Tel Aviv and Goodbyes

Today was our last day in Israel and I write this as our first plane is taking off from Tel Aviv (it's technically Friday but for us Thursday since we never went to sleep).

We started the day by checking out of the hotel, which we were all happy to do since we did not like the hotel we were staying in. We then got on the bus and said goodbye to Jerusalem one last time with some songs about the city itself and home as we drove out of the city towards Tel Aviv. We sang some songs on our way, including our favorite-the Titanic song, which is a parody about the Titanic that Matan taught us. 

When we arrived in Tel Aviv we took a short Aroma coffee and bathroom break before walking to another shuk. This shuk was probably the busiest one yet and my favorite. There was everything from food to jewelry to practical every day tools (like forks) to souvenirs. There really was something for everyone. 

The Tel Aviv Shuk

After having some free time walking around there a lot of us met at Pasta Basta for lunch. Pasta Basta is this amazing fast food pasta place that needs to come to the US. Pretty much imagine a fast food style Olive Garden or high quality Noodles and Company. I got Rottadore pasta with a Roasted Red Peppers and Tomatoes sauce and sweet potatoes and it was so good. 

Pasta Basta Meal

After eating, we all headed over to a nearby park where we started our concluding (😢) activities where we all kept our eyes closed except for 5 people at a time. We were then told a statement and those with their eyes open had to tap someone who we thought fit this statement, for example someone that inspires us. This was a great activity to know how you impacted others without having any clear that you did, even if it was frustrating that you didn't know who tapped you. The. We did something similar but with our eyes open where we had to hug someone who ____. Eventually we all hugged Alona, Lauren, Raz, and Matan as a whole group to thank them for being such amazing staff. 

We then walked to the Taglit Innovation Center. This stock exchange and high tech area was really interesting. The area we went to was created by Taglit Birthright to show participants as well as business men and other people the amazing things Israel has to offer beyond the history of the Jewish people.

 

At the Innovation Center

The exhibition we were in was an interactive site to see and hear about technology created in Israel. The most interesting innovation to me was the Orcam that allowed people with visual disabilities to simply point at something and have it read or identified for them. 

The Exhibition Site

After this we listened to the founder of the startup B Kind which is a company that sells cards used to start a chain of kindness that can be shared online through a social network format. It was really interesting and then we were given card to start our own chains of kindness.

Then we took the bus to a local hotel and used an empty multipurpose room as a place to have our closing remarks. Here we went around the circle and everyone had a chance to speak about their experience on the trip. A lot of people said they were nervous to come since they knew very few or no people coming in to the trip. Now however everyone seems to have grown close and was very accepting and willing to help each other group as people and Jews. Something I also added was directed at Matan. I said "I have wanted to come to Israel as long as I can remember and I was honestly a bit concerned it wouldn't live up to what I expected. But the country far surpassed my expectations and a big part of that was the way Matan taught us and expressed his love for his country while presenting it as ours to us. I can't thank him enough for his and all he taught me and made me realize on the trip. Thank you Matan.

Our Family

After this, we went back to the bus to go to our farewell dinner. On the bus I presented Matan with a gift we had all bought him at the Shuk earlier that day, a painting of all the Marvel characters sitting on a construction beam in NYC. He had told us the day before how much he loved it and how he sent a picture of it to his wife saying he wanted it. So when we saw it again we had to get it and I think he really appreciated it. I hope he also realizes how much we all appreciated him. Ilene also presented cards to him, Lauren, Alona, and Raz signed by all of us. 

Goodbye Matan!

Then we got to dinner where we had delicious pita bread, fries, and chicken kebabs. Then we sadly headed to the airport where we had to say good bye to Matan. While bittersweet since we were going home we were in a way also leaving home.

Dinner

We then went through all of security and boarded the plane and here we are now in the air. Next stop Brussels and then JFK.

Shalom!

Laura

A Unique Type of City

Today we went to the city of Tel Aviv, a city unlike any other we have visited.

After a breakfast at the hotel we got on the bus and headed to Tel Aviv. Unfortunately we got stuck in a lot of traffic but as always the view made up for that.

