The Davis Academy Class of 2012 Israel Trip Blog
Written by Rabbi Micah
Shalom from Israel!
We’re writing to you from the Old
City of Jerusalem. It’s Tuesday evening and a cool breeze is blowing through
the “Rova” courtyard. The sounds of happy students fill the air. We’re
digesting a fabulous meal of Israeli salad, quiche/ lasagna, and brownies. The
brownies are enormous. According to one of our guides, Menashe, they weigh at
least 1 kilo each.
Today, the Old City has been bustling
with tourists and groups from all over the world. We made our way from the Jaffa Gate to the
Kotel and back with many stops along the way. As we reviewed and learned new
things about this amazing city, we got to touch, taste, smell (not always a good
thing), see, and breathe Israel. In
spite of the crowds, we enjoyed access to all of the amazing highlights of the
Old City and even had time to treat the kids to Marzipan Rugulach (the single
most delicious chocolate pastry in the world—and parve for those who are interested).
These kids
are absolutely incredible. A common theme on the trip thus far is receiving
wonderful feedback about our kids from different people that we interact with:
the flight attendants, fellow passengers, the tour guide leading a group from
Uganda who ate breakfast with a group of our boys, the military personnel at
the Kotel, and so on. You should see the chaperones beaming with pride as we
tell folks that we’re from The Alfred and Adele Davis Academy in Atlanta, GA.
They’re shocked to know that the future of the Jewish people is set against the
backdrop of Gone With the Wind. But back to the kids-- it seems that somewhere
along the way these kids picked up great manners and know how to put them to
good use. Not only are they polite, but they are also genuine. When they say
“thank you” they really mean it. This makes all the difference in the world.
The kids
received their shekels today which means that the ice cream consumption has
begun. Within seconds of getting their hands on their spending money they’d
found the local makolet (mini-mart).
The amazing thing about Israel: endless
varieties of ice cream. You could literally tour the country eating ice cream
twice a day and never taste the same brand! Dunwoody Publix will seem to have
meager offerings by comparison when your kids return.
Whereas in
past years food has been a potentially tricky sea to navigate, this year
everyone is jumping right in. The hummus
flew off the buffet table last night, as did the eggplant, beef stew, Israeli
salad, olives, and of course, desert. Appetites are healthy and everyone is
staying hydrated. In place of trepidation, we have kids demanding more “Israeli
Food.” We’re only too happy to oblige!
On a social
level we’re pleased to report that the kids have been mixing it up quite a bit.
We’re fond of saying, “Israel is a great social tonic” and it is! The group has
quickly gone from being The Davis Academy Class of 2012 to The Davis Academy
Family of 2012. They’re a gregarious bunch and the trip has been characterized
by robust conversation and constant companionship for all involved.
As far as
personal responsibility goes (i.e. keeping track of one’s belongings): we
haven’t raised any money for tzedakah yet. This means that no one has left any
property behind! We fully anticipate that this will change, but for now we’re
pleasantly surprised and cautiously optimistic! Also, everyone has quickly
learned the value of sleep. The question was asked, “Are the days planned to
make us totally exhausted so we go straight to sleep?” The truth is, there’s
really no alternative. There’ll be time to relax and reenergize, but for the
most part we’re on the go.
Looking out
at the kids right now we see the girls in their Old City skirts as we’re getting
ready to head into the Kotel tunnels. From there we’ll head back to the hotel
to get some rest because tomorrow is another very full day.
So far
there have been lots of great memories and Israel has made a strong impression.
Be sure to ask your kids about the following: The Hasidim on the flight to
Israel, the salad bar at the hotel, Hezekiah’s Water Tunnel, visiting the Kotel
for the first time, and interacting with Israeli school children their age (who
are anything but shy!).
On behalf of all the chaperones know that we are honored to
be here and loving the opportunity to get to know these kids even better as
they get to know themselves and one another in richer and deeper ways as well.
5/9/12
Shalom Y’all,
Today has been a day of celebrating beauty—the beauty
within, the beauty of art, and the beauty of nature. Folks were, candidly, a
little groggy at breakfast. The reality of being half-way around the world
seemed to have sunken in. But we perked up as we enjoyed the traditional
Israeli spread—fresh baked pastries, various cheeses, eggs, hot chocolate, nes
café, and so on. After reminding the kids that Israeli hotel room doors don’t
swing shut automatically like their American counterparts we boarded to bus for
an incredibly short ride to the Israel Museum.
At the Israel Museum we participated in all the usual
activities. We studied the incredible 2nd Temple Era depiction of
Jerusalem (which is much cooler than it may sound) and learned about the Dead
Sea Scrolls. Then, something truly unique and truly Davis took place—our first
“spiritual check-in.”
A huge part of this trip involves reflection, dialogue,
exploration, and growth. While these
things invariably happen just by virtue of being in an amazing place like
Israel, we’ve found that it’s good to be “intentional” about creating
opportunities for this kind of “self-work.” Over the years the chaperones have
created a series of spiritual check-ins. A spiritual check-in is basically a
structured conversation that uses a Jewish text as its foundation and
reflective questions as a platform for dialogue. For example, today’s spiritual
check-in was based on the teaching of Rabbi Hillel, “If I not for myself who
will be for me? If I am only for myself, what am i? If not now, when?” Sample
discussion questions include: “How have you ‘been there’ for yourself and
others lately? How might you have let yourself or others down?” Mr. O’Dell and
Ms. Kendrick modeled appropriate dialogue for the kids and then we all broke
into “chevruta” (groups of two) for discussion with the guidelines of: respect,
confidentiality, listening, and “silence is okay.” When we came back to share
it was clear that this was a profound experience for most of the kids. A number
of students and chaperones were literally in tears, and 95% were eager to know
when the next check-in would be.
When you look at the traditional picture of all the kids at
the “ahava” sculpture at the Israel Museum know that this picture was taken
immediately after the check-in. One student remarked, “When we go to take the
ahava picture let’s make sure that the “ahava” (Hebrew for “love”) is more than
just a sculpture but a real value in our lives and in our grade.” After the picture we explored the remodeled
Israel Museum and then headed off to a delicious lunch.
After lunch we explored the beauty of nature by heading to
the Sataf Springs hike. Imagine your child climbing down a huge mountain in the
Jerusalem hills! On the way we saw the ancient cistern that supplied water to
the entire area and noticed many budding plants including: pomegranate, almond,
olive, raspberry, wheat, barley, figs, carob, and others. There was definitely
a sense of accomplishment upon completing the hike! Everyone was disappointed
that we didn’t stop at the perfectly placed ice cream truck at the bottom of
the hill, but they know that Ben Yehuda Street will definitely satisfy their
ice cream needs! After pausing to learn about the Kinesset (Israeli parliament)
and view it’s famous “menorah” sculpture we made this “pilgrimage within a
pilgrimage.”
