only a short hour, we were able to make a huge difference in the makings of this park.

                After our Tzedek experience, we continued our hike through Tzfat and were able to see amazing scenery the city overlooks.  At the end of this hike we had the pleasure of meeting up with eight Israeli soldiers, for girls and four boys, who will be a part of our group for the next five days.  We did some ice breakers getting to know each other a bit and then took a lunch break.  This might have been my personal favorite day for lunch thus far.  Sitting eating delicious falafel, on the top of old city steps that went down the side of the mountain, watching the towns people go about their business, and again enjoying the breath taking scenery could not have been a better way to have eaten lunch, of course ending with some amazing ice cream. 

After lunch we continued with a tour of Tzfat.  On the tour we were supposed to keep in mind that most everything we saw had some sort of mystical meaning associated with it.  Right at the start of our journey we were lucky enough to be invited to a private concert of sorts in a little area off the walking path.  Two men graced us with their talents on traditional Israeli instruments; it was a real treat.  We then went to visit two synagogues, both attached to unique stories.  One had no mezuzah.  As most know, mezuzahs are supposed to be placed on the entrance to every Jewish home.  Rabbis at this synagogue decided that a home is a place where one sleeps, talks or eats, however here none of this occurred, only praying and worship.  We went inside and got to see how beautiful these buildings could be.  We continued to another synagogue where there was a special torah.  This torah was made in Spain in the 15^th century however when the Jews were exiled from Spain in 1492, the torah was saved and relocated to the synagogue in Tzfat.  One night hundreds of years later, all of the kabballistic rabbis in Tzfat had the same dream.  They all dreamed that the torah spoke to them and wanted to be reunited to its original synagogue.  They met the next day and while all realized this was physically impossible, they used one of the principles of kabballah and changed the reality of the situation.  They were able to bring the original synagogue to Tzfat, and the torah was once again with its original home, a truly amazing story.

We then were let loose to explore the market place in Tzfat.  It was quite the experience as there were a multitude of small shops to browse though, all crammed together on both sides of the street,  with many people trying to walk around the crowded streets.  There was beautiful jewelry and artwork displayed everywhere, along with clothing and toy shops.  Some people chose to buy things, after dealing with some of the vendors trying to take advantage of the tourist, while some only chose to buy the fresh squeezed orange juice made from locally grown oranges, absolutely delicious!  After one more icebreaker-ish activity, we headed to see a local artist who shared with us her journey from living in Denver to making alyiah and living in Tzfat.  She explained to us a kabballah belief of how instead of focusing on the negatives in life, if only one positive thing can be extracted from any situation, it can be a looked upon as a positive situation.  She shared with us her artwork, which she uses as a release to get through the tough times of war which she has recently had to live through.  While bombs are falling on the night sky, focus only on the stars she said, and soon that is all you see.  She also shared with us by blowing a glass pomegranate, connecting more with the ideas of kabballah, reminding us to always be aware of our breathing, and how every breath can be a spiritual experience.  She was a pleasure to learn from.

This concluded our day in Tzfat, a day in which we all learned so much, Kabballah.  Tomorrow we head to Tel Aviv, a place where we expect to experience nothing less than another amazing day.

Shalom,

Noah Zucker

Bus 935 in the Golan Heights

Scott, Rob and Josh looking out over Tzfat

Ari and Brandon schlepping supplies in Tzfat

Bus 935 listening to Yishai, our amazing Tour Educator

Bus 937 Explores the North

An early wake up caught us off guard; while some woke up too early, others struggled to breakfast.  I think we finally are all on Israeli time!  Our first stop was to the Syrian memorial where Nikola told us about how Israel was formed and how the 1967 war was won in basically only two days due to the strategic planning of the strong Israeli Army.  After the history lesson, we headed to the Israel-Syria border.  We all walked up to a lookout where we could actually look into Syria. 

After walking through an old Israeli bunker, we headed to lunch.  This was the first experience with Shwarma for many of the MSU students.  Although the look on some people’s faces suggested that the Shwarma wouldn’t be a hit, the consensus was that everyone was craving more, and I am sure that it wont be the last time we indulge in some traditional Israeli lunch!  Post-lunch we headed to a nature hike.  It was very beautiful and enjoyed by all of the students.  

Our action-packed day ended with a raft ride down the Jordan River.  Splashing fights and a race to the finish made this ride great for all.  Finally, we headed back to the hotel for dinner and an evening activity.

After this, we hit the Tiberias streets! We walked down the boardwalk and visited the various street vendor stands, and danced at an outdoor nightclub.

All of the students are having a great time and can’t wait for the next activities. Tomorrow, we will meet the Israeli Misgash (Israeli soldiers), who will spend the next few days with us.  In addition, we will be seeing live glassblowing!  More fun surely awaits – stay tuned.

 -Danny Normandin

 Bus 937 takes a group picture while exploring the Tel Dan Nature Reserve.

 Exploring an Israeli bunker while on the border of Israel/Syria

Students attempt a 10 person pyramid.

INSPIRED BY THE ARCHAELOGICAL DIG AT TEL MARESHA

Is history read, is it memorized; something to be given a cursory glance and indiscriminately stored in the dark recesses of the mind? No, history is experienced, history is to be seen and felt and grown from the triumphs and failures of those famed and nameless pioneers that set the paths of destiny for the millions that inhabit their legacies. History is not written, it is found by the few that immerse themselves in its undiscovered mysteries, those that bury themselves in its undiscovered mysteries, those that bury themselves in the ancient remnants of their predecessors.  Their hands sift through that which others ignore, the perceived filth and clutter of the long forgotten; absorbing all the riches through the dirt walked by the greats that shaped our reality. No, history is not learned, it is unearthed by the people who wish to study that which created the present, those  who leave their fingerprints on the artifacts and wonders of the ancestors of strangers and kin alike; the people who create history, by unearthing our pasts.

