We arrived at Mearat Keshet. The way we went through this site was absolutely beautiful.

We were extremely excited to see our Israeli family dancing and singing to our arrival. We gathered in a big group circle and learned a pump up chant "achim simcha", or brothers-joy . This set such a great tone for the trip.

Our first full day in Israel gave us a real taste for what to expect for the coming trip. We met the Israelis who would be with us for the entire 10 days, and embarked on our way to the Golan Heights. Once there,  we embarked on a three hour hike to a water hole where we got the chance to swim. Along the way, we climbed through the arid terrain.

We officially rang in our Birthright journey on the beaches of Tel Aviv by singing Shehecheyanu. It was a special moment because this was the beginning of new adventures and new friendships. After we checked into the hotel, we rested and then got ready for our first Shabbat. Our first Shabbat was on the roof of our hotel and it overlooked the sunset over the  Mediterranean Sea. It was pretty special and breathtaking bringing in Shabbat with a view like that. 

Hello Friends and Family!

This blog is to keep you updated with what the group has been doing around the beautiful country of Israel and will entail details such as sights, sounds and all of the other great events. We have been having so much fun right off the bat that we are a few days behind on the blog, so our social media committee is going to fill you in on what we've been doing up to this point.

Landing in Israel for the first time was an incredible feeling. When we landed, everyone clapped and the plane was filled with excitement and joy. The airport was truly international. With flights coming in from every continent, it felt like Jews were flying to Israel from all over the world. We were all finally home and the feeling of Jewish peoplehood was so positively overwhelming. 

Looking forward to an exciting and physically demanding day tomorrow (filled with hiking and kyaking). Until tomorrow, time for some well-earned sleep!