When we arrived in Tel Aviv we went straight to Rabin square. This square is famous for having all types of rallies and protests. In 1995 there was a rally for peace in support for the Oslo Accords, a big peace effort with the PLO headed by Prime Minster Yitzhak Rabin. There was someone who disagreed with the accords and shot and killed Prime Minister Rabin on nearby steps, which we saw. This was the first and only time a Prime Minister of Israel has been assassinated. Every year there is now a memorial service for the Prime Minister at Rabin Square.

Rabin Square (PC Josh)

Matan wanted us to get a real idea of the reaction to Rabin's assassination and the divides it caused so we separated into groups of 2 or 3 and were told to go find an Israeli and ask them questions about the assassination among other things. Sara, Matt, and I approached a lady on a bench, explained who we were and with (birthright) and asked if we could ask her a few questions. She said sure and told us how she was on a bus back from a party in Jerusalem when she heard on the radio that Rabin had been shot. She said "something broke" that day. No one had thought an assassination was possible in Israel, they felt immune to problems in the rest of the world and this was a shock of reality. 

After getting a chance to talk to her about some other things we all regrouped and discussed what we learned, similar things to what I said above. Then we walked to Independence Hall. At Independence Hall we learned about how Israel was formed. In short, the UN decided to give British territory to the Jewish people. The Arab countries around Israel planned to attack when they declared their independence so the question was when, where, and how to declare the independence. The new government of Israel decide to meet in a bomb shelter and invite 350 people. In 32 minutes they declared the country, said the shechyaniu, and sang the Hatikvah. The coolest part of the presentation was when the presenter turned on a recording of part of the speech declaring Israel, the shechyaniu, and Hatikvah. It was like we went back in time and were living through the creation of the country.

Mics they announced the declaration of Israel on

After this we took a beautiful and long walk to Jaffa. On our way we stopped by the Mediterranean Sea to take some pictures and talk. In Jaffa I ate a really good bowl of hummus and chickpeas with pita.

Mediterranean Sea
 

Hummus

Then we walked around another really cool outdoor market. This one was busier than the one in Jerusalem and had so many interesting things throughout it.

The Market

Then we walked to the port of Jaffa which is known as the port/entrance of Israel. Although no longer active, the port used to be where everyone entered Israel. We were greeted by an amazing sunset as we talked about the area's history.

Sunset over the port of Jaffa

We then left the port and walked up many steps to a really cool piece of artwork. It was a orange tree growing in a clay pot hanging off the ground. The question we asked to wrap up the whole trip was where the roots were and at this point where our Jewish roots were.

Orange Tree

Finally, we went to a session by Alia who talked about the interesting situation in Jaffa, since many Muslims, Christians, and Jews live together in the area. She had many interesting things to say but what I learned most from her was her can do attitude and optimism. 

Then we returned to the hotel for our last meal there and then met in someones room and just got to talk and goof around about the great parts of the trip. 

One more day in Tel Aviv and then off to the airport to head back to the states.

Good night!

Laura

Remembering who we are as a Jewish people

Today was a bittersweet day as we said goodbye to our soldiers but also talked about all we learned from them. 

The day began with a leisurely walk uphill from our hotel through Jerusalem to Yad Veshem, which is the Israeli memorial/museum for the Holocaust or Shoah. (There are no pictures allowed and therefore none in the beginning of the blog.) I had never been to a Holocaust museum and although I know a lot about the Holocaust I wasn't sure what to expect going in. 

Unfortunately, I was pretty disappointed with my experience at the museum. We had a tour guide that talked about the history of the Holocaust and how we as a society got there. After the tour we had no free time to walk around. Personally I feel as though this defeated the point of the museum which in my mind is the learn of the struggles and peoples individual stories rather than the politics of the world. Some of my favorite parts were when I tuned the tour guide out and looked at different parts of the museum and the videos playing of peoples' stories. These parts impacted me more and allowed me to connect more to the topic at hand.

There were two parts to the museum however that really stood out to me. First, the Hall of Names. You walk into a circular room and see binders on shelves around the walls, each filled with 180-200 people. And this is only slightly over 4 million of the 6 million Jews killed. This room helped me picture how many people 6 millions truly is. Then on the ceiling, there is  a hanging cone with pictures of some 100+ Jews that were killed during the Holocaust. Each picture has the person staring at the camera and therefore staring at you, almost pleadingly. Finally if you look over the railing at the floor there is a body of water that reflects these faces as well as your own as to connect you to the people who died in some way. 