Ben Yehuda Street is now lacking in the following items:
watches, shofars, kippot, crepes with chocolate and coconut, T-shirts of all
shapes and sizes, CDs, stickers, mezuzot, hats, necklaces, bracelets, hamsas,
drums, ice cream, and various other keepsakes. Check out the pictures to see
our kids embracing the time honored tradition of bargaining. Know that within
minutes of our arrival several of the stores had signs saying, “Welcome Davis
Academy, Special Prices Here.”
Israel is indeed a technologically advanced society as I am
writing to you from our tour bus, which is both driving across the city and connected to the internet. We’re
headed to the beautiful home of the Meline family (Becca’s grandparents) who will
be hosting at least their 3rd
Davis Academy group that I know of (possibly more!). We are excited to be
guests in their home overlooking the old city and will continue to use our best
manners to make a good impression.
Tomorrow will be a very profound and challenging day as we
begin our travels with a visit to Yad VaShem (Israel’s Holocaust Memorial) and
then to Har Hertzel (Israel’s military cemetery). By the end of the day our
spirits will be lifted, but we know that our people’s story is a complex and
sometimes very painful one. Tomorrow we explore the cost and the reward of
being a part of this incredible Jewish world.
Shalom and thank you for entrusting us with the care of your
amazing children. Seeing Israel through their eyes is truly a gift.
5/20/12
Last night at the Meline’s was truly amazing. You’ve never
seen a view like the view from their garden and you’ve never had Israeli
hospitality like they provide. The even ended with a song session in honor of
Lag Ba’Omer. The song ended with a teary eyed rendition of “We Are (were???)
Young”. There were a lot of tears of joy and tears of realization that the
journey only moves forward and that the years at Davis are a special treasure.
We’ve just returned to the hotel for a brief reprieve from
an otherwise very intense day.
After breakfast we set out into the already warm Jerusalem
morning to make our way to Yad VaShem, Israel’s Holocaust Memorial. Yad VaShem
is a very challenging experience whether you’re there for the 1st
time or the 50th. Every
aspect of Yad VaShem is symbolic and overflowing with meaning, from the
architecture to the landscaping to the exhibit itself.
In recent years, to address the fact that most Holocaust
survivors are aging and/or dying, Yad VaShem began making films to share
survivor testimony. What makes the Yad VaShem films unique is that they take
the survivor back to the places where their story unfolded. All of us were
deeply moved by the film we saw, which told the story of Ovadiah Baruch, whose
life began in Salonika, Greece. His was a remarkable story of defiance and
survival, and also a love story that brought many of us to tears.
There are two things that make Yad VaShem work for our kids:
1) the tour guide and 2) the overarching message of hope. This year we had the
absolute best tour guides we’ve ever had. If you’ve heard us say this before,
it may be because we’ve had each of these tour guides in past years as well.
They calibrate the tour to the level that the kids are able to handle. They
push, but gently. When we emerge from the darkness of the exhibit to look out
over the Jerusalem landscape, the message is one of hope and appreciation. In
reflecting on the children’s memorial our kids decided that the children need a
separate memorial in addition to the main exhibit because their lives were so
tragically cut short.
Lunch at Yad VaShem is always a bit strange because of the
juxtaposition between the starvation of the Holocaust and the abundance in our
own lives. Having said that, we were quite surprised that many of our kids had
never heard of pastrami. This was pretty shocking and, scratching our heads, we
can only attribute this to the fact that we live in a city void of exceptional
deli. If Davis was in Brooklyn we’re pretty sure the kids would know from
pastrami!
After lunch we walked from Yad VaShem to Har Hertzel,
Israel’s military cemetery. There we paid our respects to Theodore Hertzl, the
founder of modern Zionism who said the words, “If you will it, it is no dream.”
We also visited the graves of many of Israel’s presidents and prime ministers
including Yitzhak and Leah Rabin. Nicole Webb and Anna Rosing did a fabulous
job reading from Rabin’s last speech and from the moving eulogy delivered by
his granddaughter at his funeral.
Every year we visit Har Hertzl, but this year we had a truly
unique experience.
This year, for Yom HaZikaron, the Atlanta Jewish community
mourned the death and celebrated the life of Major Haggai Bibi, who died in the
line of duty. His two younger sisters came to Atlanta to speak at the community
wide event that many of our students attended and then paid a special visit to
Davis to speak with our students. To build on this connection Morah Sigal
invited Major Bibi’s family to meet us at his gravesite on Har Hertzl. His
mother, Tzvia, and his sister, Moran, met us there, shared a few words about
Haggai, and we then joined together in the Mourner’s Kaddish. This definitely
made the profound sacrifice real for all of us and is something we’ll never
forget.
From the intensity of Har Hertzl we made our way to a
different kind of intensity: Mahane Yehuda (Jerusalem’s famous marketplace).
Thursday is a fabulous time to shop at Mahane Yehuda as the whole place smells
like fresh baked Challah. Our kids were eager to explore the marketplace and
ended up with all sorts of treats from smoothies to dresses and scarves, to
whole watermelons that were devoured by teams of ravenous young people on the
spot (see today’s photos). There was so much activity and excitement that one of
our young men wandered into a ladies shoe store only to learn that there wasn’t
anything in his size there! Morah Evelyn arranged to buy a cake for Zoe Light
who is celebrating her birthday today. There are no words to describe Mahane
Yehuda so we won’t even try. Just imagine everyone in Jerusalem buying
everything under the sun, all for Shabbat. Wallah!
We’re back at the hotel showering and getting ready for
dinner. Tonight we head to the David Citadel Laser Light Show. If you’re
thinking Pink Floyd or Stone Mountain, think again, this is something really
unique. Our kids have no idea what to expect, but they’re going to LOVE it.
Given that there were no pictures allowed in Yad VaShem and
few opportunities the rest of the afternoon you might find the Picasa album a
bit anemic today. We promise that everyone is looking and feeling great.
We reminded our kids that as of tomorrow morning they’ll no
longer be able to say, “We are in Jerusalem” but rather, “We were in Jerusalem.” We feel that
everyone has made the most of their precious days in this holy city and know
that when we return here later in the trip it will truly feel like home.
