For many of us on this trip, this challenge turned into a life-changing accomplishment that will be remembered forever.
For many of us on this trip, this challenge turned into a life-changing accomplishment that will be remembered forever.
Our hike in the Zavitan was strenous yet breathtaking and the swimming hole at the end made it all worth it.
We saw some beautiful artwork on the way out of the old city.
Day 3 began with everyone up early for another gorgeous hike. Today's adventure was a bit difficult, yet rewarding; Mount Arbel, where in addition to hiking on trails, we heard about the history and stories of the IDF from this place and about the importance of paying attention to heat advisories in Israel. The lesson was well timed - it was extremely hot up there.
Many of us ate falafel and Schwarma which was very delicious. After lunch, we made our way to a park. There, we learned about many stories of soldiers in combat, as well as enjoyed the gorgeous view that we could only see at this park. On top of a hill, we saw the border of the Mediterranean and Lebanon, which was breathtaking. We got back to the kibbutz to prepare for Shabbat. Our Shabbat service was beautiful, held outside and filled with many memories. Once the service was over, we had our Oneg, which consisted of guitar playing and getting to know each other games. We concluded the day with lounging out in the kibbutz central area. We're excited to rest up on Shabbat and then continue our trip.
We had a super exciting day with a mix of adventure and history.
Midway down the mountain we encountered a huge, awe-inspiring fortress, which Elaun explained was fortified by Muslims after they held the crusaders off at the end of the first crusade. It was amazing to stumble upon such an amazing piece of history!
Our first stop in Tel-Aviv was Independence Hall, the location of Israel's independence signing in 1948. We watched a brief film describing the context of the signing as well as its implications for Israel. We then joined another birthright group, as we gathered in the room where the signing took place to listen to a speaker elaborate on the knowledge we gained from the earlier video. I was taken aback by the passion the speaker had for Israel, and it was apparent she was an expert on all things Israel. The session ended with us listening to the iteration of the Israeli national anthem that was sang during the signing in 1948; this was truly a moving experience for the group.
My favorite part of the day was seeing Israeli children going on a field trip by climbing down Mt. Arbel. In the US, our field trips were mostly restricted to museum field trips were being sedentary was usually a given, but here, the kids are given an ability to pursue at active lifestyle, which research shows that it is equally as important as classroom time! I also loved talking with them because they were so excited to meet American kids like us on Birthright.