I came to realize in that moment that prayer transcends the religious boundaries and that whatever my definition of my Judaism was, that was okay.

It was entrancing and intoxicating, the most hope I had ever witnessed, and in that moment I felt totally connected to all Jews across the world and across time. 

Saturday was a very chill day, which was very much appreciated by most of the group after all of the busy and exciting days we have had so far! We got to sleep in and had an optional breakfast at 9:30am, which was the perfect way to start Shabbat. Our first group activity was at 11 am; Michal (our Israeli trip leader) started the activity by asking us to go around and share our least favorite chore to do. At first we were confused, but played along with her directions. Thank you for a fun morning Michal!

I am grateful for Israel. I am grateful for being Jewish. And I am soon going to be grateful for the empty wallet I have back in Boston due to the beautiful experience it has been and all of the souvenirs and food I bought while experiencing this amazing trip. 

One of our group members, along with our staff, created a very meaningful and interactive service for everyone to take part in. One of the best topics we talked about was how Shabbat should be relaxing in however you feel that is. 

The day ended with a havdalah service, beautiful of course, which ended Shabbat and welcomed in the beginning of the next week. I'm sure I could say every part of the day was my favorite part of the day, but nothing beats havdalah (except for hummus - which will reiterate for emphasis later)

Friday was another amazing day on our Birthright trip to Israel. On only our second day, I've watched the group become so close. Today alone, I witnessed pickup barefoot soccer, hair braiding, and a general inseparability among friends.
 

After breakfast, we got together and played the speed dating game to get to know each other. It gave us time to meet each and get to know each person on the trip more individually. During our break before lunch, we all hung out, throwing around a frisbee or football, listening to music and playing with the dogs that were around the kibbutz. Many of us walked around exploring the kibbutz together. Some of us found a small garden with fresh fruit and an avocado tree. We also found a free outdoor gym. It was very cool to explore.

Such a creative outlet led to an afternoon of volleyball and watermelon at the beach. After splashing around we listened to Eshkol Nevo, the famous Israeli author. We discussed his renowned novels, writing process, and even got to share some of our own creative writings. He works closely with local university students by conducting writing workshops, so it was a brief but insightful afteroon.

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.