A New Year To Remember
At last came the last morning of 2015. Staying at the kibbutz in the Golan Heights was truly a treat, but I couldn't stop thinking about our trip to Tel Aviv later that day. After breakfast, we hopped on the bus to get the true royal treatment that we all deserved: a visit to the hot springs. During the hour or two that we were there, the whole group was able to bond by sharing laughs and playing volleyball in basically a super sized version of a hot tub. We even got a chance to play "Donkey In the Middle", which apparently is the Israeli version of "Monkey in the Middle". I personally think that the name of the American version sounds better, but one of the biggest part of traveling the world is being open minded, right? Overall, the visit to the hot springs was a very fun time. The only downside involved the rather rancid rotten egg-like smell of the water--so rancid that I ended up throwing my towel away later that day (sorry mom).
After, we jumped on the bus for a 2.5 hour ride to Tel Aviv. Although a 2.5 hour drive seems far from enjoyable, the ride served as a sing along marathon. One of the Israelis on our trip, Afik, surely knew how to jam on the guitar and knew a lot of songs that us Americans were more than eager to help with on the vocals. Finally, an international rock group that Jews around the world can cherish!
Upon driving into Tel Aviv, we couldn't help but stare out the window at the beautiful Mediterranean Sea and the soaring skyscrapers. The skyline wasn't even comparable to New York City or Chicago, but hey, this is more than I expected from a Middle Eastern city. I am personally a huge fan of urban culture, so it was a delight to finally get to experience a big city within a nation that I've spent my whole Jewish education learning about. Also, it was a huge plus that everyone in Tel Aviv seemed to be super good looking (but let's be real, all Jews are good looking). We got out of the bus and were given over an hour to eat lunch and shop at Shuk Ha'Carmel, which is (and I quote) Tel Aviv's biggest and busiest marketplace filled with colorful stalls and shouting vendors selling a variety of goods, from dried fruits and exotic spices to clothing and footwear. For lunch, a few Israelis wanted to show some Americans the food that first comes to mind when you think of Israel: Cheeseburgers. In all seriousness, this burger joint named Agadir was super tasty, and it was nice to try some urban cuisine. However, I did feel pretty bitter when my friend Jordan mentioned to me that he bought a falafel pita sandwich for 7 shekels, which is under 2 American dollars. After lunch, I had a little time to experience the market and was able to do some good ol' bargaining.
After lunch and the market, we traveled to a plaza known as Rabin Square. 20 years ago, former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated here during a peace rally, and the square was named in his honor shortly after. In order to understand the significance of the square and Yitzhak Rabin's legacy, we did an activity that involved going around to tel Aviv civilians in the square and asking them a few questions about Rabin. I had never heard of Yitzhak Rabin, but I immediately began to admire him through the stories that I've heard. First, here's a quick history lesson. It is no secret that Israel and nearby middle eastern nations (including the Palestinians) have had a history of conflict. Yitzhak Rabin had very liberal and left wing views as he made huge efforts to bring peace with Palestine and other middle eastern nations. Many people, especially in a rather liberal Tel Aviv, adored Rabin for this, but many people with conservative views resented him. At a peace rally 20 years ago, he was shot and killed by a radical conservative Israeli shortly after speaking to the large crowd in downtown Tel Aviv. Speaking with an older Israeli woman, she told me that Rabin's role as Prime Minsister was the most recent chance that Israel had for peace. It is extremely sad and heartbreaking to me as I am definitely an advocate for world peace. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is one of the biggest conflicts in the world today, and it makes me wonder what the conflict would be like today if Rabin was never assassinated. Another Israeli girl told me that she thinks of Rabin as a superhero. Before arriving to Israel, I kind of assumed that all Israelis were hardcore Pro-Israel when it came to the Israeli Palestinian conflict, but it quickly came to me that there are a ton of Israelis who want To work and compromise with the Palestinians as well. It is clear that Rabin's assassination was truly a horrible event for Israel, and his legacy will live forever.
Next, we learned about something a little more enjoyable for the state of Israel: INDEPENDENCE! YAY! We arrived to the independence museum to learn about the independence of Israel of 1948. The museum was in the exact room where the Declaration of Independence was signed, and the room was kept as if we were there 67 years earlier. We learned about the process that took place in order to establish the Jewish state of Israel, and we also learned about the actions taken by Israel's first prime minister, David Ben Gurion. The museum was super interesting, but what made it even better was the hilarious standup comedy-esque humor of the museum tour guide. My favorite joke came after we laughed at his preceding joke, in which he responded, "Thank you! I do weddings and bar mitzvahs! I've even done two circumcisions! One of them was my own!" I think we may have met the next Jerry Seinfeld.
What a day we've had so far, but it was far from over. It was New Year's Eve after all! When I found out that I would be in Israel during New Year's Eve, I got a little nervous. New Year's Eve has been my favorite holiday for awhile now as I always spend it with my friends from back home. Nonetheless, this New Year's Eve was one for the memory books.
The night was a blast! We celebrated through the night with dancing and good conversation. Only after being in Israel for a few days, us Americans and Israelis had become great friends. To think that this is only the first third day of the trip!