5/12/12
The courtyard of our hotel in Haifa is filled with the
sounds of happy children! We’ve just completed Havdallah in the presence of
many guests including Paulina and Lior, two of ORT students, and their teacher,
Tammy! We were in the middle of a deep philosophical discussion (really!) when
they arrived. Let’s just say that the reunion proved to be more compelling.
There were shouts and lots of hugging. It’s a miracle that no one got knocked
over!
Our Shabbat experience was truly memorable. Everyone took
Mr. Kudlat’s challenge seriously: To make the most of our first Shabbat in
Israel. We focused on three different aspects of Shabbat: oneg, kedusha, and menucha.
Oneg: Oneg means “joy” as in “oneg Shabbat.” Well last night
we were welcomed to Ohel Avraham, a Reform synagogue connected to the Leo Baeck
school in Haifa. Many students reported that it was the most spirited Shabbat
they’ve ever experienced. What they don’t know is that this has as much to do
with them (their engagement, enthusiasm, and willingness to participate) as it
had to do with being in Israel. The service had lots of music, including
guitar, and some special moments including some of our students going to the bimah to light Shabbat candles, as well
as the rabbi publicly thanking us for being there. Lastly, the bar mitzvah boy
invited all 75 of us to his service on Saturday morning! Unfortunately we were
unable to attend but wished him and his family “mazal tov!” After the service
we stayed for the oneg.
But the oneg continued
from there. We returned to the most intensely lavish Shabbat dinner imaginable.
I’m pretty sure that every vegetable within a 5 mile radius of Haifa was
roasted, seasoned, and presented on platter. Imagine entire cloves of roasted
garlic, red and yellow peppers, eggplant, hummus, salad, spicy carrots, beets,
cabbage and so on… And this was just the appetizer. There was chicken, beef,
stew, soup, and at least 1,000 kinds of desserts.
After dinner we returned to the courtyard by our rooms and
sat on the “magical stairs.” The stairs are magical because they bring out the
spiritual side of our kids. Which brings me to kedusha.
Kedusha: Kedusha means holiness. There was plenty of this to
go around this Shabbat. Truth be told, while there was a different atmosphere
in Haifa, as well as Rosh HaNikra, most of the kedusha we experienced came from
within our students. We started the morning with an optional discussion based
on a plastic bag full of prompts such as: “What is one part of this trip you
wish you could’ve experienced with your parents?” “What is there too much of in
Israel? What is there not enough of?” “Having seen some of the places described
in the Torah, does this change your relationship to it?” and so on…
We also experienced Kedusha this afternoon at a beautiful
beach north of Haifa. At one point every kid was in the water at the same
time—the pristine Mediterranean Sea no less. We said the blessing for large
bodies of water and then everyone ended up singing our favorite two songs, “We
Are Young” and “Lean on Me.” Then there was lots of sun tanning and ice cream—also
holy!
Menucha: Menucha means rest. We’ve been running up and down
the country all week and “rest” is an essential part of the equation for a
successful trip. We let the kids go to be early last night and also encouraged
them to sleep in a bit. This afternoon, we returned from the beach and had an
hour or so to just chill out. Then, before dinner, the entire grade gathered
for another optional discussion using the same questions referenced earlier
(they love to share their feelings!). One of the questions invited students to
share a spiritual moment from the trip. It took about 45 minutes for this one
as more than 75% of the kids wanted a chance to share and Rabbi Micah didn’t
have the heart to cut them off—thus we were late for dinner (aka Israeli
standard time).
Tomorrow we’re off to Tzfat, rafting down the Jordan, and up
to Mt. Bental to visit a very moving site. We’ll end up at a kibbutz by the
Kinneret. “See” you then!
5/13/12
First and foremost, happy Mother’s Day! See the previous
post for a special poem co-written by all your kids!
Today we woke up in Haifa, and headed north east to Tzefat.
Along the way we passed through a grove of several thousand olive trees, their
twisted, gnarled trunks stretching as far as any of us could see. The olive
branch is a well-known sign of peace. Along the way we saw a bumper sticker
that the kids know from the “Sticker Song”: Dor
Shalem, Doresh Shalom (“An entire generation demands peace.”) It seemed
like a fitting commentary for our ride. This ended up being a theme across the
day.
Today we had our first rebellion. A number of the kids
approached Ms. Kendrick asking if they could please fail all their classes so
they could remain at Davis. Morah Evelyn seemed to like the idea, but we were
able to talk her down!!
Tzefat is a magical city high on top of a mountain. It’s
definitely “different” and is considered one of the four holy cities of the
land of Israel according to the Talmud. We visited 600-700 year old synagogues
that were the birth places of Kabbalah (real, not Madonna-balah) and had an
interesting experience saying the Shema there. Some of us walked along Mashiach
Alley, a narrow alley were, it is taught, the Messiah, will pass on his/her way
to Jerusalem. Rumor has it that if you are not a righteous person the walls
will cave in on you when you walk there. Fortunately we all made it through
though some were nervous! Tzefat is famous for its mystical art and candles. Be
prepared to see examples of varying levels of quality upon your child’s return!
From Tzefat we went to K’far Blum to kayak down the Jordan
River. For many this was the highlight of the trip thus far. The Jordan is a
peaceful and modest river despite its famousness. The sun was shining, there
was a cool breeze, and the paddling was easy, but not too easy. We shared the
river with a large group of Arab women who rode along side us. We were singing,
they were singing, and when our boats bumped into each other everyone
smiled. After rafting we gave a huge
group hug to Mr. Kudlats who headed off the airport. Everyone will miss him and
he’s promised to hear every story (twice) when we get back.
From the Jordan we headed to Mt. Bental, a military outpost
on top of a mountain that offers a view of Syria. We heard amazing personal
stories about the Yom Kippur War of 1973. Ask your children how Menashe (our
tour guide) got his last name: Menashe Golan. It’s a powerful story. Apparently
Mt. Bental is always very cold because it is 900 meters above sea level. By the
way, we only deal with the metric system now so be prepared!!
From Mt. Bental we came to a beautiful kibbutz: Kibbutz
Ha’on. It is LITERALLY on the banks of the Kinneret. The dining room, where we
enjoyed a variety of traditional Israeli dishes including fried rice (ok, maybe
not so traditional), chicken, hummus, roasted veggies, etc… gave us an
incredible view of the sunset and the lights rising on Tiberias.
