Israel Journals:
April 18
We arrived at Israel on Tuesday and quickly made our way to our first activity which was touring Caesarea which was really fun. On our third day in Israel, we went biking at the Hula Valley and we learned that birds fly there to rest. Later, we ate pizza and played a fun game called Mingle. Then we rode jeeps on a trail which was very muddy and fun. We all had an amazing day and made a lot of new friends. - Maya
April 19th
On our first full day, we took a bus to Tzfat, learning Israeli slang and songs along the way. Once we arrived in Tzfat, we listened to the Yom Hashoa siren that is sounded all across Israel. After that, we continued touring around and bought artistic and special gifts for ourselves, our friends, and our family. - Olivia Altman
We went to the holocaust museum and after we went there, we saw a holocaust memorial. When we were at the museum we got to see what it was like before, during, and after the holocaust. After we were done touring the museum, we went to a holocaust memorial which took place in Lohamei HaGetaot. It was amazing, there were fantasic singers, holocaust survivors, and soldiers.
- Isabella Kolodny
On our fifth day in Israel, we got a well deserved rest at the Ohalo guest house. We started off the day late by sleeping till 9:30 (Thank G-d). We had a long Shabbat service. After the service we played sports, cards, and bonded with friends until 5:30. We then went back to our rooms and prepared for havdalah and a fun night in Tiberius. After having dinner in Tiberius, the group walked to the docks and boarded a party boat that took us around the kineret while at the same time making sure that everybody partied hard. Ten minutes into the ride the beat dropped and things got wild and crazy. The fun soon ended when the boat finished its route around the Kineret. After the boat, we boarded the bus and drove back to where we were staying.
Much love,
Gabriella Neibart
April 20th
This morning, we awoke bright and early to a wonderful Rosh Chodesh. To begin the new month, we experienced nature in the most exuberant way. We hiked across the Golan Heights, saw waterfalls, climbed rocks, and grasped some of the true beauty of Israel. -Daniel Shtirmer
Yesterday afternoon we went rafting down the Jordan River. I was rafting with four of my friends: two from Hannah Senesh, one from Carmel Academy, and Jason Berg from Gottesman RTW Academy. When we got onto the boat, I began to enjoy the rafting experience when I got wet. We jumped in and out of the river, splashed others, and most importantly, had fun! My favorite part of the rafting trip was when Mr. Nahan got out of his raft, climbed onto my raft, picked me up, and threw me into the water like a wrestler throwing down his opponent to the mat. When we started to approach the end, I jumped out of the raft and tried to sneak up to other rafts and pull others out of their raft into the river. In the end, we had a marvelous time and it was a great bonding experience for all of us. -Ben Pincus
Last night, our group went camping near the Jordan River. We were all tired, but somehow we were able to set up our tents. Dinner was various barbecued meat and pita, but luckily for me, there was a vegetarian option. We made s'mores and had a campfire sing along. Towards the end of the night, we all went back to our tents in groups of three, talked for a little while, and fell asleep. Breakfast was early, and after davening, we hurried to get ready for our fun day that awaits us at the hot springs of Sachneh and the Dead Sea. - Joseph Cukor
April 21st
Today we went to Sachne, the freshwater natural pools. There were a lot of fish which felt weird on our feet (and were really scary (for me)). The water was really warm and it was like we were in a jacuzzi. Miss you all!!
Love,
Orli.
