Mayanot 217 - Winter 2011

As I’m sure everyone would agree, there aren’t enough words to describe how Israel impacted us. On the last day of the trip we all got together and told each other what we expected to get out of this trip and what one thing is that we are taking home with us from Israel; it turned out that not one person struggled to find at least one thing that they are bringing back with them. We are taking back knowledge of culture, new friendships, new understanding of a way of life, and most of all a newfound connection to our homeland. Each day on this trip was truly a gift that cannot be taken from us and each day provided something completely new for us to experience. For me, I said I was taking back a respect for a different lifestyle, just what I had expected. But truly, it’s much more than that. Being in Israel made everything else in my life outside of Mayanot 217 just disappear, or at least faze me much less. The people we met from Israel introduced a completely different mindset that before this trip was too hard to fathom. I observed selflessness, unity and nationalism from the soldiers, more knowledge than I could imagine from our guides on the trip, and just more of a clear head from mostly every person I met there. Entering the school week already I try to put things into perspective after leaving that experience; does living in a tiny dorm really matter that much? Is not knowing who to sit with in a Wednesday lecture class the end of the world? No, obviously not. When my friends ask me about how Israel was, my typical answer has been amazing, the atmosphere there is just different. Those reading this that haven’t been to Israel, well first off I truly recommend it, and second I apologize but unless you experience it, there is no way to fully understand this explanation.               

 One of our last nights in Israel we were lucky enough to experience Shabbat at the Western Wall. On the way there the only thing most of us were focusing on was the three mile walk back to the hotel in the cold before even eating dinner. Although that was rough, when we got there the last thing we were concentrating on was the walk. The girls and boys were separated but we participated in the same service full of dancing and singing and praying. For me and I believe most others, I took a moment to stand on one of our chairs and turn around completely; there must have been hundreds of people there. At that moment it was hard to deny the overwhelming community that we were lucky enough to be born into as Jews; like everyone had been saying, we were home.

Throughout my personal Jewish exploration of becoming a Bat Mitzvah, being confirmed, and even going through my Temple graduation, I remained not the most religious. I waver on my beliefs but have always remained certain of my sense of community with fellow Jews. Before the trip I had my congregation and maybe a couple of Jewish friends, now I realize that I have Israel.

Every trip to Israel is different through Birthright and I am so lucky to be placed with this one. Holly, Shira, Noach, and the Rabbi were all amazing and were crucial to making this trip the best it could be. Like the Rabbi says, everything happens for a reason; we were all meant to be on this specific trip and everything we experienced has a meaning in each of our lives. Whether it be camel riding at sunrise, bonding with our visiting soldiers, or going out all together, every moment of this trip was unforgettable.

Mayanot 217 <3

Melanie McCullough

Stay tuned for lots of pictures and video clips which will be posted shortly.

So much has happened since my last blog post! Let me start it off by saying that the Bedouin tents were definitely an experience I will never forget. Aside from not showering for an extended period of time we got to observe the lifestyle of those who live in these tents and their culture. My favorite parts of this experience include the bonding over a camp fire, the camel rides by sunset, and my discovery of Israel’s knockoff Nutella. Shout out to the group that stayed up the entire night of the Bedouin tents (Zeevi, Max, Jon, Dan F, Steve, Jimmy, and Toni), I’m not sure how you did it but kudos to you all.

We continued our day on Wednesday with beautiful views of the desert from Masada. I’m not sure if hiking up the mountain or making our way back down was more difficult, but everyone’s calves are still pretty sore.   Afterwards we headed to the Dead Sea, and my experience was one of the highlights of my entire trip. It’s a weird feeling entering an ocean knowing that there is no sort of life living within it.  Plus, we had a great view of Jordan from across the sea. As much as I didn’t want to bring water shoes, in the end it was a smart decision. If you ever happen to take a trip to the Dead Sea in the future, make sure you do not get caught in a mud hole. While walking, Jacqueline Ruth Weinstein stepped right into one and it unfortunately destroyed her beautiful Havianas.

On Thursday I finally reached the feeling that most people leave with after their birth right trip. People consistently say that at some point during these 10 days they reach an overwhelming feeling that involves a deep connection to Israel, and that feeling occurred for me in Jerusalem, more specifically the Old City. Being at the Western Wall and walking amongst the land of my ancestors finally provided me with the connection I had hoped to achieve prior to coming on this trip, and I am so fortunate and lucky to have achieved a sense of fulfillment during my time here. I got to witness the Bar and Bat Mitzvahs of six group members, and I want to extend a big mazel to Lisa, Kim, Jamie, Melissa, Callie, and Dan.  In addition, our night out in Jerusalem was definitely the best one of them all, which only further impacted my adoration for this city.

On Friday we visited the military cemetery, bought food at the Shuk (market place) and brought in Shabbat in style at the Kotel. The plethora of people who come visit this same site and are all united to celebrate together is amazing. We exchanged our secret Shabbos gifts. Thank you to Austen for the beautiful bracelet that matches my vibrantly pink Northface. I’m really glad you decided on that and candy instead of the broom. Now both Shabbat and our trip are finally over, and it is time to fly back to reality in America.