After dinner we had an optional song session (with 100%
attendance). Gathering in the courtyard of our Kibbutz, with the gentle breeze
and sound of the sea behind us, we learned a melody to the phrase from the
Psalms: “By Your light we see light.” Using the melody and words “By Your light
we see light” (in Hebrew) as the chorus, kids had an opportunity to share how
and when they have experienced spiritual light through their friends, on their
own, in relation to Israel, and beyond. Mr. O’Dell framed the whole
conversation in the context of the creation story, where God created light. Not
only does light help our eyes see, but also helps our hearts and our minds see.
By now you may have noticed that this trip is rich with
reflective moments, chances to share and connect with self and others, and the
space to grow, explore, challenge, reveal, and learn… As chaperones we have been
blessed to witness breathtaking maturity, integrity, and vulnerability and view
it as our job to protect and nurture this sense of holy community and safe
space. Thank you for giving us this chance to get to know your children.
The song session concluded with Shaina and Nicole leading us
in a variety of popular songs including, you guessed it, “We Are Young.” Rabbi
got the last word though, bringing us together with the bedtime Shema.
Now the chaperones are having a bit of tea and nosh while
the kids are “sleeping.” (But really, we are encouraging rest as a virtue.)
We’re getting ready to wake up early for another “optional” experience: tefilah
or nature walk. As you go to sleep tonight imagine us standing on the banks of
the Kinneret, seeing our reflections ripple in the cool clean water all around
us.
We’ll ship out early to head to Sachne (if you’ve never
heard of it, just wait!!), then to the Dead Sea, and beyond!
5/14/12
Theme of the day: The Journey South. We set out from the
eastern banks of the Kinneret with the end goal of arriving in Eilat. 30
minutes into our drive we stopped in “paradise.” Sachne is an ancient site where a number of underwater springs
converge to form deep pools of pristine blue water. The scene is complete with
waterfalls, caves, palm trees, and so on. Some have even speculated that Sachne was a part of the Garden of Eden!
Most of our kids would likely agree. The amazing thing about Sachne this year is that we had the
place entirely to ourselves. In addition to our group of enthusiastic nature
lovers, there were only a handful of other visitors while we were there.
As if the natural beauty of Sachne wasn’t enough we treated the kids to artikim (popsicles) in honor of Sammy Alterman’s birthday! Israeli
popsicles are obviously better than
American popsicles! They come in a variety of fun flavors such as melon,
pineapple, mishmash, bubble gum, and
cola!
We departed Sachne for
the next body of water- the Dead Sea. All that needs to be said here is: look
at the pictures. Never have your children so willingly and enthusiastically
wallowed in mud! Aside from a good amount of stinging and burning sensations,
the Dead Sea was very relaxing and a lot of fun. The kids were surprised to
learn that the Dead Sea is rapidly evaporating.
From the Dead Sea we began the journey to Eilat. The road
passes through the Judean Desert- a landscape unlike any most of the kids have
ever seen. Dunes, valleys, mountains of various colors, sand as far as the eye
can see, and a variety of different types of plants dot the landscape. We also
saw the desert blooming with Date Palms, Pomello, and variety of other fruits.
An incredible thing happened while we were driving: it rained. According to
both our guides, it NEVER rains in this part of Israel. In fact, Yoav had just
finished making this point when it started to rain. It was beautiful and
mysterious.
No journey to Eilat is complete without a stop for ice cream
at Yotvata. First and foremost, Yotvata is widely recognized as the premier
dairy farm/ kibbutz in Israel. This might have something to do with the fact
that they raise cows in the Judean desert—no small feat. The ice cream line was
very long, but everyone who wanted got to enjoy. The kids also stocked up on a
variety of intriguing and exotic snacks like Pringles and Lays potato chips!
Finally we reached Eilat. Eilat is a city full of massive
hotels. It sits walking distance from the Jordanian city of Aqaba. Over the
years Eilat has become a much celebrated part of the Davis trip as it presents
the opportunity to chill out on the beach and also go to the shuk. Unable to
deny our kids the utter bliss of the Eilat promenade/shuk we took them there
after dinner tonight to let them explore and load up on souvenirs and gifts for
family and friends. To say that they were ecstatic is as much of an
understatement as saying that Atlanta occasionally has issues with traffic on
surface streets and highways.
Tomorrow we’ll spend a good portion of the day
underwater—literally, snorkeling and at the Eilat Aquarium. There’s more fun
stuff in store for the day, but we’ll dive into it all tomorrow.
Layla Tov!
5/15/12
Ok, for the purposes of full disclosure, Eilat isn’t Rabbi
Micah’s favorite part of Israel. Growing up on the sunny shores of LA I kind of
feel like a beach is a beach. But this trip isn’t about me! It’s about the
kids. And the kids love Eilat. And Eilat, loves the kids. It’s a
perfect synergy, a cosmic balance of nature—kind of like a coral reef. Speaking of which…
We started our day at Eilat’s Coral Reef (well, technically
we started with the omelette station in the hotel dining hall). It’s a
beautiful reef on the banks of the Red Sea. From the shore there are views of
Jordan and even Saudi Arabia. Some of the kids really wanted to go to Saudi
Arabia but we managed to discourage this. As an aside, it’s worth mentioning
that Israel is the only country in the Middle East where men and women have equal
rights and where women enjoy the same human rights that we expect in America.
Enough sermon! This is supposed to be about the coral reef:
After learning how to use the snorkeling gear we broke into
groups and headed out to the edge of the reef via a long walkway. The kids were
surprised that you are supposed to spit into your mask and rub the spit around
before dipping the mask to prevent the mask from fogging up while in the reef.
We jumped into the cool water and said the Shehiyanu blessing before setting
off to explore. I had the pleasure of accompanying three groups (= snorkeling
x3). While each group saw different fish the overall experience of majesty and
beauty, the bursting colors, the power of schools of fish swimming together,
and the sense of connection to nature, were shared by all. Having said that,
the last group got to see an octopus—which is totally awesome. Octopi love
Israel because they aren’t kosher and therefore don’t have to worry about being
doused in lemon juice or boiled in Portuguese stew.
Our time at the beach was enriched by the fact that there
was a very nice group of Israeli 9th graders from a town near
Jerusalem. All those years of Hebrew lessons paid off as our boys and girls
made new friends and checked out their Israeli counterparts. When things like
this happen the chaperones keep a close eye to make sure it stays appropriate,
but we also love to sit back and watch them engage with new people and get to
know some of their Israeli brothers and sisters.