The other part that stood out to me was the Children's memorial. It was so simple yet so powerful. You walk around the wall hugging the hand rail and hear names of the children who were killed read aloud as you walk in darkness only lit by what looks like single candles in a mirror covered room.

After finishing walking through the children's memorial we walked to the bus and went to the hotel. At the hotel we talked about how we were feeling after walking through the museum. It was really interesting to see different viewpoints and especially to see what the soldiers thought after as they said they "experienced it through us". Overall most people felt the same way I did about the tour guide but everyone still had different experiences with emotion ranging from angry to confused to connected to proud. 

After this discussion we had a goodbye activity with the soldiers where we gave them the awful drawings we made of them. They absolutely loved it and then thanked us for a great time. We then all went to our last activity together which was lunch and free time at the shuk, Machane Yehuda Market, which is a huge outdoor market. 

Once there I got Sabbich which was fried eggplant, boiled eggs, humus and more in pita bread. While surprisingly salty it was good and the best pita I have had yet. Then I walked around the very busy market where I bought pomegranate juice, a dessert, and a mezuzah. It was a really bustling, cool market to see. Most people there were not tourists so that was refreshing. However it was so crowded you were constantly pushing through crowds. 

Sabbich

Dessert

 Busy Shuk

When we left the Shuk it was time to say goodbye to the soldiers. It was a sad time since we all became so close in just 5 days with them. It was a great opportunity getting to meet them and putting a face behind the IDF. It was cool to see they are just like us in so many ways and to see our differences. We did one last "WE ARE..." with them and

then walked to the bus and waved goodbye to the soldiers as we pulled away.

Soldiers waving goodbye

We then went back to Old Jerusalem to see one more site, Robinson's Arch. This area was really interesting as it's where the entrance Temple Mount was on the Western Wall. We could see the remains of the wall that formed the rest of the wall of the temple, beyond the retaining wall you think of when you think of the Kotel. This part of the wall, with the remains of the arch and entrance, is outside of the security line and has a new portion of the wall open for people to pray together, rather than separated by gender. 

Being in this area meant a lot to me because of what happened whilI'm e we were there. Interfaith coexistence has always been important to me due to my personal background. While we were standing at the wall, we were learning about the history of it as well as tensions surrounding the Temple Mount, involving Jewish tensions with Muslims in the area. From where we were standing we could see a more religious tour group than us, the IDF soldiers in basic training, a Bar Mitzvah in the new mixed section of the wall, and then all of a sudden hear the Muslim call to prayer being played loudly from the Mosque above us. I thought this was so amazing to experience and it gave me faith that the country can succeed with the different religions wanting to live peacefully in one place, Israel.

Coexistence

We then went back to the Kotel. It was very different at night. It was less busy and also stunning the way the light was hitting it. Having been through a lot more of Israel since the last visit as well as learning about the wall and connecting more with what being Jewish means to me, the Kotel meant a lot to me this time around. It was a good time to just reflect on the trip, take a breath, and be grateful for the experience. 

The Kotel at Night

After this brief visit, we went back to the hotel for dinner and to relax. Then around 9 PM we went back out to the Shuk and experienced what it is at night. It was a lot emptier, especially since it was a Tuesday night but there was still a definite night life to the area. My favorite part was all the amazing graffiti on the closed shops. We even saw one guy painting a new picture.

The Shuk at Night 

 

Graffiti at the Shuk

Then we headed back to the hotel to go to bed. Sadly it is our second to last night in the hotel.

Tomorrow Tel Aviv!

Laura

We aren't in Pennsylvania anymore Charlotte!

Today was filled with amazing views and adventures that I have always wanted to experience but wondered if I ever would get the chance. I am so thankful to birthright for making it all happen.

We started the day by waking up in the Bedouin tents and going to a breakfast in another tent. It was nothing fancy but it was good. My favorite part was a soft cheese that was sweet yet tart and the tea.

Part of the Bedouin campgrounds

After a quick meal, we headed over to ride camels. This was one of the wildest things I've done and it was a lot of fun. The camels start by laying down and you get on the saddle. The camel then stands up back legs first and then front legs. I was terrified at first but was ok once we started moving; I was a bit scared again when we went downhill. Matt and I rode together and named out Camel דג or dag, which means fish. Our friends Emily and Sarra behind us named their camel Sandy. Sandy kept trying to walk next to me which was a bit scary as I thought he'd knock me down. At one point there was a camel traffic jam as the camels tried to pass each other and therefore banged into us but it was all ok. All in all it was a really cool experience and a cool way to better appreciate the surrounding area.

