Goodbye Tiberias, Hello Jerusalem!

Sorry for the delay we don't have wifi at our hotel!!

I finally learned how to spell Tiberias and our trip began heading south.

Today was an early wake up call, 6:15 AM, with loading the bus at 7:30 AM and on the road by 7:45 AM...Well that was the plan at least. 

As normal, our whole group was on time waiting to get the okay to go. By 8AM people starting asking in our texting group what the hold up was. Matan told us that he had let the bus driver go home last night and apparently there was a car blocking the bus from leaving. The bus did not end up arriving till after 8:30 AM, putting us about an hour behind schedule. Well, this started an all out meme war of us teaming up against Matan and the bus driver for making us get up and then not be on time. 

Some of my Favorites:

Once the bus was loaded and packed, in record breaking time, we headed towards Jerusalem. This drive was my favorite so far and one of the most interesting. As we drove south, we could see Jordan on a mountain a few miles away. Then, all of a sudden there was a fence which signalized the border of Israel and Jordan. The two countries have a peace agreement but still have a security fence. It was very interesting to see the technology of the fence and gravel road that allows the IDF to know how much weight was applied to a fence or if it was cut, so they would know if someone crossed over, and to see what direction they person went.

The Israel-Jordan border

We continued on our drive and all of a sudden Matan said if you look to your left you will see a security checkpoint with armed soldiers. This was for the exit of the West Bank but since we were entering we didn't need to cross a checkpoint. At this point you could feel the mood of the bus change as we realized exactly where we were and all the tension we know exists over this land. 

Checkpoint 

As we entered the West bank, and slightly before, the scenery changed to desert covered mountains that were extremely rocky and just straight desert. There were also neighborhoods that looked a lot more run down than the Israeli cities we had passed and many mosques.

I learned about how there are A,B,C territories. "A" territories, like the city Jericho we drove by, cannot be entered by Israelis. This is because they are under the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli government has no control there so it is unsafe for Israeli citizens. B and C territories are governed in some matter, especially judicially, by the Israeli government and therefore Israeli citizens can enter.

After a short stop at a rest stop for Matan's favorite ice cream, chocolate ice cream covered in chocolate and with a chocolate bar in the middle, we came upon the checkpoint to leave the West Bank. We easily passed through, being a tour bus, but saw one armored guard and one civilian guard behind a bullet proof block. Then a few minutes later we turned to our left and all gasped as Jerusalem came into view, including the dome of the rock. It was truly stunning. 

Jerusalem- from the entrance to the Kotel

Then we pulled into the city to pick up the 8 IDF soldiers that will be with us for the next 5 days. We walked with them to a little balcony and said the Shechiyanu, celebrating for many of us our first time in Jerusalem. Then when we finished the prayer and drank some grape juice and a local drummer blew the shofar and then began to drum Jewish songs that we all knew and sang, clapped, and danced to. It was quite the site and locals as well as tourists stoped to take pictures and watch.

Then we walked as a group through the gate into the the Old City of Jerusalem where we crossed through the Armenian district, where we saw a Christmas tree, and ate lunch in the Jewish district. I had delicious Shwarma, which is a popular Israeli street food. 

Shwarma

Then after eating we walked to the Kotel, or Western Wall. It was a very interesting experience. First we walked through security and then took a group picture and talked about the wall. Then we separated by gender to go to the wall, since most of the wall is separated in this way. I would have preferred not to be separated since my tradition does not include this separation but  until this past year that wasn't even an option. I then walked up to the wall and observed everyone praying in a different way, it was very interesting. Then I went up and put notes in the wall, stopping to talk to G-d at the wall. While there, I had no overwhelming feeling or connection but once I backed away from the wall, without turning my back and watched everyone else's reactions I felt a connection to everyone there and felt the powerful atmosphere that is the Kotel.

Kotel

Putting a note in the Kotel

When then left and walked to the bus to head to the hotel for Shabbat. We got ready and then met with over 250 other hillel birthright participants, about 5 trips total- some just arriving in Israel and others about to leave. We then lit Shabbat candles and Menorahs and then had a choice of services to attend. I went to the Reform service. iI was nice to hear everyone know the prayers and tunes and to be so close to the Kotel that we didn't simply face East but rather looked out the window to figure out where the wall was and faced that way. Then we had workshops to choose from, I went to the one about what a "rebel" is and relating it to Hanukkah. Then our bus got back together for an Oneg and some ice breaker before being released for some free time in the hotel. When I finally went upstairs I looked out the window and was greeted by a gorgeous view of Jerusalem, which was a perfect way to end the day.

