A Visit To Mount Bental, Katrin, & Tzfat
Our third day in Israel came after a relaxing Shabbat weekend at Kibbutz Afik. A full day’s itinerary awaited us after a 7:00 am wake-up call. After groggily consuming a nourishing Israeli breakfast at the Kibbutz, the group boarded our bus to the first destination. The morning activity was a hike through the Zavitan in the Golan, where we viewed a beautiful gorge and waterfall.
After playing some icebreaker games and drinking plenty of water (shoutout to all the concerned Jewish mothers reading this), the bus was boarded and we were off to Katzrin for a lunch of falafel and shwarma. We were one of six Birthright buses parked in the area for lunch, totaling more than two hundred Jewish American young adults. The shops and restaurants were ready for us and one even claimed (on a microphone) to have the best falafel in all of Israel. The merit of this claim was hotly contested and the conclusion was that the falafel was “pretty good, but probably not the best in Israel”. Regardless, many shekels were spent on fried chickpeas.
After lunch, it was back on the bus to Mount Bental, where we learned the history of Israeli wars. Mount Bental is significant in this story as it was part of the Golan Heights, which was captured by Israel during the Six Day War of 1967. From Har Bental, we were just a stone's throw from Syria and Lebanon. Nobody threw rocks, though, because it didn't seem like a great idea. There were two UN soldiers stationed at the (mostly) abandoned base, who mentioned to us that the area had been “quiet”- free from conflict- for quite some time. Reassured and quite cold from the biting wind at the top of the mountain, we reembarked on the bus to our final stop of the day: the holy city of Tzfat.
Sitting in a synagogue in Tzfat dating back to the 16th century, we learned about the two broad groups of Jews: Sephardic and Ashkenazi. Both groups are equally represented in the birthplace of Kabbalah, or Jewish mysticism. Along with being a religious hub, Tzfat is also renowned for its candles and fine art galleries. The group spent time perusing artists' wares through narrow alleys and intimate studios. It was dark and chilly by the time we departed Tzfat, drained and dreaming of dinner at the Kibbutz.
We wrapped up our busy day discussing our individual connections to Judaism. It's clear that we all come from different backgrounds. We are American or Israeli, secular or religious, and express our Judaism in different ways. But we are all Jews, and our common characteristics, traditions, and heritage helps us form a common bond.
After the first three days together, Bus 222 feels like one big Mishpachah (family). It turns out that spending 72 straight hours with a group of people brings you all together. Who would have known?
PS: I would like to utilize this space to give a shout out to my mom. Hi mom! Please Snapchat me back.