Camels

After saying goodbye to our camels we boarded the bus and headed to Masada. We hiked up the Roman ramp of Masada which is the shorter path but steep side. This path was created over a few years by the Romans who were trying to get to the top of Masada to kill the Jews living there. 

Mount Masada

Climbing up Masada

Then once to the top we were taken on a tour of the different parts of the remains. This included an ancient synagogue which actually had an old sitting in it writing torahs. There was also the different sections of the main castle on the mountain. We saw the bathhouse and some other rooms. But the by far coolest part of the top of Masada was part of nature. Matan took us to this overlook where we yelled a "WE ARE... PENN STATE" cheer and it echoed back at us as though the mountains were cheering back. The echo made it sound like we were cheering in the stadium and showed the powerfulness of nature.

Top of Masada

The Echo Mountain

While at the top of Masada we learned the story of the site where the Jews chose to kill themselves when the Romans were about to win rather than being taken as hostages. They saw this as being the most honorable thing to do. The most interesting thing about the mass murder/suicide, as they did kill each other, is that they burnt everything down except their food and water to prove to the Romans they did not die of famine but instead chose to kill themselves rather than belong to the Romans. I thought this was interesting and a strange way to show again the resistance and loyalty of the Jewish people.

After learning all this and more it was time to hike down the mountain. We took the snake path, which was terrifying. Matan claims he has ran down it in 7 minutes but I don't believe him for a minute since it took us about 45 minutes to walk down. If you know I'm scared of heights you would be shocked to hear I hiked down Masada as it is so steep, rocky, slippery, and full of drop offs. At first, I didn't think I would be able to do it because of how terrifying the first steps looked but one of the soldiers, Liam, said don't worry we are right here with you, this meant a lot to me and I made it down with a big group of others. 

The path down

Once we were finally down, we stopped for a lunch that wasn't great and had some free time before getting back on the bus and heading to the Dead Sea. The view to the Dead Sea was stunning from the mountains to the water.

The view from the bus ride

When we got to the Dead Sea we got changed and headed down to the water. I have always wanted to go to the Dead Sea so finally being there meant a lot to me. Before going in the water, we put mud all over our bodies and faces and of course took plenty of pictures. For anyone who doesn't know, the mud exfoliates due to the salt and minerals and is great for your skin. 

Mud

After getting our obligatory pictures we hopped in the sea to rinse off and float. As the mud came off my skin felt so smooth. We all stuck together and floated and talked. The floating wasn't overwhelming but literally anyone could float and with no work. The hardest part was keeping your head up when floating if you didn't want it wet. It also really burned if you get any water on you lips or in your mouth or eyes. After putting more mud on and going back in, I got out and rinsed off in the fresh water before getting changed. 

We then headed back to the hotel and had an activity to talk about the holocaust and how it is viewed in America versus Israel. It turns out the culture between the two is very different revolving the Holocaust. This was a good way to prep ourselves for Yad Veshem, emotionally and from a different viewpoints position.

That's all for now!

Laura

Sorrow to Celebration

There's an old saying that says you will do what you do the first day of the year the rest of the year. If that is true for me this year I would be very happy.

We started the day today with an update on the situation in Israel. This mostly involved looking at maps of how the ruling of the land that is Israel has changed over the years, especially from a religious viewpoint. We talked about whether Judaism is a religion or a nationality/people. This is a big debate that leads to a lot of the current conflict. However the talk was mostly boring since we had heard most of the information previously by our awesome trip leader, Matan.

Then we got on the bus and headed to Mount Hershel, which is the national military cemetery. It was difficult being there and I did not feel it was appropriate to take pictures. The only thing I did take a picture of was the big Menorah at the front gate. 

 

Mount Hershel

We started our tour of the cemetery at the grave for Hershel, an important Jew who helped create the site we were at. We then saw the Greats of Our Nation burial ground, a place for prime ministers and high political officials to be buried in. While interesting to see and learn about nothing here was overwhelming.

