Traditional Bedouin charger tree

Inside the Bedouin Tent

We climbed Masada!

Friday morning

Here we are in the hills outside Jerusalem learning about the caves we're about to crawl through.

Homing pigeons

At Ben Gurion's grave in Sde Boker

On the bus for 2 hours on  our wayto Tel Aviv. We have just finished our time in the Golan. Apart from a few very rainy days, we were treated to some very spectacular views and incredible sunsets. We partied on the Kinneret, got completely wet in  mysticalTzfat and heard stories from so many different people throughout the Golan.  They have also become expert supermaket shoppers. Feel free to send them to do the shopping when they come home.

They are very excited to hit the streets in Tel Aviv!. They are having a wonderful time.

Sylvia

Kfar Kedem

Making Chanukiot

Paint Ball

Today we all went to Kibbutz Misgav Am right on the border with Lebanon and Syria, in the Galilee, to hear a speaker. From The hall we sat in, we would have been able to see into Syria, Lebanon and Israel, but it was extremely foggy, so we had very low visibility. None of the students seemed excited for the speaker, as later on in the day we were all going paint balling, and this seemed to engulf everyone’s minds. The cold and rainy weather did not help the mood. This gloom was short lived, as three words into his talk, Ariyeh had the whole group laughing and nodding in agreement. Ariyeh talked about his life experiences and his political views. He was born in Ohio and made Aliyah when he was 21. He fought in the 6 Day War, the Yom Kippur War and The First Lebanon War, so we were hearing views from a veteran. Ariyeh had extreme right wing views, and was able to communicate his point across to everyone in a humorous, witty and clever manner. His talk ended with a roar of applause, and sparked great debate and discussion on our bus ride to paintball. 

James B

  As we travelled to paintball, there were shouts of joy, fear and the occasional Israeli singing/ dancing in the aisle. It was a very tension filled trip as people were extremely excited to shoot their friends with paint pellets but were also just as afraid to take a couple of shots to the arm or leg. But finally we arrived and as people struggled to traverse the mud and sludge I wondered how we would be able to cope with being shot at. Once we were all settled in a little shelter we were greeted by some helpful Israelis who were happy to put up with all our silliness and still managed to teach us the basic rules (which few obeyed) and get us ready to take out some stress on our friends and even teachers in a game of capture the flag paintball. As the game started people rushed to find cover because of the massive build-up of how painful getting shot would be (turned out to be a lie). The game was finished after a few minutes and everyone started to walk off the field in their multi-coloured clothing and some who hadn’t finished using up all their paintballs started firing at people on their own team. It was a great experience to have and the bus ride home was filled with funny, amusing stories and lots of bruises due to it.  

Toby Sherr

Today’s adventures began with a short drive through the Golan Heights to the destination of a unique Yom Kippur museum on a special kibbutz where we saw an informative documentary. Afterwards, being very hungry we headed towards an interactive chocolate factory owned by Karina an Argentinian woman who is a third generation chocolatier.  We had the opportunity to create our own chocolates with various designs and fillings. Following this delicious treat, we ate lunch and went on an exciting hike for just over an hour to burn off our chocolate calories. With breathtaking views of the Gamla waterfall, we enjoyed taking photos and socializing with our peers. As the sun began to set, we boarded the busses and made our way to an olive pressing factory which manufactures the finest quality olive oil in Israel. We tasted a variety of olive oil products including substances with food and cosmetics. We were advised to bring a small amount of money to buy some “healthy” products at the local supermarket. Due to the fantastic Israeli service, we waited in the cues for approximately an hour and a half for the broken cashiers to be repaired. What a fun way to end such an eventful day. We’re off to pack our suitcases as we head off to Tel Aviv for one night tomorrow. 

