Anticipation...

As I am writing this there are 14 days, 0 hours, 6 minutes, and 27 seconds until we leave for Israel. I am so excited to go and see all of my Israeli friends, as well as to explore my Jewish heritage with my fellow 10th graders. Today we learned which Haifa students will be hosting us. I can't wait to see what their daily lives are like.

 

I am dreading the packing and worried that we will get snowed out of Jerusalem like they did last year. But, I know that whatever happens we are all going to have an amazing experience.

Joci

19 Days

With 19 days to go until we leave for Israel, everyone is starting to get excited. Of course, as with any big trip away from home, nerves are in the air, but after our first meeting with the 10th graders and their parents, it's obvious the kids are ready to go. They've been in touch with their Israeli friends almost nonstop since they left and getting to see them again is a huge deal. We covered a lot in our initial meeting: safety, expectations, flights and itinerary and most importantly, the packing list. Though Heidi and Rabbi Stern (who have been on the trip numerous times) encouraged the teens to take only a small suitcase so it's less to lug around in Israel, I'm sure the 10th graders will take that advice with a grain of salt. Take it from them though, the less you have to carry the better!

As in past years, we will be communicating to the congregation via our Israel Blog! We will have at least one reflection posted by a student before we leave. While in Israel, we'll have different 10th graders update the blog, so they can voice their opinions on the situation in Israel, seeing their friends again, their travel experience, and getting to take the trip of a lifetime. A link to the blog can be found on the TBA homepage and in the TBA Thursday email. We will also post photos on Instagram and Facebook. Be sure to follow along on our adventure!

In the words of our 10th graders and their Israeli counterparts, yalla bye!

Francie Weinberg

TBA Youth Educator

Our Journey Ends (But We Hope it Inspires a Life Long Love of Israel)!

With the snow in Jerusalem, it was questionable as to whether we would be able to travel there on Saturday from Tel Aviv to spend our final day and evening in what many believe to be the holiest city in the world. We took it a bit easy on Saturday morning in Tel Aviv at the hotel and got everything packed and ready to go for the long day and night ahead. We understood from our bus driver that the roads to Jerusalem were back open, and though there was snow on the ground it is was very cold, it was sunny and clear in Jerusalem. So, we loaded all of our bags and boarded the bus for what turned out to be a fantastic day in Jerusalem. Because it was Shabbat, the only places we were unable to explore were those related to the shops and restaurants and usual goings-on in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City. But we did spend the entire day in the Old City exploring the sights, sounds, tastes and smells of the Muslim and Christian Quarters of the Old City -- that is only 1 square kilometer in area, but filled with people of every religion, nationality, ethnic group and race. I never tire of seeing Jerusalem, and it is also such an exciting thing to share it with our students -- those who have visited before and those who are there for the first time. There is something about Jerusalem that is so compelling that it always feels to me as if it is the first time I am there. Past, present and future come together somehow in those ancient walls, and though there is always a certain tension in Jerusalem, there is no city in my mind that is more beautiful or interesting.



We began our day at a fabulous point on Mount Scopus overlooking the entire city of Jerusalem. Our guide, Noam, pointed out all of the important sites and we learned all about the way in which the city developed from ancient times to today. The hills were covered with light snow and there was an almost mystical look to the entire area in front of us. Jessica, Tom and Nina even acted out the Biblical story about the very first documented purchase of the land by David. We walked through the Old City itself, entering the Christian Quarter to discuss the importance of Jerusalem to Christians of all types and made a fabulous visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre where Jesus was said to have ascended and resurrected following his crucifixion by the Romans. Just before we were ready to leave, we heard singing and smelled incense and realized that we were in the middle of the French Catholic mass celebration with tens of priests participating. It was quite extraordinary! We then stopped at a 200 year-old hummus factory which is said to have the best hummus in all of Jerusalem! We saw the way hummus was ground and prepared the traditional way between two stones made of volcanic rock...and sampled some of the different types of hummus made there. Lunch was at a fantastic little hummus place in the Old City (yes, we ate a lot of hummus!), and then we proceeded to a viewpoint where we could overlook the portion of the Western Wall of the city of Jerusalem - the closest remaining city wall to the Temple that was built by King Solomon. The sun was beginning to set over the city, and we made our way down to the Wall (or "Kotel") just as the sky was turning red and then dark. What an incredible way to conclude a meaningful and exciting adventure!



