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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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