Missing you all, Tali Mervis and Tahnee Malina

To begin the 3^rd day of our exciting Israeli journey we woke up bright and early, ready for yet another jam packed day of touring, discovering and fun. We started off the day with breakfast and Tefillah and then hopped on the bus to Tzfat, about an hour bus ride away from Naharia (where we are staying). As we drove, we looked out the window to see possibly the most rain that Israel has experienced in the last few hundred years. Some complained, yet the excitement carried on. After hopping off the bus and treading through mild torrential rain, we decided on the word of the day, chavaya (experience), no matter what the weather was like it was sure to be quite the experience. We first discussed the four holy cities of Israel, namely Jerusalem, Tveria, Chevron and of course, Tzfat, we compared these to the four elements of nature and decided that Tzfat was most like wind. Not only because of the fact that Tzfat is very windy due to its geographical positioning, but more so because of the translation of the word wind in Hebrew, ruach. Ruach means both wind and spirit, Tzfat is a city filled with spirit and the people of Tzfat are known for their spiritual belief and Kabbalistic views.

We proceeded to walk through the quaint city, visiting famous synagogues and learning about the history of Tzfat and its people. We visited the Ashkenazi Ari Synagogue which was named after The Ari, who had a drastic effect on the people of Israel and the entire Jewish world within the short period of time that he lived in Tzfat. After these visits we had some time to look around. Many of us visited a candle shop which was filled with many amazing wax figures as well as candles.

After our tour of Tzfat, we got back on the bus, soaking wet and already in need of a warm shower. We drove a few minutes away to Otzar Hastam, where we did interactive activities to help us learn about scribes of the Torah, Tefillin and Mezuzot. We were able to try writing with a quill on parchment and realized how much patience and care one must have to write out an entire Torah. We watched an exciting video describing the job of a scribe and the importance of the Hebrew letters. Nowhere other than in Israel would you find a video like this one. The chairs we sat on moved around the room as each section of the room lit up to show us different parts of the process of being a scribe and the importance of the job.

After this visit, we headed back to central Tzfat to experience our first true Israeli lunch. Most people walked down the foggy street to get themselves a Shawarma or Falafel that warmed and filled us up after a long day of touring in the cold. After lunch and exploring Tzfat for a few minutes we met up and made our way to our next destination, an art gallery run by a woman by the name of Sheva Chaya, a mum, painter and glass blower. She explained the meaning behind a few of her paintings and demonstrated glass blowing. She was an amazing and very interesting woman with interesting opinions and everyone was fascinated by her talent.

We then had the opportunity to walk around the old city of Tzfat and explore the galleries and those who wished to, were able to purchase jewellery and art work. Whilst the girls spent their time in the shops, a few of the boys headed to the Tzfat mikvah. Many said that it was both a spiritual and unique experience and they would happily do it again.

We then hopped on the bus back to what we now call “home”, where I am sitting now surrounded by shloofing Ulpaniks and people discussing their busy day.

The choice of today’s ‘word of the day’, chavaya, was very fitting as today was truly an amazing experience that we will all remember forever.

I think I speak for all of us when I say looking forward to getting off the bus, having a warm shower and changing into some dry clothes and of course looking forward to the continuation of this amazing chavaya.

Ashlea Gild

Acco, mini hike and Rosh Hanikra

Ulpan for the five weekers has officially begun. We all arrived at the airport, some nervous, some excited, there were mixed emotions. After saying a sad goodbye to our families and crossing through customs, we made it onto the plane. For the majority of the flight there was turbulence but it provided a source of entertainment for some. For the first few hours no one was able to stay in their seats. During the second flight most of us slept, however a few hours before landing, everyone woke up full of excitement.

As we landed, shouts were heard and everyone was clapping. We were given food but no one was allowed to eat on the bus, so we were delayed because we all ate before boarding. We were on the bus to Jerusalem for 45 minutes. Everyone was extremely excited to have wi-fi  and were all beginning to use their Israel phones.

The people who had not been to Israel before were blindfolded for the Kotel. Many thought it was a lot smaller than they expected but that it was spiritually uplifting. We formed a circle and all kissed the floor, sung the hatikva then placed notes within the rocks. We then boarded the buses and waited for the 11 weekers to meet up with us. We were sitting in the bus and then we saw another drive past us. Only after a few seconds did we realise that it was the 11 weekers. We were all so excited to see them, we were jumping out of our seats and banging on the windows.