Heidi and I truly enjoyed traveling with the Grade 10 students, who never complained the entire time we were there,even through some very challenging weather and changes in plans. They were flexible, respectful, polite and interested. It was a pleasure to have Debby Posin with us as well. As a active participant in some of the Boston-Haifa projects in Haifa over the past few years, it was wonderful to share not only Haifa, but the rest of the State of Israel with Debby and we thank her. We often say that the worst part of Israel is leaving Israel...and I could not concur more heartily. But we will all carry the photos and memories that will last a lifetime, and hopefully, we will all return many more times to Israel in the years ahead. In the meantime, it is good to be home.



~Rabbi Lisa Eiduson

Learning About Challenges in Israel

 

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Today we learned the struggles of both setting up the Jewish state and being blind. Although they are unrelated, we explored both of these challenges in the beautiful city of Tel Aviv. At Independence Hall, we learned about the ingenious David Ben Gurion, who set up Israel as a Jewish state in 1948. In this historic building, we watched a background video on the difficult situation that the Jews faced in establishing their own state as well as the wars that followed this proclamation. After the film, we sat in the single, bunker-style room, made to seat 250 people, but was packed with more than 400 people when independence was declared. We then ventured to the downtown market called the Carmel Market in Tel Aviv. The vendors lined both sides of the alley for a whole mile. These shops were filled with clothes, food and jewelry of all sorts. Of course we as teens thoroughly explored the entire market scouring for the best things to get. It was a great experience and a way to understand one example of the diverse economy. 

Next we took the bus over to Dialogue in the Dark, a museum for understanding blindness. I thought this was the coolest thing. We were taken into the first small room to adjust to the seemingly endless darkness. The museum was set up as an adventure led by our tour guide who himself has been blind for the past 10 years. The whole idea of the tour was to experience loss of sight and to use our senses of smell, touch and hearing to communicate and navigate through the space. My favorite part was a music room where we all lay down on the floor and silently listened to music. It was extremely relaxing to be able to let go of thoughts, and instead focus on guiding everyone else. Near the end we were able to buy drinks in a completely dark cafeteria and learned a little about the personal life of our guide. Afterwards we went and ate Shawarma in Jaffa. We then headed back to the hotel where some of us went to the gym during our free time there. At 8:00 p.m. we all met in the lobby to light candles and celebrate a small Shabbat service. Our last sit down dinner was at a small place down the street where we all shared dishes from a prix fixe menu. After dinner we headed back to the hotel for 12:00 a.m. curfew and all stayed together to reflect on the trip and share personal experiences we shared on the trip.

~Noah Decter

Mt. Masada and Tel Aviv

Today (Thursday), we woke up bright and early at 4:30 a.m. after an amazing stay at Kfar Hanokdim, a (somewhat) traditional Bedouin hospitality. After waking up, we quickly packed our bags, ate a small snack of biscuits and the most delicious tea I ever had, and rushed to the bus. After the10 minute drive we arrived at Mt Masada in the middle of the Judaen desert. After packing a few bottles of water and a couple extra layers, we set off on the path to the top created during the Roman siege. Once we arrived at the top, and entered through the gate, the entire mountain appeared before us! We looked around where the Jewish community had made its home on the top of the mountain as they tried to hide from the Roman army. We could see the semi destroyed wall which had protected both the Romans and the Jews inside for so long. Inside the wall one can see a mix of both Roman and Jewish influences, from the mikvah and synagogue of the Jews, to roman flooring and plaster.

