July 31st

At night we hiked in the Machtesh and had an incredible view of the stars from the center of the Machtesh. A Machtesh is formed from a mountain surrounded by an ocean. The Mountain had eroded while other mountains around it were growing creating this vast hole.

Stray Cat Count: 129 Cats

August 1st

On Friday we began our day with a visit to Ne’ot Kedumim, the Biblical gardens just outside of Tel Aviv. We saw the land as it was in Biblical times, learned how to take water out of a cistern, and even made our own Zatar! Lunch at Ne’ot Kedumim was a classic “Biblical” lunch of pita, rice, and more (a nice change from the usual pita, rice, and more).

From there, we returned to the center of Tel Aviv, to the Carmel Shuk and its sister market, the weekly artists’ fair. We picked up food for our Oneg, had our daily ice coffees, admired the artwork, and indulged in some classic souvenirs. From the market we walked back to our hotel to get ready for Shabbat services on the beach. The service we went to was not your average Kabbalat Shabbat; it felt more like a mellow concert than a service. It took a secular approach to the service. It was held on the boardwalk, amidst the busy city that is Tel Aviv on Friday night. We returned again to our hotel for dinner and Oneg.

Hello!

Today was Israeli Defense Forces Day, otherwise known as the Gadna Experience. We enjoyed a breakfast at our new hotel and headed off to an army base. We split into two groups, got into official IDF uniforms and canteens, and learned all the formations we would use throughout the day. These formations, such as the Chet, are used in the army to keep soldiers organized and alert.

Tuesday morning we packed up our luggage, and once again loaded up our bus, this time to head North. By midmorning we arrived in Caesarea, an ancient city on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The city has held significance for many periods and different groups of people, and in the early centuries CE, it was home to both Romans and the Jews. During the visit, our guide talked about the conflict between Jewish and Roman society and the various differences between the two in that era.  Walking around the city we could tell that it was modeled after the Roman style. One Roman attraction we visited was the arena where horse raises and gladiatorial fights used to be held.  Ruhi and Benjamin demonstrated its use by having a chicken fight. It was a close match, but Benjamin came out victorious.

Hello from the Blog Brigade

It’s been an exciting past few days in Jerusalem. We began Friday morning with a spiritual trip to the Kotel. Everyone felt different about it but we all agreed that it was an incredible experience.  After a walking tour of the Arab and Christian quarters of Jerusalem, we found ourselves in a traditional Arab market where we took our first swing at Haggling. For those of you that don’t know, haggling is the Middle Eastern art of bargaining for a cheaper price. It was tricky at first but some of us are getting the hang of it.