For those who weren’t already craving sushi we then headed
200 or so meters down the road to the
underwater observatory. I’ve been calling it the aquarium but I’ve been
corrected. Apparently calling an underwater observatory an aquarium is like
calling “The Batchelor” a reality TV
show (i.e. a misnomer). The underwater
observatory is very large and the premises are full of things to do, buy,
and eat. We had lunch, hung out, and mentally prepared ourselves for our first
shopping mall. Have I mentioned that Eilat is a tax free city?
The mall was fun. There’s a store called Magnolia. They sell
jewelry. Under the watchful eyes of Ms. Kendrick, Mora Evelyn, and Mora Orna
the girls did very well for themselves (and probably for others to). Rabbi
Loren Filson Lapidus might’ve even gotten something from Magnolia. I don’t know
and can’t say for sure. Hadara Lapidus has gotten lots of souvenirs.
We came back to the hotel and demanded that the kids rest.
This hotel does something very smart—the lights and AC don’t work if the doors
are open. Therefore, the doors are all closed and the kids are either: napping,
packing, journaling, or relaxing. We have an early dinner and then off to the
disco cruise. At it will be a late night I’m posting the blog now. Pictures
will be up later this evening and will include the cruise.
Here are a few generic remarks about the cruise for devoted
readers: sunset, red sea, mountains rising from the shore, Mr. Barry’s ipod
mix, everyone dressed up, and dancing the night away. Don’t mess with
perfection!
Tomorrow we put on our hiking shoes to explore some of
Israel’s most majestic spots, all in the Negev desert. We’ll be in touch with
an update then.
5/16/12
The word of the day is “flexibility.” I’m writing to you now
from the beautiful kibbutz of Chafetz Chayim right outside of Jerusalem.
Kibbutz? But I thought we were staying in a tent?? What say you??
“Flexibility!!”
Our day started in Eilat. A cool sea breeze greeted us as we
schlepped our bags to the lobby. Apparently you haven’t “done Israel” unless
you get stuck in at least 1 elevator…
From Eilat we headed south to check out the Egyptian and
Jordanian borders. Then we started the journey into the depths of the Negev to
one of planet earth’s most spectacular spots: Machtesh Ramon.
For those who are wondering what a “machtesh” is: it’s a
“machtesh.” While the word sounds like Hebrew, it’s not. Basically, a machtesh
is a rare geological site where you can behold layers of stone that go back
millions of years. We learned about the machtesh and then spent a few minutes
in silent contemplation.
We lunched in a youth hostel overlooking the machtesh and
then travelled on to Sdeh Boker and Ain Avdat. The former is a kibbutz in
the middle of the Negev where David ben Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister,
spent the final years of his life and was ultimately buried. The view from his
gravesite is stunning. Ben Gurion’s grave has three dates: his birth, his
death, and the day he made aliyah to
Israel. On that topic, one of your kids told me that he/she plans to serve in
the IDF one day. They were going to write this on a note and hold it up in a
picture for the blog. I suggested that perhaps they would want to think about
it a bit more and possibly, just
possibly, discuss it with their parents rather than writing it on a piece of
paper for a picture on the blog!
Ain Avdat is
probably the most famous hike in Israel (besides Masada). It is a hike through
a magnificent canyon, complete with Ibex scouring the cliffs. A stream runs
through the middle of the canyon and the sounds of birds echo off the canyon
walls. It was extremely hot but the kids did great. The conclusion of the hike
is a steep ascent that includes a series of ladders built into the side of a
cliff. Everyone did great. We also learned the mating practices of the Ibex!
These will not be forgotten.
From Ain Avdat we
made our way on the journey to our overnight outdoor experience. While the kids
were riding the camels and having a blast, our tour provider was making
arrangements for new accommodations, as something got lost in communication. We
rode the camels, met “Abraham” and “Lot” who welcomed us to their tent for
dinner. Dinner was divine: meatballs, chicken, babaganoush, hummus, rice, pita,
and other delicacies. By the time we were done, we’d made arrangements to be
here at Chafetz Chayim. While some of the kids were sad, they quickly came
around to the idea of towels, warm water, beds, and all the other trappings of
a beautiful kibbutz. When they found out that they’d be sharing “apartments”
(rather than single rooms, by gender OF COURSE) the questionably comfortable
“mattresses” of the tent were long forgotten. The fact that it was chillier
than expected may have contributed as well!
As adults we know that things happen and that sometimes,
“Man plans and God laughs.” The chaperones were surprised by how quickly the
kids wrapped their minds around the new plan and we look forward to
acknowledging their maturity with a sweet snack tomorrow!
5/17/12
This message is coming to you from the beautiful Kibbutz
K’ramim just outside of Be’ersheva. We’re having an early night since we are
waking up at 3am to climb Masada. Additionally today was a wonderful and
intense day due to the content and the heat. Boy, was it hot!
Neve Shalom/Wahat Al Salaam is a village of approximately 60
families that was founded in the 1970s. What makes the village unique is that
it is one of the only places in Israel where Jews and Arabs live alongside one
another by choice, and not only by necessity. At the core of Neve Shalom/Wahat
Al Salaam is a school where Jewish and Arab (Muslim and Christian) children
learn side by side. Apparently the kids love school because they get time off
for the holidays of all three religions! More profoundly students learn both
Hebrew and Arabic.
While it might seem like the vision of Neve Shalom/Wahat Al
Salaam is to dissolve all boundaries and create a type of “global community”
that isn’t the case. Rather, it is to own one’s own story/narrative/history,
while at the same time acknowledging that other people have their own
story/narrative/history. What this meant for our tour guide, a Jewish young
woman named Noam, is that her Jewish/Israeli identity can only be complete and
fully actualized by understanding the complexities of her society on a personal
level, and by learning to acknowledge the life experiences and cultural
traditions of others. Noam shared one story: a time when she spoke Arabic to
some Palestinian-Israelis. When she told the Palestinian girls that she was
Jewish they absolutely did not believe her because they had never heard a
Jewish person speak “their” language so well. Neve Shalom/Wahat Al Salaam is an
inspiring and challenging place that got everyone thinking about our own
identity, the things that are important to us, and the things we don’t want to
look at, as well as how our personal journey is impacted by things larger than
ourselves (history, politics, etc..).
They also served us a delicious lunch!
From Neve Shalom/Wahat Al Salaam we visited the Israeli Armored
Corps memorial/ museum at Latrun. It was definitely a juxtaposition. By
the time we got to Latrun it was
stiflingly hot. Latrun doesn’t offer much shade and we all came to appreciate
the intense conditions of those brave Israelis who courageously fulfill the
duty of operating tanks during times of combat. Latrun has a wall of names, not
unlike the Vietnam memorial in Washington D.C. There are some other unique
features to the museum that make a strong impression.