Then however we moved on to terror memorial. This part of Mount Hershel was particularly bothersome. It was composed of walls that listed chronologically the people who were killed in Israel from terror attacks. We started at the very beginning of the 1900s where one of the soldiers told us about his great grandfather being beaten in the head for being Jewish and not selling his horse to an Arab who wanted it. Then the closer to present we got we saw some full families listed on the wall as killed. And in the most recent years some of the soldiers were visibility upset as they knew someone on the wall. The worst part of the memorial however was when you get to the end there is an empty wall waiting to be filled with more names. I was really taken back by this and the seriousness of the situation became a reality for me.

Then we moved on to see the grave sites of several soldiers. Each grave had the same information carved on it- like rank, division, age, death date, ect.- was raised and had flowers planted on top, but none were personalized. A lot of the stones had rocks placed on top as is customary for Jews to do when visiting a grave site. We learned about a few soldiers but one really stood out because he decided to sacrifice himself by driving into a death trap so the others could see where people were hiding and kill them. He did this knowing he had know way of getting out of it alive, he gave the ultimate sacrifice.

Then we walked to the newer graves which have begun to be personalized with pictures and places to leave things as well as the traditional headstone and flowers the rest of the cemetery has. While here we stopped by Michael Levine's grave, a lone soldier from Philadelphia who was home on break when his company was called to war and took the next flight back to Israel to fight where he lost his life. Personally I had heard his story in religious school before but it was overwhelming to see how many things were left on his grave to show people's love, admiration, respect, and thankfulness for him. You could barely see the grave from everything placed in it and their was a lot of Philadelphia memorabilia as well as birthright lanyards and rocks. It was just overwhelming to see and therefore feel the raw emotion that surrounded this man and what he did and stood for.

Finally at the cemetery, we visited another lone soldiers grave where Matan read a poem called "He Won't" which talked about all the things this soldier would never get to do or see in his life. This hit a chord with me, especially after realizing how young the soldiers are. Most graves were between 18-24 which is really shocking, scary, and eye opening. We then left and washed our hands on the way out since bodies are considered impure in Judaism.

One last thing I took away from my visit to Mount Hershel was something Matan said that I think can be spread to anyone who has passed- "they gave us their deaths now it's up to us to give them meaning". Remember and celebrate those who died and make changes in your life to honor the way they lived.

After that emotionally trying start to the day, we went to a local outdoor shopping mall where we got good, spicy Falafel, suggested by Matan. My friends and I ended up going into an Israeli grocery store which was really cool to see everything in Hebrew. Plus we got to buy chocolate which is never bad. 

 Falafel 

Grocery Store

Then we went to the amazing Israel museum. It features an outside exact replica of Old City Jerusalem. It turns out the huge wall we associate with the western wall was actually just a retaining wall and the building itself was so much taller. The replica was completely accurate including the surrounding topography. 

Model Jerusalem 

We then walked around the rest of the museum which was really cool, including the Dead Sea scrolls. I stayed in the Archeological section of the museum but there was also an art section. There were really interesting coffins that were discovered in the Gaza Strip on the border of Israel and Egypt, the reminded me of mummy's but were not since there was no mummy inside. The museum was huge and I could spend hours in there, I was very impressed. 

The Coffins

We ended our visit with a group picture at the אהבא, love, statue before heading back on the bus. Once on the bus we took a long drive to the Negev to spend the night at a Bedouin tent.

אהבא statue

We got there and realized just how cold the desert can get at night, cold. We bundled up and went to dinner in the main meal hut at where we sat on the ground. We ate couscous and chickpeas as well as sauce and some vegetables on laffa, which is like a tortilla. It was really good. But the best part of the meal was the tea that we had after eating. It was hot black tea with the perfect amount of sweetness and flavors.

The Bedouin Meal

We then went to a Bedouin hospitality session where they taught us about who the Bedouin's are and what they believe in. We learned about how they welcome guests using a container to grind coffee beans to a certain beat. It was a lot of fun to listen to the beat and clap along. Then we left and our group went out into the desert. Once away from the lights we could see all the stars. We spread out and laid on the ground listening to "The Sound of Silence" and then just laid there in silence staring at the stars. It was magical. The silence of the desert and the light of the stars was enveloping. Then we looked at constellations with the strongest laser ever and walked back, losing someone on the way but we found him not long after. We then spent the night around the bonfire and playing cards. 