The view from my room

Throughout the whole day I got to talk with the soldiers and start getting to know them which was a really special experience and I look forward to doing more of this.

Good night!

Laura

Stunning Views and Delicious Food

Today was another beautiful, busy day in Israel!

We started our morning with another Israeli breakfast buffet in the hotel followed by a bus ride to the AMAZING Mount Arbel. Throughout our ride we saw beautiful views as normal driving through Israel, mostly mountains and valleys. Then all of a sudden we saw two giant cliffs with a town in between the middle and you could hear an audible gasp throughout the whole bus. Then our trip leader, Matan, casually said oh yeh that's the mountain we are going to.

We then got off the bus a took a short hike to the top of the mountain. When we arrived at the peak we were greeted with an absolutely stunning view of the surrounding area. This included the highest mountain in Israel, Mount Harmon, in the distance, the Sea of Galilee, and surrounding valleys, mountains, and towns.

The stunning view from Mount Arbel

More from Arbel

While at the top we talked about how just 140 years ago Mark Twain visited a mountain next to the one we were on in what was then Palestine, now Israel, and called the country a barren wasteland with no people for miles and miles. We on the other hand saw a beautiful, green, populated area. The difference in the past 140 years were the Jews who came back to their homeland and had a dream to make it beautiful again and did just that. We then took a group picture and were set loose to take pictures and take in the sites, while being aware of the sharp drop-off cliff right next to us. We were told multiple times it was time to leave but we could not get enough of the views and kept staying until we were all practically pulled back to the bus. 

We then took literally a 2 minute bus ride down the mountain to the synagogue of the ancient city of Arbel. This site was probably my favorite part of the day. The site is made of stone and contains the arch/entrance of the synagogue, several pillars- some engraved with ancient Hebrew- and there based, original seats, and an original wall with an ark that faces Jerusalem. 

The remains of the synagogue 
 

We learned about how this synagogue is the only part of the city left that archaeologists can find except for a few stones here or there but no structure remaining like the synagogue still has. Matan asked us why this is. It turns out the people who lived in Arbel had such passion for their religion as well as a desire to pass on the synagogue and their legacy that they began building a synagogue that would take 60-80 years to complete, something they wouldn't see in their lifetime. Rather, they built it for their kids, grandkids, and the great grandkids to come. The synagogue was therefore the focus of their construction and the houses were less focused on, and therefore did not survive. Something about this idea and the site itself really resonated with me and made me proud of being Jewish and happy to be in the land of so much passion and history for the Jewish people.

After this thought provoking and emotional place we hopped back on the bus and took many windy roads to the wacky town of צפת, Zefat. This town is 100% Jewish and mostly Ashkenazi orthodox. Many of the parts we drove through were relatively poor compared to other places we visited, which according to Matan is common in Orthodox towns. However the most interesting part of this town is you turn the corner and it feels as though you are in a different time period and then you turn the corner again and it's a different time period. The way the city was built the time periods collide causing a very confusing map of the town. 

A Bar Mitzvah in the alley we shopped in

We went to an active Orthodox synagogue and talked about different ways we can view life using the Jewish literature as guidance. Then we went down the street to a candle factory with beautiful candles and watched them make Havdalah  candles.

We then had free time where I went to a place with the BEST food I have ever had, suggested by Matan. It was a Tunisian style sandwich which consisted of a homemade baguette which was fried filled with Tuna, eggplant, humus, sweet carrots, potatoes and eggs, spicy sauces and more. Every bite was different than the last the way the woman made the sandwich and I doubt I will have anything quite like it again. Everything in it was delicious and the bread was like nothing I've had before to finish it off.

The best sandwich ever

Where to buy said sandwich in Zefat

 After this delicious lunch I walked around the main artsy alley of Zefat and shopped for a while, getting a Mezuzah necklace. Luckily I had an Israeli with me to help haggle because they like to target Americans to get more money for things. On the way out of town, my friend Matt and I saw in the distance our Synagogue tour group, who we knew were visiting Zefat, getting off their bus. We walked over to them and the educational director, our religious school principal and boss, screamed and jumped when she saw us and starting hugging. She then introduced us to those we didn't know and we took a picture. The rest of our group walked over clearly confused and Matan asked her if she was responsible for our Hebrew education, she said yes, he jokingly said we were so awful, and then she started speaking rapid Hebrew with him giving him a hard time. It was so nice to see her in one of her favorite places I grew up hearing about.