After another long bus ride, we arrived at Atlit, were we all properly reunited with the 11 weekers. We ate lunch together and shared stories. Our first activities then began, and after a short while it began to pour. We all got soaking wet but it added the experience. We then visited a ship used by illegal immigrants after the holocaust. It was very interesting but we were all freezing and exhausted. Upon arriving at Naharia, our home for the next few days, we all sprinted to our rooms, trying to fit in a quick shower before dinner. Not many succeeded. Dinner was served, followed by a quick night activity, then everybody went straight to their rooms and to bed.

This morning we were woken by a very excited and loud Ms Haber. We ate breakfast, prayed then boarded the buses, and each group began to visit different destinations. The four places we all went to today were an old synagogue in Ako, a jail in Acer, the Lebanon and Israel border and a hike. The synagogue was fully decorated with mosaics. They were on the wall, the floor, the stairs and the roof. It was beautiful. We were all fascinated by the story behind the jail. We all took funny photos behind the bars. After taking a cable car down to sea level, we entered caves formed by the water. We watched a quick movie then went into caves where water is still found today. Waves were splashing on the sides of the rocks and towards us. The hike was a lot easier than expected. The girls were all dressed in exercise gear, ready to climb, but our hike consisted of 45 minutes of walking down a hill. It was calm and enjoyable. All groups then stopped at a supermarket. It was as if people had never seen food. Much money was spent and many bags were filled with food. We all returned back to Naharia, ate dinner and then had a night activity.

By Natalie Hayman and Ashleigh Lincoln

92 kids on a plane. What a ride! They were most excited on the first leg. Had about 30 mins in Bangkok airport. Happy to report they all returned on time and didn't lose anything. Next leg they passed out! Much to the excitement of the other passangers. Landed and hit the ground running. No rest for the wicked here! They are having an amazing time! Will try and blog more often. Handing you over to the kids.They are amazing!

Sylvia

We can see them on the Kotel Cam!

Farewell to the five-weekers at the airport

Hey guys, Elli here.

 

All of us woke up this morning extremely fatigued due to the fact that the stray cat that Ben had named Carrot-Cake, kept us awake till the early hours of the morning by deciding to be the attention seeker of the group, and sneaking into the rooms, causing some of us to shriek into the night. In the morning we groggily made our way to our Shul, and shortly after excitedly made our way to the dining room, to have an exquisite breakfast.

 It is impossible to write without mentioning the current situation that Israel is facing with Gaza, so I'll say it straight; from breakfast till we made our way to Kibbutz, we updated ourselves as to what was going on, whether any more locations had been targeted, and discussed Israeli politics. At the same time we were all worried that our beloved Madrich, Peleg Dror would be drafted back to the army and would be sent to Gaza, fortunately for us, he is still on Kibbutz, and doesn't look like he shall be sent as yet.

 

We arrived at Kibbutz at 11:15, and an hour later we were at the bus park of Sede Eliyahu to begin our bike ride around the area. We were all excited to receive the new bikes because in comparison to the bikes we use for day-to-day riding, they were smoother, newer, and had both breaks working. 

The bike ride around the area was filled with amazing views of Tirat Tzvi, Jordan, and the Gilboa, intense bicycle races among the majority of the guys, and delightful sweets enjoyed by us all.

 

Later in the evening we had an 'anticipated' activity with our Hebrew teachers Hila and 'the Incredible Maliheh', who discussed in more detail with the group about the current situation and how they both were in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem when the sirens went off.

 

Just a final message before I finish; right now we are all incredibly safe, and there is no need to worry about us, instead you should all be worrying about the brave Israeli soldiers who have been called back to service, and their families waiting for them. Please send out your prayers and hopefully this unfortunate situation will be over very soon.