Where we slept

Until tomorrow, 

Laura

Shabbat Shalom, The End of Hanukkah, and The New Year.

Today, Saturday, was Shabbat and therefore we had a day of rest, at least till the sun set.

I started off the day with another great breakfast, learning how to properly eat one of dishes properly from one of our soldiers. The dish was a type of baked/fried flaky type of dough which he, Roi, told me to put a sesame sauce or cheese on- he was right- my favorite ended up being a goat cheese on it.

Then I chose to go to the 10:30 AM power yoga class. This class was lead by another student who was on a birthright trip that was yoga focused. The class was very well done, hard work, and very much so needed. It was a great way to be in the moment on our special Shabbat in Jerusalem. It was also nice to physically stretch after having a few days of sitting on buses and carrying backpacks. All together it was a great way to reenergize for the rest of the trip.

Then our whole group met up for a Shabbat lunch with the other hillel groups. This was followed by a group session where we were given 24 cards that involved Jewish values/activities and we had to choose what was necessary to propagate the religion, pretty much what were key Jewish values. We first went to 10 which was hard for our group, then 5, then 3, and finally 1. Interestingly enough, every group chose raising children Jewish as their final card. Everyone chose this card because we felt it encompassed the others so we talked about issues with the broadness of the card and talked about how being raised differently than others doesn't make one person a better Jew than another. It was really interesting to see everyone's thought processes and hear how the Israelis' thoughts were similar and different to ours. 

Finally our group went to have Bat Mitzvot for two of the girls in our group. This was pretty special to me, especially for one of the girls who had her Bat Mitzvah because I've seen first hand how she has grown on the trip and become more connected to a Jewish background she never really was involved with before. It was also a bit weird because we sang two songs, they read the prayers before and after the reading, our Israeli fellow read the portion in Hebrew, and our tour leader gave a d'var Torah, a summary of the portion with a lesson tied in, but that was really it so it didn't feel like a Bat Mitzvah to me. At the end we through candy, sang, and danced the Horah to celebrate!

The Bat Mitzvot

Then we returned to our rooms to get ready to go out. While I was back I saw something out the window which really made me realize that I was in Jerusalem for Shabbat and how special that is- everyone walking back from synagogue. It was a great beginning to the end of Shabbat.

Walking back from Synagogue

Finally, we boarded a bus and went to the YMCA, which had a huge Christmas tree outside. Then we went inside and met with other birthright trips where we had a Havdallah service and Hanukkah candle lighting with music and dancing, well at least the Penn Staters got up from our rows and danced all over the room in a line and circles. Then we got a chance to hear the fascinating and funny Avraham, who was the director of birthright in the beginning, speak about what it means to be a Jew. Through stories and reactions, as he called them, he discussed what a Jew does or doesn't do and talked about whether or not Judaism is a religion or culture and why certain issues arise in either viewpoint. His talk was very thought provoking and made me really think about what being Jewish means to me. 

It was finally time for dinner and our night out. We arrived at Ben Yehuda Street and had a perimeter we were to stay in but otherwise we're free to roam. Some of my friends and I went to a great falafel place on the Main Street.

 Falafel

We then walked some more and saw a big Chanukiah/Menorah and shopped a bit just to take in the atmosphere, a lot of which was birthright participants.

Giant Chanukiah

Then we ran into Alona, our Israeli fellow, and asked her where to get coffee so she took us to, Aroma, which is one of Israel's most popular coffees. On our way more and more people from our group joined in. I got a Cafe Aroma which was coffee with chocolate on the bottom. The coffee in Israel is not nearly as bitter as at home and is also stronger. Then we got a chance to hang out there with some of our group including the soldiers, who were not allowed in bars anyway. We ended up singing the Hanukkah Song by Matisyahu- a favorite of ours- and do some Penn State cheers.

Aroma

While walking around a bit was saw the Chabad van which was like a party van. They, young teenagers, were blasting music and parked, stopping traffic, to get out and on the roof to dance. It was unlike anything I had seen before and was quite a lot of fun.

Chabad Party Van

Finally we headed back to our meet up point at 11:50 so our whole group could welcome in the New Year together.

Happy 2017 everyone!

Laura