-          MACABLING

M

Bus 937 Arrives in Israel!

Right now, everyone on Bus 937 is hanging out in the lobby of a hotel in Tiberius, Israel.  You can tell by the dark circles under everyone’s eyes that we are very exhausted by the crazy two days that we have had.  The plane ride was long and, thankfully, pretty quiet.  The food, however, was another story.  When we finally landed, everyone was awake and anxious to get out into the beautiful country of Israel.  We got our phones, exchanged all our money, and hopped on the bus.

About 45 minutes later, we arrived in Caesarea, a very Roman part of Israel.  We learned about the history of this incredible place and it’s long story of the people who lived there.  We saw the hippodrome where people used to sit and watch men race horses and even gladiator fights.  Along with these sights, we also saw a theater that, to this day, is still used for concerts and such.

We sat in a circle in Caesarea with all of our new friends and acquaintances and started to get to know each other.  While the group is still in the process of mixing the students of MSU and UCF, the people on the trip are great and hopefully relaxing in the hotel for the night will do just that.

-Dani Gittleman

Bus 935 in Israel!

Our trip began at JFK where we met 216 fellow birthright participants from all over America. We all waited in a tedious line, where we were questioned by El Al employees about our Jewish history. We got asked questions like “where is the origin of your last name?” “What was the last Jewish holiday you celebrated?” and “what is your hebrew name?” before we checked our bags and went through another formal security. We stocked up on food and magazines for the flight, which was ten hours long. The plane was not a double decker, which was a disappointment to some, but there were TVs in front of each person’s seat, offering free movies, TV shows, games, and flight information to every traveler. We were given two meals, a dinner and a breakfast. The service was very good on El Al. Our flight landed around 6pm Israel time.

Day Two

                We came off the airplane and were greeted by our tour guide, Yishai, who will be with us for the entire duration of the trip. We got our passports stamped, found our luggage, and received our Israeli cell phones and exchanged American money for shekels. We boarded our bus for a week, which is a nice, air-conditioned coach bus. We left the airport and drove an hour to Ashkelon, where we stayed at Dan Hotel. We learned that this city was mentioned in the bible. After we checked into our rooms, we enjoyed our first meal in Israel! We ate at the buffet in our hotel – it was a lavish Israeli dinner! We had an assortment of meats, vegetables, hummus, breads, and many tasty desserts. Much of the food was new for us to try. We had a brief orientation and ice-breaker activity, where we learned each other’s names and went over more about the trip. When the meeting ended, we all returned to our hotel rooms to go to sleep! It was a very long day of traveling, but we were all so excited to finally be in Israel.

Day Three

                We woke up at 6:30am Israel time, packed up our rooms, and had a delicious Israeli breakfast at our hotel before departing. The breakfast had fruit, eggs, yogurts, pastries, potatoes, and many other yummy foods! Our first drive was past the Gaza Strip. We drove down a freeway where we could see Gaza in the distance. We enjoyed looking at Israel’s scenery. Our first stop was Dan Gol, an outpost overlooking Gaza (don’t worry, we were at a safe distance away!). At this stop, we learned more about Israel’s history, and were able to see a landmark in the distance where Gilat Shalit was captured.  We learned that pigeons carry messages to and from the base camps, so we were able to write our own messages, attach the notes on the legs of some pigeons, and set the birds free. A few hours later, at our next destination, we received the pigeons (and our messages) which found us at the next place. That place was at Shvil Hasalat, which was the Salad Path. We got to see how Israel grows its produce, which is very environmentally friendly. We were able to taste a variety of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, strawberries, carrots, and different herbs. We left the Salad Path, and drive for an hour before reaching Kiryat Gat, where we had lunch at a shopping mall. We were able to have real Israeli food- such as shwarma or falafel. There was also a kosher McDonalds, and an authentic Israeli coffee café. After lunch, we drove to the Beit Guvrin Caves. We first participated in an archeological dig, where we sifted through dirt and rocks to look for interesting pieces. Some people found cool pottery pieces or bones! We learned that in a dig here, a girl in a group just like ours found an artifcat confirming the story of Hanukkah, so it’s possible that some of the things we found could be from 2,300 years ago! We traveled through a cave, that was underground and dimly lit. We had to go through small holes and rough terrain as we made our way from  the entrance to the exit.  On our way out, we were able to take a few pieces of pottery that were rejected by museums (but still really cool) to take home (as long as they don’t make our suitcases more than 50 pounds for the flight home)! From the caves, we drove along the Trans-Israel highway and were able to see a wall that is very important to Israel’s security, as it borders Israel and West Bank. Our next stop is Tiberias, where we will be until Friday. Israel is amazing, and we’re all so excited to be here!

                -Sara Nathanson and Marissa Ceresnie

Our first night as Bus 935!!

Brandon, Dirk and Reid digging for artifacts

Matt and Leslie with the carrier pigeons

Marissa, Chelsea (in back), Megan, Taylor and Leslie with their carrier pigeons and messages for hope and peace in Israel

Learning about Israeli agriculture at the Salad Path