As I sit here now on my way to the airport I can’t help but feel so lucky and blessed to have been able to embark on this incredible journey (especially because it’s free). I have genuinely enjoyed every single person’s company throughout my 10 days on Mayanot 217 and hope that we keep in touch and all get together soon. Shira, Noach, Danny, Hollie, and the Rabbi have all contributed to making the best staff possible, and I am truly sad to part ways with such great people (except you Rabbi—I’ll see you at Chabad). I would also like to thank Jon for being handsome, aside from the view at Masada you gave me something great to look at each day. All kidding aside, thank you everyone for making this trip an unbelievable experience. I love you all!

Salam, Salam and ni ni ni ni ni ni ni,

Mel D

Below are several pictures from the last few days, please check back for more next week.

Night out in Tveryah

Hall of independence

 
At the Dead Sea

Parting with the soldiers

Water Purification Plant

Climbing Matzada

Jaffa

Haz Promenande, facing the Temple Mount

Tefillin at the Western Wall

Pictures of the last two days will be posted shortly 

Ma nishma? What’s up blog readers? I think a lot of us would agree that today was one of the most thrilling days of the trip. We woke up bright and early in the Bedoin tents after an exciting night living like the Bedoin’s, singing by the camp fire. By 6:20 this morning we were riding camels and watching the sun rise over the desert. How many of us can say that!?  Soon after we were on our journey deep into the Negev to hike Masada. The surroundings were like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Once we all reached the top we hung out for a while, going to different areas and learning about different things. But during this time the Rabbi was able to do something very special for us. We were individually given the opportunity to have a Sofer write one Hebrew letter for us in the Torah. This was an unbelievable opportunity that I will never forget. Again I ask myself, how many of us are fortunate enough to experience this? It was such a deep and spiritual experience that allowed those who participated to connect to Judaism in their own ways. Our next stop was the Dead Sea, the part of the trip many of us have been anticipating from the start. We made our way down to the beach not only stunned by the view but excited to experience the uniqueness of this sea. Some of us made our way down the shore to find the puddles of mud which we covered ourselves in. We snapped pictures, laughed together, and smiled at the fact that even though we were late in returning to the bus… it was well worth it. Walking back I felt so fortunate to be able to experience all that had occurred in just twenty four hours. What a day! What a trip! What an experience!

-Sara K.

A long bus ride, filled with anticipation and excitement landed us deep into the Negev at the Bedouin tents.   We began walking into the desert, surrounded by nothing but bare land and a beautiful starry night sky. After dropping off our bags into the large, dusty and empty tents we headed straight to dinner. We sat on the ground with six to a table, eating the delicious cultural foods of Israel – humus, pita and shish cabob’s. Next, we went out deep into the desert and each were given the opportunity to spend 15 minutes alone somewhere in the area, experiencing moments of reflection and deep thought. Shortly after, we were fortunate enough to have members of our group play the guitar while we sang along and just enjoyed where we were at that moment, without any distractions. The rest of the night was just filled with laughs, songs and discussions that we will all remember forever. Myself and several others did not even make it to bed, too excited about where we were and what we were doing, none of us had ever had the opportunity to spend the night around a bonfire with friends that had become family over a mere seven days. When 5 AM arrived, we were still awake and the sun was beginning to rise over the horizon, the rest of the group woke shortly after and we were all able to look at the beautiful sight together. I cannot wait to see what’s to come and continue to create memories, taking in this incredible experience before it ends.

-          Toni S.

The last three days have been action packed! On Sunday, we began the day with meeting our soldiers and hiking in the Banyas. Despite the unfavorable weather, we were able to witness beautiful views and waterfalls. Noach’s great touring skills provided us with a background of the area that bordered Lebanon and Syria, and we also got to visit an area where he was once involved in combat. Our soldiers introduced themselves and what part of the army they’re involved in and are with us until Thursday. Alli and I are lucky enough to have one of them as our roommate (what’s up Leehi!). All of the soldiers are friendly, nice, and full of knowledge about Israel and the culture. My favorite part of the trip so far was the jeeping that followed our hike. It was awesome to be able to drive a jeep full of friends through the Israeli wilderness, and I especially loved driving over the bumps, hills, and mud puddles; that’s an experience I’ll never forget. After the amazing jeeping trip, we headed to a kibutz and listened to Aryeh explain Israeli history past through present. To say the least, he was extremely opinionated, but he was in my opinion by far the most memorable, passionate, and inspirational speaker we’ve listened to so far (right behind our awesome awesome awesome friend Avraham). It was awesome learning and listening to someone who spoke with so much pride for their country because I feel that is a very rare sight to come across in America, which is unfortunate. Sunday night was the cherry on top to an indescribably amazing day. We schlepped our way to Tel Aviv and hit the town with our newly acquainted soldier friends and had great times and made great memories (even if the bar did rip us Americans off).