 

Matt, Carrie, and I in Zefat

Then our group continued on to a short walk to an Ethiopian absorption center. There we learned about what they are doing to help Ethiopian Jews who come to Israel learn to function in a country that isn't a third world country filled with villages but rather a first world country with cities. We then got a chance to interact with some of the children, most of which were only there for 2 weeks, by doing Hanukkah activities with them. This was a bit difficult because to communicate with them we had to tell an Israeli what we were asking, who told one of the older kids who knew Hebrew, who then asked the question to the child in Amharic, and then translated her answer back up the chain. Then we ended our trip by saying the prayers and singing songs for Hanukkah. This was cool to see everyone together singing the same prayers in Hebrew and coming from such different backgrounds. 

Celebrating Hanukkah together
 

Then we returned to the hotel, ate dinner- rice and lentils and falafel for me- and moved on to activities prepping for Mifgash. Mifgash is when IDF soldiers join us for part of the trip which gives us a chance to put a face to the army and them a chance to connect to Americans and show their love for their country. 

So tomorrow we will be off to an early start and saying goodbye to Tiberias and Northern Israel as we head towards Jerusalem for the rest of our trip and to meet our soldiers!

Until tomorrow,

Laura

Jeeps, Nature, Lebanon, Syria, and More.

Israel is an absolutely beautiful place when you aren't just driving through it at night!

Today we started with a beautiful view of the Sea of Galilee from our room. Then followed a great breakfast at the hotel, full buffet all hot food and cold salads. No crappy Belgian waffle and microwaveable eggs in Israeli hotels.

Hotel room view
 

We then left the hotel to experience a brutally cold Israeli winter.... also known as 50 degrees Fahrenheit. We ended up getting lucky today and as the day progressed it got even warmer and the clouds/haze disappeared. 

We then took a bus ride with gorgeous views of the hills in Israel, all surprisingly green, with a beautiful view of the Sea of Galilee to Jeeps to go on a ride through the Golan. On our way to the Jeeps we saw lots of "Danger... Land Mine" signs due to the face that we were in the Golan which was previously an area fought over. 

While the Jeep ride itself wasn't that exciting it was nice to get to talk more with some of the people on my trip and the view when we reached our destination was amazing. The mountain we could see directly in front of us, to the left in the picture, used to be Syria but was now part of Israel. Seeing this was important to show how before the land was conquered the Syrians had a strategically important height over Israel.

Jeep Crew

Matt and I at the Jeep look out

After getting off the Jeeps we took a short drive to the Tel Dan Nature Reserve. Here we walked around seeing the Dan River, narrower than the Neshaminy Creek in Bucks County, which is the main water source to the Jordan River. As we walked through we saw ancient remains of an altar where sacrifices occurred. While stopping to talk, I noticed green parrots in the trees which are an invasive species, yet beautiful.

Dan River

We walked a bit farther and all of a sudden our tour guide went oh yeh... there's Lebanon. We the looked over the border, which you can't tell exists. All was quiet and we could see a Lebanese town just about 2-3 miles away. I learned that as of now the border is quiet and has been for a while especially since Lebanon is dealing with ISIS. However, we did see the Israeli military base on the mountain right next to where we were.

Lebanon is the city visible at the top of the picture, white buildings

After the nature reserve, we took a break for lunch at a mall. Unfortunately it took the whole break to get my food so I didn't get to explore the mall much. However the wait was with it and I had chicken, Humus, and a spicy tomato salad in a lapa, like a thick tortilla (think an Israeli burrito).

Lunch 

After lunch we ascended Mount Bental. It was a bit colder up there, maybe even the low 40s-high 30s. While on top of this mountain we could see most of Mount Harmon, which is the tallest mountain in Israel and nicknamed the "eyes of Israel" since there are many intelligence posts there. We could also see Syria, which was also only about 2 miles away. The border here was also very unclear. In fact, Damascus, the capital of Syria, was only 179 miles away. The mountain we were on is in the Golan Heights, which is the only time Birthright crosses into "occupied territory". This fact makes the mountain a crucial point for military strategy as well as the rest of the Golan Heights since with Israeli cannons they could hit the Syrian capital from there if needed in a war and the Syrians could hit local towns in Israel if they had control.