After the intensity of these two visits the kids were very
excited for a long bus ride and an ice cream stop. Neither of these
disappointed!
This brings us to Kibbutz Kramim. It’s a well-appointed
place with a very serene feeling. Some of the kids are staying in little houses
complete with hot tubs and lofts! Spirits are high for our ascent to Masada.
There will be another brief post before Shabbat! Thank you
for keeping up with our adventures here in Israel!!
5/18/12
So it turns out that 3am isn’t nearly as early as it sounds, it’s actually much later! It’s a good thing everyone was
highly motivated to climb Masada this morning because the 3am wake up call is
tough without something to look forward to.
We wearily loaded the busses and embarked on the winding
road to Masada. For those of us who remained awake we enjoyed the unique treat
of waking up various animals in the desert and watching them run across the
road, including Bambi and Thumper.
Masada was very crowded today, but that didn’t detract from
the powerful serenity of watching the sunrise. There was consensus among the
chaperones that the kids were treated to the finest Masada sunrise in recent
memory. The truly seemed to appreciate the beauty of the sun rising over the
Dead Sea and the Jordanian mountains in the distance. We watched from the
rooftop of the ancient Roman sauna at Masada. You might be wondering why they
had a sauna at Masada. Well, they needed somewhere to relax after swimming the
fresh water pool in ancient days!
Masada is a massive array of palaces, and other types of
structures, including an ancient synagogue, all atop a flat mountain. The
narrative that accompanies Masada is complex and raises a number of challenging
questions including the classic: live free, or die?
The mountain top got very hot very quickly and the
heat+exhaustion combination meant that everyone was ready to eat breakfast. We
descended and made our way to a Bedouin tent.
As our twitter feed indicated this morning, this was an
unbelievable breakfast. First of all the camp was deserted and we had an entire
tent to ourselves, overlooking the Judean desert. The meal started with freshly
fried eggs, then there were a variety of spicy salads—eggplant, tomato, and
others. From there, you could load your plate with hummus, labane (a special
kind of cheese) and other delicacies. For breakfast “dessert” we could have
pita and Nutella, or halvah. But the favorite part of this smorgasbord was the
tea. Black tea, perfectly sweetened, with a special herb called Shiva (sp?).
Much much much tea was enjoyed by
all.
Following a sleepy ride we made our way to the center of Tel
Aviv. Tel Aviv on Friday afternoon is a whirlwind of activity, nowhere more so
than at Nahalat Binyamin and Shuk Ha-Carmel. The former is an artist market
overflowing with creative and beautiful treasures at all prices. The latter is
the bustling marketplace that offers the uniquely Israeli combination of cheap
t-shirts and freshly baked challah, as well as the finest produce in the Middle
East. The best part for the kids was that they were also given an allotment of
shekels so that they could, in groups, buy whatever they wanted for lunch. We
saw kids eating all sorts of exciting things—shwarma, falafel, chicken, salads,
freshly squeezed fruit juices, and so on. Luckily Tel Aviv was cooler, whether
wise, than Masada, so it felt very pleasant to be there.
I’m writing to you from the Leonardo Hotel in Bat Yam. Bat
Yam is to Tel Aviv what Dunwoody is to Atlanta, a beautiful suburb, virtually
indistinguishable from Tel Aviv itself. Every room here overlooks the sea. We
can even here the infamous sound of Israeli paddle tennis from the beach below,
as well as the unforgettably rhythmic sound of waves crashing on the beach. We
can also hear the lifeguard yelling at the people in the water—great pedagogy!
Tonight we will welcome Shabbat on the shores of the
Mediterranean. There will be lots of singing and a D’var Torah from Cassidy. As
last week Mr. Kudlats told us to make the most of our first Shabbat in Israel,
tonight we will encourage the kids to make the most of our last Shabbat in Israel. We’ll retreat from the beach to a delicious
dinner.
Tonight, with your permission, the chaperones will bless
your children with the traditional words that parents offer children. We do so as a way of invoking your presence,
which has been felt throughout the trip. We also do so to acknowledge the fact
that being here in Israel, seeing this land and its people through their eyes,
living their questions and dreams, carrying their shopping bags and making sure
they clean their tables, has been a gift and blessing to us. We look forward to
returning them safely back to Atlanta in a few days time. They have definitely
been changed by this experience, but we promise that you will still recognize
them. They haven’t become different people, rather they have emerged into
fuller versions of the kids that we all love and cherish.
Shabbat Shalom from Bat Yam!
5/19/12
Shavua tov! Here’s an overview of our 2nd and
final Shabbat in Israel…
After resting up for a couple of hours we met in the lobby
and headed to the beautiful Bat Yam beach across the street from our hotel. On
the beach we made a big circle and sang many of our favorite Shabbat songs.
Along the way we collected a small gathering of curious observers… Apparently a
musical Kabbalat Shabbat on the Bat Yam waterfront isn’t a weekly occurrence!
In their eyes I’m sure we were quite a spectacle, singing and dancing, praying
and laughing. The energy was infectious and at one point Mr. Barry jumped into
the middle of the circle to offer a free-style rap. Our Shabbat singing ended
just as the sun was setting. After a brief detour at a local playground (do you
know that your kids LOVE playgrounds???) we were seated in the most traditional
of Israeli restaurants for dinner: El Gaucho.
At El Gaucho we feasted on delicious bread, salad, beef, and
chicken. As always there were additional options for our vegetarians. Fresh
watermelon came for dessert. We started our meal, as indicated in the last
blog, by singing the Shabbat blessings. The manager of the restaurant was so
moved by our prayers that he felt the need to put a napkin “kippah” on his
head. In truth, he was truly moved, and said as much to the chaperones. This
simple moment is yet another example of an unexpected aspect of this trip:
Not only does Israel impact and change our kids, but our
kids actually impact and change Israel.
For this restaurant manager, the folks on the beach, or the
passers by who joined us for Havdallah tonight, our kids offer a different
perspective on Judaism. Your kids, yes!, your kids, demonstrate that it is not
only possible, but wonderful, to be
Jewishly engaged. In Israel there is a very strong division between the
“religious” and the “secular.” It is one of the deepest rifts in Israeli
society. Our kids demonstrate that religion can be a source of joy,
inspiration, intellectual and spiritual growth, as well as community.
Amazingly, many Israelis don’t understand this, because the expressions of
Judaism that they most often encounter feel very foreign and alienating to
them.
Then we went to sleep.