I’m not going to lie, it was rough waking up Monday morning and I think these 7 AM wake up calls are starting to catch up to everyone. This day provided us with even more background on the foundation of the state of Israel and gave us a greater appreciation of the nation’s past historical events. We visited Independence Hall, Rabin Square, and explored Jaffa (an area within Tel Aviv). The scenic views are nothing like anything I’ve ever seen in America before. Words can’t explain the overwhelming beauty of each sight we see, and the only way to truly experience the same feeling is to visit Israel. After exploring Tel Aviv, we headed to the most holy of cities, Jerusalem, where we will spend almost the entire remainder of the trip. Once we arrived at the guest house, the soldiers explained important aspects of the IDF and presented us the challenging task of working together to balance on a very minimal amount of chairs. I was very proud my team was able to work together and crush the competition, and this activity exemplified the significance of how the Israeli army is a humanitarian organization that focuses on working together.

Today, Tuesday, we started the day off with a fair of organizations extending offers to study and further experience Israel. We also did some more sight seeing in Jerusalem and everyone got amazing scenic shots in front of the Old City. We enjoyed falafel for lunch, making this the fourth one for me so far on this trip. Following this activity, we went to Yad Vashem, which is the Holocaust museum. Everyone was naturally very emotional after a three hour long tour. Most of us here have relatives who were affected first-hand by the tragedy, but witnessing all of the information and artifacts in the museum made the event all the more tangible and real for us. On the bright side, I think it’s safe to say that it further enhanced everyone’s pride in their Jewish heritage. Now we’re on our way to the Bedouin tents, so wish me luck because I’ve never had a single camping experience before this!

We miss all of you at home and wish you were coming with us to the desert tonight!

- Mel D

Halfway through the trip, we had a reflective conversation on our first five days in Israel. While perfection is impossible to attain, there is beyond a general consensus of happiness among all the students on the trip. We have been most impressed by our guides- Shira, Noah, Rabbi Levi, Student Leader Holly, and our security guard Danny. Our discussions with many of the local guides, such as Avraham and Aryeh, have inspired many of the students to have a stronger connection with Judaism. Overall, the first half has been most positive and we all look forward to spending the next few days in the dessert, riding camels, and of course swimming in the dead sea.

Below are several pictures of day 4 & 5 of our trip

Begining our tour at Banyas

Jeeping in the Golan Heights.

A close up tour of the heights

Noach our tour guide shares his personal experience of fighting for the Golan in 1967 war.

A few words from Aryeh at Kibbutz Misgav Am

 Detailed blog post from Day 4 to follow

Scroll down for photos  

Shabbat Shalom! We’ve reached the second and third days of our trip, and they have been so fun and exciting. On Friday we left our hotel in the holy city of Tiberius to visit another holy city, Tzfat. We encountered a very passionate and enlightened, or “orot” (spiritually high), Kabalah artist. He was laid back, had a deeply rooted appreciation for Judaism, and found many aspects of life “awesome awesome awesome.” Afterwards, we explored the holy city, toured the oldest synagogue in the village, and I had my first falafel experience (thumbs up). We finished Friday off with Shabbat ceremonies and a Shabbat dinner with the other group also here on Mayanot. We began Saturday with multiple rounds of speed dating and all got to know many members of the opposite sex on Mayanot 217. We discussed topics such as our families, our belief in god, if we lie, and sometimes the questions led to great conversation. We had a successful round of “Stump the Rabbi,” and after ending Shabbat we went out for an “awesome awesome awesome” night in Tiberias. We enjoyed a great dinner and lots of dancing at the pub Big Ben. We all can’t wait to meet the Israeli soldiers accompanying us on our trip, and are so anxious for our big night out with them in Tel Aviv.

Until next time, sababa!
- Mel D

The beauitful view of the Kineret from our hotel rooms where we stayed over the wekeend.

In Tzfat

Group shot on Mt. Arbel

See previous post for more pics of Day 2 & 3 

Below are several pictures of our first few days in Israel

 
On Mount Arbel

 
In Tzfat at Kabbalah Art Center

 
At a restaurant in downtown Tiberias on Saturday night.

Scroll down for photos 

The wind blows on Mayanot 217! Today was our first day in the holy land and it was a very new and interesting experience.  I’ve never seen vending machines filled with candy and chips labeled in a foreign language before.  Our flight was a total of 10 hours and 10 minutes, and one of my favorite features of the flight was the GPS ability to track where we were on the globe and the minute we were there. We had a choice of various movies, TV shows, and games to play on our personal screen in front of our seat, which made the flight seem much shorter. After about a 2 hour bus ride, we finally made it to the King Solomon hotel in Tiberias. We ate dinner and then participated in a few humorous ice breaker activities. We bonded over name meanings, Jewish names and their meanings, and what set us aside from everyone else in the group. I can’t believe I can say that I’m in Asia right now, and can’t wait to experience all that tomorrow has in store.

Sababa,
Mel D

click on images to enlarge 

  
At the airport, ready to board!

Mel Dee at work

Please Note: Blog will be updated by student participants throught the trip. Check back for continues updates and new photos.