Wow. What an amazing few days we have had... It's difficult to sum everything up but here
are some highlights:
On Wednesday we went through Yad Vashem, the incredible Holocaust museum, before going to
Tel Aviv. In Tel Aviv we visited Independence Hall, where Israel was declared a nation. In
the evening we were treated to a performance by Udi Kruass who is an amazing musician here
in Israel. On Thursday we explored more of Tel Aviv, visiting Rabin Square and hearing about
one of Israel's most important political figures. We then went off to the mystical city of
Tzfat before going to our Kibbutz in the north. On Friday we did a lot of hiking all
morning, went to Katzrin for lunch and then went back to the kibbutz to prepare for Shabbat.
Shabbat was amazing. We had a group service on Friday night followed by a lovely dinner and
then activities to help us bond the already close-knit family we have created. On Saturday morning we all slept in (and wow did we needed the extra sleep!) and then met up at 10:30 for a fascinating discussion on the week's Torah portion and how Judaism views gender roles. Then we had a great lunch, free time to hang out by the pool, a discussion on Jewish identity, and then we finished Shabbat with the Havdalah ceremony. In the evening we went to the city of Tiveria (aka Tiberias) for dinner. This morning we drove to Haifa where we volunteered with an organization called Haifa Hoops for Kids, playing basketball with people with disabilities. After, we went for a hike through the Golan and then proceeded way down south into the Negev desert. We arrived at the hotel and our Israeli soldiers put the American participants through an hour of boot camp (don't worry, the Israelis went very easy on them!). Now we're off to bed before exploring the desert tomorrow.
It's really an amazing group of people that we have here. The group is bonding closer and closer every day and we've really turned into a family. I'm so happy that we'll all be returning to the Boston area together so that we can continue to build these relationships.
That's all for now. I need to get some sleep so I can get ready for our desert adventure tomorrow. Layla tov!!
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Quick Post
Hi all!
I really can't write a lot right now (I'm using the computer behind the front desk at the hotel) but I just wanted to make a quick post saying that we had a great Shabbat and we are all having a fantastic time! Now we are on our way to Haifa and then down south to the Negev desert. I'll post more as soon as I am able to do so!
I really can't write a lot right now (I'm using the computer behind the front desk at the hotel) but I just wanted to make a quick post saying that we had a great Shabbat and we are all having a fantastic time! Now we are on our way to Haifa and then down south to the Negev desert. I'll post more as soon as I am able to do so!
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Shalom from Jerusalem!
Shalom everyone!
My apologies for the delay in updating the blog. We've been on the move and this is the first time we've had internet access. It has been an amazing 2 days! After landing in Tel Aviv we met up with our 8 fantastic Israeli participants, and 2 Israeli staff members. We met in the airport and sang a rousing song called "Achim" which means "brothers" in Hebrew. Then our group of 50 exhausted people (The Americans had been on a plane for 11 hours and the Israelis woke up at 4 am to meet us) drove to our hotel, Neve Shalom, which is located just outside of Jerusalem. Neve Shalom is an amazing place. It is the only community in the country where Israelis and Arabs choose to live side by side. We explored the grounds a bit and then went to a newer section of Jerusalem to see some sights, amazing landscapes, and have dinner. We had our first taste of authentic Israeli food (shwarma and falafel were plentiful) and then we headed back to the hotel in the evening. It was a fairly light day, which was much needed. We then got the best night's sleep of all time before embarking on our journey this morning.
Today we had breakfast at 7:30 and then set off for the mountains of Jerusalem (Harei Yehuda in Hebrew). We hiked through beautiful land for about 3 hours and discussed the history of Jerusalem. We then went to "the shook," which is an outdoor market in Jerusalem, for lunch and then walked all throughout the city before going to the Old City. Shahar, our tour guide, gave us an amazing history lesson as we walked. The Old City was spectacular. We walked through streets that are thousands of years old, and then went to the Western Wall, also known as The Kotel. After a moving experience there we went back to the hotel to have dinner. We then took some time to prepare for Yad Vashem tomorrow. Yad Vashem, the Holocaust museum, is a very intense experience so we had everyone share some personal experiences with the Holocaust in their family, and describe their thoughts about this tragic event. It's about 11 PM now and we are all exhausted after a long day. Everyone is hanging out and chatting now and will soon head to bed to get ready for tomorrow. Speaking of which, I should do the same. Layla tov (goodnight) from Jerusalem!
