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My Final Thoughts…
I’d have to say that overall, I was quite disappointed with my trip to Israel. I had always had a certain image of the Holy Land in my head due to the education I got at Hebrew School. The videos and images they used when showing us this amazing country were dated, and often times focused on the wars fought by the IDF. Because of this, I always saw a run down, old, ’70s view of Israel in my head. As a result, I was never quite intrigued to visit. I was told that I was mistaken: Israel is a modern country, with so much culture and history! As a history major, I should be dying to go and visit. § Read the rest of this entry…
June 9 – My Last Day
The events of the coming day were supposed to be few and far between, but programs and activities nonetheless. Our morning 
excursion was to be to the Bible Museum (the exact name of the museum was never specified, but I’m pretty sure Jenna/Sam/Chen meant the Bible Lands Museum). From what I gather online from their website, the goal of the Bible Lands Museum is to put biblical stories, characters, and locations into historical context. Who were the Phoenicians, Assyrians, and Greeks? What advances did they bring to the world and what relationship did they have with the Jewish people? As a history major, this seemed like a really cool outing! When I think about my connection to Israel and the Jewish people, I don’t think necessarily about spirituality and religion, nor culture and tradition, but rather about the historical lineage that all Jews carry. This is something that I was hoping to learn more about and become more linked to while on Birthright. § Read the rest of this entry…
June 7 – Jerusalem
We had been staying in Jerusalem for two nights, but hadn’t even ventured to the central city! Can you believe it? I would be staying in the Crowne Plaza Hotel for four nights, and was only able to experience the flavor of this historical city for one day! We were taken to the Haas Promenade to overlook the entirety of Jerusalem. The panoramic view was very tranquil and was a great spot for us to say the shehecheyanu or the blessing for having done something for the first time. This was only a quick photo-op stop, though, as we were excited to head to the City of David. § Read the rest of this entry…
June 6 – Mega Event
I must apologize for the brevity of this post. To be honest, this was my least favorite day of my entire trip to Israel. Originally, my
itinerary included events such as the Ein Avdat canyon hike, the Sde Boker grave of Ben Gurion, and multiple “green activities” (Shvil HaSalat and Tur-Sinai Farm) to learn about Israel’s goal of creating a flowering desert. Instead, all of these events were canceled for a day of sports, cooperation, and “fun” at the Wingate Institute. I must admit that it was quite impressive that Taglit was able to organize such a grand event, including forty Birthright trips. Each group was given a team name, shirts, and materials to make a flag – as I mentioned in the last post. Our team was named Alon (אלון), or Oak Tree. I enjoyed the night before when I was able to create the flag with Lindsay and Galina, but the excitement wore off the minute I stepped off the bus into the scorching heat of the coming day. § Read the rest of this entry…
June 5 – Memorials in Jerusalem
Sleeping on the floor in the Bedouin tent was most definitely my best night’s sleep the entire trip! I woke up totally well rested and awake, while everyone else seemed to be a bit groggy. I was even awake before the alarms started ringing, but I took advantage of this and remained on my mattress for the extra time. Breakfast, unlike dinner, was the average “Israeli Breakfast” buffet and not a special Bedouin treat. That’s okay though, because cereal was definitely good enough for me.
It was time for us to leave the desert and make our way to Jerusalem, the capital of Israel. Finally! § Read the rest of this entry…
June 4 – The Desert
Woke up at 3:00 for an early start to Masada. We left quite late, though, because a room of girls didn’t wake up with their alarm on time. We actually almost forgot them at the hotel, and had already started off when someone noticed they were missing. People got really annoyed because the early rise – not only for the cool weather – was meant to allow us time to watch the sunrise from the top of the mountain. I wasn’t too peeved because I’m not a big sunrise person anyway. The more time to rest on the bus, the better, though I was a little worried about the heat. § Read the rest of this entry…
June 3 – Tel Aviv
The old (Tel) new (Aviv) city! A tel is an archaeological phenomena – a mound of earth with multiple layers of history underneath.
Aviv is the Hebrew word for springtime – a time of rebirth and renewal. Founded as a secular Jewish city in 1909, Tel Aviv is the cultural hub of Israel. People liken it to NYC and Miami, and oftentimes confuse it for being the country’s capital. The revival of the Hebrew language was really important for those who settled here. Today, Chen took us on a journey of the formation of Tel Aviv and the entire Jewish State. § Read the rest of this entry…
June 2 – Golan Heights
Instead of visiting a specific city, today was dedicated to learning about the Northern region of Israel. Each excursion was the location of a different part of the Heights’ history. So why is this region so important? This area was the site of a lot of tension. In a desert, water is really important. In the early years of the state of Israel, Syria wanted to steal Israel’s Galilee via aqueduct. With no help from allies, Israel had to take care of the situation on its own. This, along with several other reasons, led to the start of the Six Day War in 1967. Fighting was on multiple fronts, mainly in the west with Egypt and within the city of Jerusalem. The government was hesitant to open a third front in the north against Syria, but finally, it was a necessity. After a victory, Israel took the Golan as a buffer area and new region of the country. § Read the rest of this entry…
June 1 – The Sabbath
I missed breakfast today! My alarm went off at 8:30 but I decided to sleep a little extra… until 11:00! I was really disappointed because I wanted some more of the delicious cheese bourekahs the hotel had to offer. Today is a pretty chill day because it is Shabbat, the day of rest, so we don’t have any planned activities until 6:00. Lunch was at 1:00 and for the next five hours I had some Marina time! § Read the rest of this entry…
May 31 – Tzvat/Safed
I definitely had an amazing night’s sleep! I went to bed at around 10:45 after calling home, and woke up with my alarm at 6:30. We had an early breakfast because we were departing for a day in Tzvat at 8:15. I think because breakfast was free and buffet style, I definitely ate my share.
On the bus ride, our guide Chen told us a lot about the places we were passing and about Israeli trivia in general. For one thing, I have always wondered about the toilets in Europe and why their flush buttons are so different from ours in the United States. The two button system was invented in Israel as an effort to conserve water. The smaller button is for #1 while the larger is for #2! Being in a desert, Israel needs to keep in mind how resources are being used. The Sea of Galilee in Tiberias is a fresh body of water and is a major Israeli reservoir. On our way to Tzvat, we also passed a city named Migdal. This is where Mary Magdalene is believed to have been born. Her father was a rich fisherman in the Galilee area. Her surname, Magdalene, is derived from the name of the city – Migdal.
Now on to the main leg of the journey: Tzvat! § Read the rest of this entry…
All Jewish young adults (18-26) are given the amazing opportunity to spend ten free days in Israel on a trip sponsored by Taglit, an organization with the goal of creating a stronger connection between Israel and the Jews of the diaspora. There are several different trip organizers – I signed up with Israel Outdoors. The trip is known to be jam-packed and activity filled. For this reason, I was unable to write a blog as each day ended. I didn’t want to bring any valuables such as a laptop or iPad in case they might get lost. I kept a journal along the way, though I stopped writing in it after about four days due to exhaustion and lack of time. § Read the rest of this entry…
