Israel 2015-- Negev Edition

5/10/15

            The night sky that we’re sleeping under tonight is the same night sky that our Bedouin hosts have been sleeping under for thousands of years. We’re in the Negev, at an encampment called K’far Nokdim. We’re resting after what can only be described as a nearly perfect day.

            After dropping our bags by the busses we had a quick breakfast at Kibbutz Gonen. We took a moment to wish all of the moms out there a happy Mother’s Day and then began our journey toward the desert. Descending from the Galilee we were treated to sublime views of the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) and an eclectic soundtrack of Israeli and American hits. Most of the kids fell back to sleep.

            Beit She’an is the largest of Israel’s more than 5,500 archaeological sites. Like many such sites it spans from the Canaanite period to at least the Greek and Roman periods. Beit She’an is where King Saul, the first King of Israel, was buried after watching his army and his sons fall to the Philistines on Mt. Gilboa. Hands down the best part of the visit was learning about how wealthy Romans went to the bathroom!

            In an ironic turn of events that was surely lost on most of the kids, we spent most of YOUR Mother’s Day in various configurations of a day spa. Consider Sachne.

            A literal oasis in the middle of the desert, Sachne’s blue-green waters are surrounded by palm trees and soft grass. The deep clear pools of water are bordered by various waterfalls and other delights. And Sachne is famous for the little fish that eat the dead skin off of the bottoms of your feet whenever you’re able to hold still long enough to let them. The kids reacted to this non-traditional pedicure with varying expressions of surprise, shock, and joy. Waterfalls beating against our backs, fish nibbling at our toes, we emerged from the water only to have someone else serve us one of our favorite meals—burgers, schnitzel, and fries. After being provided with towel service we made our way to the next spa: The Dead Sea.

            Much anticipated and never disappointing—that’s the Dead Sea. We covered ourselves in mud, took all the classic pictures, and floated our way into the afternoon. In true spa fashion we were provided with popsicles to help us cool off from the heat. From the spa of the Dead Sea we headed off to a night of adventure in the desert.

            The wind was blowing powerfully when we arrived at K’far Nokdim and has only calmed a little bit as the night has unfolded. Perhaps it’s a good thing because the frequent gusts helped disperse the unique aroma of the desert’s most magnificent creature: the camel. For those who’ve never been on a camel—the ascending and descending happen very abruptly. I’m not sure what was more surprising to the kids—the fish pedicures or the spring-loaded camels. Fortunately they didn’t have to choose.

            After learning about Bedouin hospitality we experienced it first hand at dinner. Large platters with couscous, vegetables, meatballs, chicken, potatoes and more came out to greet us just as we sat down. Though we gave it a good try, clearing out plates proved to be impossible. We washed down dinner with boiling hot sweet tea and headed back to our tent for a bonfire.

            Our bonfire ended up being a non-fire due to the ceaseless wind. But this too was a blessing in disguise. Morah Lahav did a brilliant thing by placing her battery operated, disco ball adorned, light sabre walking stick in the place where the fire would’ve been. The absence of fire allowed the kids to cluster together, arms around shoulders, singing a variety of songs strummed by a variety of guitarists. It was the most inspiring bonfire I’ve ever witnessed on an Israel trip, made even more inspiring when Jake R. and Jason M. concluded the song session by leading us in the Shema. The chaperones noticed a few teary eyes at the bonfire. This too is a good sign because it symbolizes the recognition that what exists now is precious beyond words. Though the future will, by necessity, transcend the present, there’s an innocence, simplicity, and beauty that resides among us that will end with this trip and graduation.  We can’t spare our kids from the difficulties that come with change. All we can do is teach them how to appreciate all that there is to appreciate in each moment.

            We tricked the kids into getting ready for bed quickly by informing them that Mr. Barry would only share his (in)famous bedtime story if the kids were all in the tent by a certain time. Much scurrying ensued and the story didn’t disappoint. 3:45 am is an early wakeup call so we’ll leave things here for now.

            My mom once told me that nothing brought her greater joy than seeing me live my life to the fullest. If that’s true for you then you can consider it a happy day because today that’s exactly what your children did.

Happy Mother’s Day!