My apologies for the delay in updating the blog. We've been on the move and this is the first time we've had internet access. It has been an amazing 2 days! After landing in Tel Aviv we met up with our 8 fantastic Israeli participants, and 2 Israeli staff members. We met in the airport and sang a rousing song called "Achim" which means "brothers" in Hebrew. Then our group of 50 exhausted people (The Americans had been on a plane for 11 hours and the Israelis woke up at 4 am to meet us) drove to our hotel, Neve Shalom, which is located just outside of Jerusalem. Neve Shalom is an amazing place. It is the only community in the country where Israelis and Arabs choose to live side by side. We explored the grounds a bit and then went to a newer section of Jerusalem to see some sights, amazing landscapes, and have dinner. We had our first taste of authentic Israeli food (shwarma and falafel were plentiful) and then we headed back to the hotel in the evening. It was a fairly light day, which was much needed. We then got the best night's sleep of all time before embarking on our journey this morning.
Today we had breakfast at 7:30 and then set off for the mountains of Jerusalem (Harei Yehuda in Hebrew). We hiked through beautiful land for about 3 hours and discussed the history of Jerusalem. We then went to "the shook," which is an outdoor market in Jerusalem, for lunch and then walked all throughout the city before going to the Old City. Shahar, our tour guide, gave us an amazing history lesson as we walked. The Old City was spectacular. We walked through streets that are thousands of years old, and then went to the Western Wall, also known as The Kotel. After a moving experience there we went back to the hotel to have dinner. We then took some time to prepare for Yad Vashem tomorrow. Yad Vashem, the Holocaust museum, is a very intense experience so we had everyone share some personal experiences with the Holocaust in their family, and describe their thoughts about this tragic event. It's about 11 PM now and we are all exhausted after a long day. Everyone is hanging out and chatting now and will soon head to bed to get ready for tomorrow. Speaking of which, I should do the same. Layla tov (goodnight) from Jerusalem!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
So Excited for the Trip!
Hi all!
I'm getting so excited for our Taglit-Birthright Israel trip! The other madrichim (staff people) and I have been coordinating a lot and we are in for an incredible trip. We have an AMAZING group of students going on this trip and I can't wait to get the full group together.
This blog will updated as we are able to do so throughout the trip, so check back to read about our adventure and see photos. To those family members reading from home, please note that we'll have limited internet access throughout the trip, so there may be a few days at a time where the blog is not updated. We appreciate your patience!
Just a few reminders before we leave:
If you have questions between now and the trip you can email me at gordon.dale@tufts.edu. *Note: If you have questions between Thursday night and Saturday night, please call Jason Pressberg at (617) 999-4659.
On Sunday morning if you have any problems you can always call the following numbers:
Shorashim: 312-267-0677
Gordon Dale: (617) 838-7564
Jason Pressberg: (617) 999-4659
Also, my phone number in Israel will be:
From within Israel: 0502512917
From the United States: 011972502512917
Jason's cell phone in Israel: 011972502021493
If family/friends are for some reason unable to contact a participant in Israel, and cannot contact me, call Shorashim at (312) 267-0677 or call the Birthright Israel Trip Information Hotline: 1-888-99-ISRAEL (1-888-994-7723)
Can't wait to see you soon!
I'm getting so excited for our Taglit-Birthright Israel trip! The other madrichim (staff people) and I have been coordinating a lot and we are in for an incredible trip. We have an AMAZING group of students going on this trip and I can't wait to get the full group together.
This blog will updated as we are able to do so throughout the trip, so check back to read about our adventure and see photos. To those family members reading from home, please note that we'll have limited internet access throughout the trip, so there may be a few days at a time where the blog is not updated. We appreciate your patience!
Just a few reminders before we leave:
- Be at JFK at 10:30 AM. We will meet at the El Al terminal across from the ticketing counter. We'll have a sign that has our bus number so look out for us there.
- Check your Shorashim application page for all of your flight info and to make sure that you've filled out all the necessary forms. Click HERE to go to your application page. Each student should have your user name and password in an email you got from Shorashim. Your itinerary is on that page as well.
- It's not too late to order a cell phone. You can still get one through your Shorashim application page (use the link above).
- Bring your passport!
If you have questions between now and the trip you can email me at gordon.dale@tufts.edu. *Note: If you have questions between Thursday night and Saturday night, please call Jason Pressberg at (617) 999-4659.
On Sunday morning if you have any problems you can always call the following numbers:
Shorashim: 312-267-0677
Gordon Dale: (617) 838-7564
Jason Pressberg: (617) 999-4659
Also, my phone number in Israel will be:
From within Israel: 0502512917
From the United States: 011972502512917
Jason's cell phone in Israel: 011972502021493
If family/friends are for some reason unable to contact a participant in Israel, and cannot contact me, call Shorashim at (312) 267-0677 or call the Birthright Israel Trip Information Hotline: 1-888-99-ISRAEL (1-888-994-7723)
Can't wait to see you soon!
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