Blogs for May 2nd and May 3rd

Leila and Hannah K. are Thursday’s bloggers:

We kicked off day three with a meaningful tefila by the Kinneret. Many of us were able to keep Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) in mind as we recited our daily prayers. We then continued by hopping on the bus, and making our way to Newe Michael, a boarding school in Pardes Hannah. At 10:00 am, the siren went off, and the bus pulled over on the sidewalk on the side of the road in an Arab village, where we remembered the Jews who died in the Holocaust. It was touching to know how so many other Israelis were standing with us and remembered with us all of the Jews that were lost. When we arrived, the head of the school gave us a lovely speech about the school’s mission and how to carry the values the students were taught into our own lives. Before leaving, we were able to sit in on the Yom HaShoah ceremony and experience how so many other Israelis carry out Yom HaShoah. Following that, we arrived at Atlit detention camp, where we learned how many illegal immigrants came to what is now modern day Israel after the Holocaust. We were able to experience this by touring a boat from that time as well as the detention camp itself where the immigrants were kept and held as prisoners. We all thoroughly enjoyed how this experience was presented to us. Following the tour, we precedeed to go on a three hour hike in the Carmel mountains. Although exhausting and difficult, we all felt very accomplished when we completed the hike. To celebrate our victory, we headed to a Druze village, where we learned about their culture, and were treated to a delicous traditional Druze meal. To end off an amazing day full of adventure and fun, we went to a typical Israeli supermarket to see what it was like and to buy snacks for the rest of the trip.

Uri and Zoey are Friday’s bloggers:

Hi! Uri and Zoey here to report on our 4th day in Israel!

After a good night’s sleep and a fulfilling breakfast, we all hopped on the bus and drove to one of the four holy cities, Tzfat. We had a beautiful, spiritual tefilah with a view from the top of the mountain upon which Tzfat rests. Next, we all entered a synagogue that stood in the holy city. We learned about how the kabbalah, or mystical Jewish texts, were written there. Various scholars have journeyed there to study under one of the teachers of kabbalah that resided there. Then, we got to walk through the galleries and see all the pieces of artwork created by Tzfat’s many artists and sculptors. As one last demonstration of the beauty of the city, we all visited a local glassblower. She told us of her journey that led her to Tzfat. She had grown up in Denver, but after college, she decided to visit Israel, hoping for an adventure. After some time, she ended up in Tzfat, and as an aspiring artist, was blown away by the vast collection of artwork and jewelry. She ultimately moved to Tzfat, and began working as both a glassblower and a painter.

Following that, we all headed back on the bus to go to the Sachne, a national park in Israel that has naturally warm water all year round to go for a swim! The Sachne consisted of many different sections, including a part where fish nibble on the dead skin on your feet, a waterfall that felt like a back massage, a shallow part, and a large area to swim around. It was tiring to swim for a long period of time, but very fun! Afterwards, we headed back onto the bus to prepare for Shabbat at the hotel. We’re all looking forward to resting during this Shabbat! There won’t be a post tomorrow, so you’ll hear from us on Sunday.

Signing off,

Uri and Zoey

Follow our journey: https://photos.app.goo.gl/UQTNJchr4CsH1NRUA