Hiking and Floating

Our day started bright and early at 3:30 AM when we left for Masada. Due to the heat, we took a short path up instead of taking the long "snake path" up. The hike was truly breathtaking with amazing sights and views all around us. Right when we reached the top of Masada we saw the sunrise; a view that most of us will always remember. We learned a lot about the incredible history that took place at Masada thousands of years ago. Afterwards, many of the participants had a joint bar and bat mitzvah ceremony together. Each person spoke about why they wanted to be bar/bat mitzvahed and then we all joined together for prayers and songs. Our Masada trip was the highlight of the trip for many of us.

Our day continued with tasty food at a Bedouin area. We then went to the Dead Sea where we floated and soaked up all the salt and sunshine that we could. We loved putting mud all over our bodies and relaxing in the warm water.

We then made our way back to Jerusalem and spent time in the Machane Yehuda Market, where we bought more souvenirs and had a true market experience. We later had a very insightful class with the Middle East Learning Academy on the Israeli Palestinian conflict. Even the Israeli participants remarked on how much they learned. It was a long day, but a day we will also remember.

Photo credit: @sophylit