Breakfast: As indicated, our hotel is very nice. This “very” extends to breakfast. We ate breakfast
against the backdrop of an indoor/outdoor infinity pool. There were more
pastries than you’d find in most bakeries, fresh fruit, and a variety of hot
dishes. This was the first time in the trip that the chaperones were actually
served coffee rather than having to fetch it for ourselves (no great hardship
by the way). The kids were clearly intrigued by the breakfast and did a good
job making a dent in the pastry supply. From breakfast we headed to the Reform
synagogue, Beit Daniel, for our 2nd synagogue experience.
Surely
you’ve heard of “The Wedding Crashers.” At Beit Daniel we had the unique
opportunity to be “Bar Mitzvah Crashers.” The Bar Mitzvah boy: Gavi, was very
poised. He seemed genuinely happy to have 70 Americans slightly older than him
(and better dressed) at his bar mitzvah. He definitely impressed his friends.
During the service we had the unique honor of being invited to recite the first
aliyah (Torah blessing). Mr. O’Dell’s and Mr. Barry’s groups accepted the honor
on behalf of our group. Later in the service we were invited to lead the Aleinu
prayer, which we did with great confidence and power.
After
services we visited Rabin Square to witness the final moments of the life of
Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. His tragic assassination was discussed in a
previous post, but to visit the actual site brings additional insight into this
darkest of moments in Israeli history.
From Rabin
Square we made our way to the port city of Jaffa. By then we were all very
hungry so we had a traditional Israeli/Arab snack: the bagele. Jaffa is a small town built on a hill. It has been and
always will be a port city. As such, there’s a certain mystery and sense of
journey that accompanies the place. The kids definitely experienced this as we
wandered up and down the twisting, slanted, narrow alleyways. When we reached
the top, some of us encountered a Christian-Eritrean wedding. Imagine a
beautiful bride and groom, and wedding party looking very sharp. Lots of
dancing and singing too! It was a unique treat and a reminder that Israeli
society is anything but homogenous and monochromatic. For lunch most of the
kids went to the Abulafia restaurant for traditional Arab shwarma and falafel.
Our time in Jaffa was a good reminder that there is so much more to Israel than
we see on the news—Israel is a diverse country where many different types of
people flourish and feel a sense of profound connection.
From Jaffa
we went to one of Tel Aviv’s beautiful beaches. Having dreamt of this moment
the kids jumped right into the ocean and/or relaxing. Given that there was a
strong current Mr. Barry set strict parameters around the depth that kids were
permitted into the water. From the lifeguard tower commands were called out in
three languages; Arabic, Hebrew, and English. I’m pretty sure our kids
responded most quickly to the Arabic ones! Some of the kids also had the chance
to play Israel’s most famous beach game: Paddle Tennis (I can’t remember what
it’s called in Hebrew). No Israeli beach is complete without the sound of the
rubber ball bouncing back and forth between the wooden paddles.
We came
back to the hotel, rested, and went to a nice dinner. At dinner we all sat at
the same table. I’ll leave it to your imagination to think of
what that looks like! Since we were joined by Betty and Paulina (two of our ORT
students), the total number of our group was 72. 72 happens to be the number of
members of the Great Sanhedrin, the rabbinical court that ruled during ancient
times. While our table was certainly light on the halakhic disputes, there’s no doubt that the future leaders of the
Jewish community are about to receive their Davis diplomas (a sensitive topic
amongst the kids). After dinner we had our final spiritual check-in followed by
a beautiful Havdallah at the park with the playground mentioned above. Morah
Orna, Mr. Barry, and Ms. Kendrick spoke beautifully. In speaking about the
meaning of the Havdallah candle, which has three braided wicks, Ms. Kendrick
shared that this group of students is what changed her life and made her want
to join our Davis family. She shared that while they are leaving Davis, their
bond will never be broken. Ms. Kendrick is keeping the candle.
While Ms. Kendrick was speaking of her own experience, her
words resonated with many of us. There is a bond that we all share that makes
us burn more strongly and brightly when we are together. To the extent that The
Davis Academy has played a central role in helping to forge this bond, which I
believe it has, then the work that we are doing together, as parents, teachers,
children, and as a school community—that work is avodat kodesh, sacred work.
Tomorrow we do science, War of Independence, archaeology,
and our closing circle.
Shavua Tov!
5/20/12
I’m writing
to you from our “Bus 2.0” as we make our way back from a very full day of
wonderful activities including: The Weisman Institute for Science Discovery
Park, the Ayalon Bullet Factory, and “We Dig Israel.” When we get back we’ll
return to our new favorite restaurant, El Gaucho, for a different menu of
delicacies. After dinner we’ll have our annual closing circle as tonight is our
last night in Israel!
The Weisman
Institute: Take that natural love of playgrounds that was mentioned in
yesterday’s post and fuse it with the world’s coolest science park and you get
the Weisman Institute’s Science Discovery Park.
Situated on
the campus of one the most widely respected research centers in the world, the
Science Discovery Park is meant to create a sense of joy and curiosity
pertaining to matters scientific. We broke into groups and were guided through
a number of the different activities at the park. The kids got to get their
hands dirty and will be very happy to describe the awesome and engaging activities
that will still be fresh in their minds. After more than two hours many still wanted
more time at the park. We were only too happy to deny their request while
reminding them that they are welcome to return and visit the park any time they
like! Time only moves in one direction and we were due at the Ayalon Bullet
Factory.
During the
final years of the British Mandate (1945-1948) it was illegal to manufacture
weapons of any kind. Since the Jews of Palestine were actively involved in a
variety of conflicts, culminating with the War of Independence this statute had
to be circumvented. The Ayalon Bullet Factory is a testament to the courage,
endurance, and commitment of the Jews during this period. It tells the story of
a group of 45 young people who operated a clandestine bullet factory from
1945-1948. The bullet factory was and is located 24 feet underground, beneath a
laundry room and bakery of a kibbutz. Amazingly, during the 3 years of
operation during which more than 2.5 million bullets were produced, there was
only 1 injury. The bullet factory included a number of interesting features
including a tanning bed so that family and friends wouldn’t notice that their
loved ones were spending most of the daylight hours underground, as well as a
firing range to test the safety and accuracy of the bullets. Our students were
very impressed with the site and had lots of questions about the logistics of
the factory’s operation. A wonderful bonus of the Ayalon Bullet Factory is that
they set up an assembly line to make fresh falafel for lunch. Many went back
for seconds! From Ayalon we went to Beit Guvrin to participate in an actual
archaeological dig.