The only visible town, under the big cloud is Syria

We talked a lot about the curre

nt conflict in Syria even hearing some explosions from the country while standing on the mountain. One very interesting thing I learned about the Syrian-Israeli relationship was how the Israeli army is called the IDF, Israeli DEFENSE Forces, meaning they don't start war they just defend themselves. Another interesting point brought up was how Israel has hospitals on the border to help those injured, normally in return for intelligence.

After a short walk through a bunker we returned back to the hotel for dinner followed by a discussion. The discussion was really interesting to see everyone's take on the day as well as what everyone's Jewish background and journey was to get them here. The discussion made me think a lot about my background and how I relate to my Judaism, something I wish to think more about for the remainder of the trip. 

A big point brought up today is that Israel is the Jewish homeland and we are returning home to it 3000 years after the Israelites were last here. Everything we see is ours or at least a great*10 relative's. It's an interesting thought and the more I am here the more Israel does, as corny as it sounds, feel like home and I am proud of what the little country has accomplished. 

That's all for now, good night! 

Made it!

After a very, very long day of travel I am finally in my hotel in Tiberias, Israel, which is in the Northern of the country. We believe we can see the Sea of Galille from our room, pictures to come tomorrow. 

Today/Yesterday was simply a lot of traveling. We met at JFK at 2pm EST Monday and took off around 6pm EST for the 6-7 hour plane ride to  Brussels. After landing in Brussels we had about an hour layover where we stayed in a nice lounge and had breakfast with another Birthright trip. Then we boarded a much smaller plane for the trip to Tel Aviv, Israel, about a 4 hour flight, and landed around 2:30pm local time, 7:30am EST, Tuesday.

First seeing Israel!

Welcome in Hebrew as we go through customs.

After landing today, we got on a 2-3 hour bus ride to Tiberias and when we got to the hotel we ate, took much needed showers, did a few ice breakers, and little the menorah for the 4th night of Hanukkah (we missed the third night while flying). We are finally headed to bed now 10-11pm local time, 3-4pm EST.

I 

Lighting the Menorah

Although an exhausting, long day it is great to finally be here in Israel. It is clear everyone is excited to see what the next ten days will bring as well as meeting each other and hearing each other's Jewish, and non-Jewish backgrounds. One of the most interesting thing I learned today is between 1/4 and 1/2 of my trip comes from an Interfaith family so it should be interesting to see their backgrounds and how they were raised. 

Although I didn't see much of the country today, I am so excited to see what the rest of the trip brings. Our tour guide, מתן, Matan, is wonderful and made some really interesting points I will end today's post on. He read a poem to us about tourists in order to remind us that we aren't tourists here, at least in his mind, but rather Jews/family returning to their homeland and we should act like it. Part of the way to act like this is by embracing the culture and also remembering and taking note of the fact that the Israelis around us are people too just going about their normal days. 

In the next ten days, I plan to keep in mind the Israelis during my trip to see what life is from their viewpoint not a tourists viewpoint and to admire the fact that Jewish people have a homeland where they can just go to work and live their lives. Simply 70 years ago this type of place didn't exist and it's one of the things that makes Israel so special.

בוקר טוב! 

Boker tov!

Goodnight!

Laura

I'm Going to Israel!

I'm leaving for Israel on December 26th, and I decided to write a blog to share my experiences and to be able to remember them for years to come.

I've always wanted to go to Israel and am very excited for my trip! I am going to Israel through Birthright, which is an organization that helps young Jewish adults go to Israel "To ensure the future of the Jewish people by strengthening Jewish identity, Jewish communities, and connection with Israel". My birthright trip is organized by Penn State Hillel, which is the Jewish group I am involved with on campus. There are about 45 of us going on the trip together, most of which are from Penn State, and we are accompanied by staff from Hillel as well as a tour guide who will meet us in Israel.

My flight will leave JFK Monday night, have a layover in Brussels, and then land in Tel Aviv, Israel Tuesday. I'll write as much as I can while away and include a few pictures.

Not the most exciting first post but I hope you will follow my Journey to the land of Milk and Honey!

Map of Israel for Reference