 A watch tower in the middle provided a great view of the mountain top and surrounding camps and landscape. After learning about the siege and what happened once the Jews inside realized that the wall would be breached, we took the cable car down the other side of the mountain. In the cable car we got a beautiful view of not only the Dead Sea, but also the place that it has receded from over time. Once at the bottom of the mountain we set out for Jerusalem... but due to a horrible snow storm( a few centimeters,) we headed to Tel Aviv instead. We arrived for lunch at an Arab restaurant outside Jerusalem in a village called Abu Ghosh and ate delicious traditional Middle Eastern food. Once back on the bus we set out to our final stop of the day. Once we arrived at the Artplus Hotel in Tel Aviv, which has a very modern design and furnishing along with beautiful hand painted/crafted artwork that adorned the walls, we unpacked,settled in and relaxed until dinner. After a few hours of resting, we set out for dinner to Cafe Piazza, an Italian restaurant whose motto is " Made in Italy, served in Israel." There we enjoyed a meal of pizza and salads. After this meal we headed out for coffee and ice cream at Leggenda. After our dessert we headed back to the hotel and enjoyed some much needed rest.

-Thomas McMahon

Negev Desert and Bedouin Tents

Wednesday: We slept in this remote, but nice, place on Tuesday night in the desert near Ovdat and woke up to breakfast outside our doors at 8:00 a.m.. By 9:30 a.m., we were all ready to get on the bus and travel to the city of Be'er Sheva where we would go biking in the Negev Desert! For biking we were split into teams and had to try to find different sheets of paper around the area with numbers on them (there were maps to show where they were). While biking, we saw some really amazing desert views. After we finished, we ate a picnic lunch and then walked towards DavidBen Gurion's grave, which was nearby. After that, we headed back onto the bus until we stopped about half way to where we were staying with the Bedouins that evening. We met an Israeli "lone soldier", an IDF soldier who comes from another country. He told us both his story and answered questions about the IDF and lone soldiers. We then did some fun army-like activities such as learning the hand motions for how IDF soldiers communicate on a mission (ex. Two hands in forward motions means two lines) and put on some camouflage face paint. Next, we went back onto the bus and drove to the Bedouin tents near Mitspe Ramon. The first thing we did once we got there was go on a camel ride which was very fun and we had great views. We then went into one of the Bedouin tents and was told by a Bedouin man about some of their customs. We then just hung out until our dinner in a large public-type dining room where we sat on the ground around a table (there were a lot of small tables it wasn't one big one). After a very good meal there, we again hung around for a little while until we went to a camp fire for a dessert of banana stuffed with chocolate chips. It was a great day!

-Jake Meisel

Goodbye Haifa, We are on to New Adventures!

 

 

 

Today (Tuesday) the Bostonians and Israelis had to say goodbye. It was sad to leave all of our new and close friends but we know we have made some bonds that will last a lifetime. While staying with the Israeli kids and their families we made some wonderful memories we will never forget. After leaving Haifa we went to the Israeli Museum at the Yitshak Rabin Center in Tel Aviv. Not only was the museum very cool it was also educational. We all learned about Israel and its history regarding Yitshak Rabin. After about driving for an hour and a half we arrived at a beautiful farm that stretched out in all directions as far as we could see. At first we thought the donkey racing was a joke the adults were trying to pull on us but it was no joke. We arrived to see little carts with donkeys attached and reigns for us to steer. We raced for about 15 minutes and came in second during a very tight race (lost to Rabbi Lisa and Heidi) and came out to a gorgeous opening of land surrounded by trees, flowers, and mountains. We parked our carts and sat down to make lunch. We made pitas over a fire and topped then with traditional Israeli sandwich toppings. For example labneh with zatar, freshly picked tomatoes, honey, garlic, olives, artichoke, chocolate spread and much more. We raced our donkeys back (second again) and came to find that we were setting up to play a game of paintball against full grown men who had already been in the army and were pro paintballers. At first all the girls were very hesitant to participate and then eventually gave in and got ready to play. After all geared up in padding and camouflage and ready to run around the panic started to kick in. The game started and naturally all the girls ran to hide behind the closest thing which in this case was right next to the flag. Not smart on our part. We hid for about 15 minutes before the paint started flying. All at once we all got hit with the painful colorful bullets. Once we left the farm we drove to a little farm in the middle of the desert and settled in our little cabins after eating dinner. The day was full of new experiences and fun surprises. If I had a chance I would do it all again. 

~Nina Coleman