The kids
really dug the dig! Our guides were very impressed with the amount of dirt we
sifted through during our time underground. “We Dig Israel” is a massive
operation that has made several of the most important discoveries in recent
years. We don’t know whether anything we pulled out of the cave today will be
part of the next big discovery. In addition to digging we also got to venture
into a cave that has not yet been excavated. While there were some tight
passages everyone enjoyed the unique experience of caving in Israel.
Hopefully
we will be back to the hotel soon so we can get a head start on packing. Suitcases
will definitely be much fuller on the return to Atlanta! While everyone wants
more time in Israel, we are also excited to get back to family and friends,
graduation, and everything the future holds!
5/21/12
Even though today was our last day, or perhaps because it was our last day, it was a
very full day. We went from Independence Hall in Tel Aviv to the Yitzhak Rabin
Center Museum, to Neot Kedumim to plant trees to N’hara restaurant in Abu Ghosh
for an amazing dinner and then to the airport. After making our way through
security (Israel appears to have the only airport in the world where you don’t take your shoes off) we did a
quick poll of the kids who are here with us at the airport to capture their
favorite Israel moment. More than likely they all could’ve just as easily
picked a different one, but here’s a little something to get the conversation
started on the ride home from Hartsfield!
A collection of “Israel Moments”*
“Touching and praying at the kotel.” Jordan Gold
“Breakfast at the Bedouin tent after Masada.” Max Harris
“Floating in the Dead Sea.” Noah Caspi
“The second I touched the kotel.” Harrison Lipsky
“Walking through the water tunnel at the City of David.” Abi
Szabo
“Driving through the barren desert and knowing that my
ancestors walked there.” Rachel Kaufman
“Everywhere we went we were able to sing songs and that
always put me in a good mood.” Sara Srochi
“Sunrise on Masada.” Sammy Harris
“Rafting down the Jordan river with five of my close
friends.” Mallory Goldenberg
“The song sessions in all the different cities in Israel.”
Zoe Light
“The magic steps in Haifa.” Alyssa Quatela
“Guitar on the steps in Haifa.” Jake Footer
“Snorkeling in the Red Sea.” Anna Rosing
“Walking with my friends in the boardwalk shuk in Eilat.”
Jessica Bachner
“Sitting in a circle near the magic steps and sharing
spiritual moments.” Maddie Fleischmann
“Every night time bonding experience that gave me
inseparable bonds with my classmates.” Carly Shoulberg
“When I was at the kotel and I put on tefillin and then put
my note in the way.” Zachary Chase
“Floating in the Dead Sea.” Max Miller
“Walking on the streets of Jerusalem.” Ashley Spector
“Snorkeling in the Dead Sea, the reef was so pretty.”
Cassidy Aronin
“Being on the steps in Haifa and when all the guys finally
joined in for singing and we all cried and took it all in.” Nicole Webb
“When we had Shabbat on the beach in Tel Aviv.” Samantha
Alterman
“Me, Sophie, and Eliran (our security guard) were playing
soccer at Sachne.” Blake Teilhaber
“Standing under the waterfall at Sachne.” Logan Botnick
“Praying at the kotel.” Eric Silver
“Being in the Mediterranean Sea for the first time.” Ben
Marcus
“Putting a note in the wall at the kotel.” Evan Miller
“Singing from the Meline’s to Masada all the way to the bus
ride to the airport.” Leah Elgart
“The beaches!” Danielle Dinberg
“The kotel.” Sam Baroff
“Climbing Masada and watching the sunrise.” Jamie Greenberg
“The sunrise on Masada.” Daniel Gothard
“Walking around Jerusalem with my grade.” Abby Schwartz
“Collecting balls of salt from the bottom of the Dead Sea.”
Max Brandwine
“Walking around Haifa with Mr. Barry.” Larry Yanovich
“Having the opportunity to speak openly about my religious
beliefs.” Sophie Frostbaum
“The bus rides with friends and enjoying the amazing scenery
all around me.” Sammi Schiff
“Singing in the Mediterranean Sea.” Marley Gordon
“Seeing the Mediterranean Sea for the first time at Rosh
HaNikra.” Rebecca Greenberg
“NA NA NA.” Mr. O’Dell
“The Meline’s house when we were all crying together and I
realized how much I loved all of my friends and how much I will miss them but
how wonderful our future together will be.” Shaina Goldfein
“Climbing Masada.” Anna Goldstein
“Hanging out at the beach in Eilat as well as the shuk.”
Cody Wertheimer
“At the Meline’s house when everyone was crying and we
realized that we will be graduating as a family.” Rachel Nemeth
“Our song session at the Kinneret when everyone took a turn
with the guitar.” Micah Lapidus
“The Dead Sea.” Ben Stinar
“Finding a spot to put my note in the kotel.” Michelle
Nelkin
“We like big…” Matt Barry
“Rosh HaNikra, it was really pretty and I loved looking at
the water.” Becca Meline
“When the fish were eating at our feet at Sachne.” Ethan
Hertz
“Experiencing the most perfect day of my life ever starting
with the sunrise at Masada with the 60+ people I care most about in my family
and then seeing it set in Tel Aviv. How often do you get to see the sun rise
and set with such a special community?” Ms. Kendrick
“Seeing my Israeli friends and being with my grade in the
place that never gets old for me.” Jansen Redler
“Driving into Jerusalem and all singing “Yerushalayim Shel
Zahav.”… choked me up!” Bonnie Sobelson
“Being with our grade in the Reform synagogue in Haifa and
singing along. I loved it when the bar mitzvah boy invited us to his service
the following day!” Kadey Burstein
“Becoming friends with so many new people in the grade when
I thought it was too late.” Lille Brown
“Floating in the Dead Sea.” Drew Shullman
“The stairs in Haifa when we did Havdallah and were singing
together in a big circle, connecting and bonding for the first time.” Julie
Covall
“Riding the camel with Michelle. We had been waiting a long
time and finally go to do it!” Jamie Antonino
“Floating in the Dead Sea.” Sammi Nozick
“Being on the boardwalk in Eilat and doing the fireball
ride.” Kyle Rabinowitz
“Havdallah in Haifa, it was the first time I’ve ever done
Havdallah and was very important to me.” Evelyn Grinberg
“The disco cruise, dancing and hanging out with all my
friends.” Meredith Galanti
“Surviving the hike at Ain Avdat.” Orna Willis
* This list is
partially incomplete because it was compiled at Ben Gurion Airport and there
were a few students who returned to the States on a different flight (or are
still in Israel!).
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