Israel 2016-- Sunrise/Sunset

5/17/16

Sometimes less is more. Tonight’s activity? Hanging out in the common room of the Mitzpe Ramon Field School. Some are journaling, some are playing miniature versions of favorite board games, some are sipping hot chocolate, even more are journaling, some are looking back at pictures, others are compensating for the rather lackluster dessert at tonight’s dinner. There’s a pleasant hum in the room. It’s the sound of kids who know one another, are comfortable with one another, and are content to just chill out for a bit. It’s a perfect ending to the epic day we’ve had. 

By 4:15am all of us were awake, packed, and ready to head to Masada. Aside from the fact that we left the equivalent of a Radio Shack’s worth of stuff in the tent (all returned), the collective motivation was impressive. We got there with plenty of time to pose for all the necessary pictures and prepare for the big reveal. Of all the clichés that sometimes appear in the pages of this blog, the one that goes 'no two sunrises are the same' still ring true.  The major downside of a Masada sunrise is that it makes touring the site itself virtually impossible due to exhaustion. The kids were great sports, but they were understandably tired and hungry. What's the most beautiful or memorable sunrise you've ever seen? Have any of you seen the sunrise at Masada? We'd love to hear about it. 

Despite our #hangry status we loved every minute of the camel ride that preceded breakfast back at the Bedouin Tent. Be sure to ask your kids what special names they gave to their camels. Camel naming is a time honored Bedouin/Davis tradition. This year I was also quite pleased to see that the Bedouin Tent now provides/requires helmets for camel rides.

The smell of said camels didn’t spoil our appetites either. While night in the desert is certainly the more iconic experience, a relaxed desert breakfast isn’t anything to scoff at.

Driving across the Negev to S’deh Boqer and David Ben-Gurion’s tomb, everyone got what they needed. For some it was an hour of sleep. For others, it was a chance to check out more of the dramatic Negev landscape. At S’deh Boqer we paid our respects to one of the greatest political leaders of all time: Israel’s first Prime Minister. Much of Ben-Gurion’s quirky, audacious, humble, and visionary identity can still be felt in different institutions and cultural components of Israeli society. He’s the one who looked at the wasteland of the Negev and saw orchards. If he were alive today he’d see solar panels. He’s the one who figured out how Israel could be both a Jewish and Democratic State. If he were alive today we’d see greater peace and stability here, a higher quality of life for everyone in the region. Learning about Ben- Gurion reinforces just how inspiring a leader can be when they wed politics, spirituality, identity, and vision in a way that makes life better for more people. When you think about the birth of Israel out of, at least in part, the ashes of Auschwitz, you can see why he may be the greatest political leader of the 20th century. I hope our kids have many opportunities to be inspired by leaders like Ben-Gurion. We celebrated his legacy by having a popsicle and going on the famed Ein Avdat hike in the Negev. We also saw several families of Ibex with adorable baby Ibex in tow.

Ein Avdat is a chance for kids to do two things 1) see the desert actually blooming and 2) conquer any fears or doubts they have about their ability to complete a challenging hike that concludes with a 20 minute vertical climb. I wish y’all could’ve seen the looks of accomplishment on the faces of Ian Q., Evan B., Zach L., Frankie G., Audrey G., Abbie B., and others as they made their way to the top. Like so many things in life, when you look back at Ein Avdat it’s hard to believe that you’ve actually accomplished the epic feat that you've just accomplished. I hope that the kids are able to recognize that they’re a lot tougher, a lot braver,  a lot more epic, and have covered a lot more territory in their lives than they (and we) might give them credit for (especially when they or we are #hangry). The fact that Israeli Fighter Jets proudly fly practice routes directly over Ein Avdat creating a deafening roar in their wake only contributes to the sense of personal power that comes with making it through the desert that Ben-Gurion so deeply loved and believed in.

Funky lunch was enjoyed by all at a hippie-dippie joint called “Desert Shade” that we visit on an annual basis. I could actually write an entire post about "Desert Shade" but will spare you the details. 

Our time in Mitzpe Ramon is meant to be purposefully low key. That’s why, to be honest, we were a bit disappointed that many of the kids disregarded our request (i.e. demand) that they spend 2 hours cleaning up and resting in their rooms upon our arrival. When we found many of them wandering around the Field School rather than resting we used this opportunity to check in with the kids regarding the expectations and norms that we all agreed upon prior to our coming to Israel. Those norms include: taking care of ourselves and one another, listening attentively, following instructions, and so on. We even gave the kids a chance to discuss this on their own, free from the chaperones. As an FYI, these conversations happen every year. They’re part of the learning process. After all, they’ve hiked many “Ein Avdats” in their lives, but they’ve never been on a trip as epic as this. A lot is expected of them. We know that they can do it, but it’s important for them to come to this realization on their own and as a Kehillah.

That conversation flowed into an explaination of the Ramon Machtesh that sits about 50 yards from our hotel which flowed into dinner which flowed into our chilling out in the common room. Tomorrow we enter the most intense part of our trip: Jerusalem and eventually Tel Aviv. Tomorrow is a day when we will follow the footsteps of Abraham, who made his way from Beersheva to Jerusalem. Abraham said, Hineni, (I am here, I am present, I am alert, I am aware, I am engaged). Don’t worry, your kids will say the same and they will understand the meaning of this word, perhaps the most human word we can ever utter,  in ways that you can’t until you’ve touched Jerusalem with your own two hands.