Updates from Israel

Written by Shauna Today we went to Tzfat, the ancient site of Jewish mysticism and spirituality. Tzfat is a 500-year-old city that is visibly different from the rest of Israel (that we’ve seen, anyway), save for perhaps Jerusalem. I felt something in Jerusalem, and I felt something in Tzfat as well, and the only way…

Written by Dylan On Thursday, we were treated to an adventure of a lifetime… Jeep tour! This activity bordered on the extreme and was an exhilarating experience for all of us. We drove through an active military zone and got very close to the fence dividing Israel and Syria. We learned about the ongoing conflict…

We woke up in Jerusalem, and we are preparing to rest for Shabbat in Jerusalem. This morning, our group grew from 30 people to 36 with the welcoming of our six new Israeli friends. With every Birthright trip, several days are spent with Israelis who join us as Birthright participants, and help us understand more…

Thursday began with us packing up to leave our kibbutz in the north of Israel. We took an hour and a half drive to Haifa, Israel’s third-largest city. We stopped at an overlook to see the world-famous Baháʼí Gardens, the spiritual and administrative center of the Bahá’í Faith. Afterward, we went on a nature hike…

Wednesday, we gathered together for our early breakfast as a roaming community, then set out under clear skies for Tzfat, the mystical city tucked into a steep hillside. Our first stop was an errand run along a business street looking out across the valley, then we descended on foot together to visit Avraham Loewenthal’s contemporary…

The morning started with a delicious breakfast, followed by an enlightening tour of Jaffa. Also known as Old Tel Aviv, this historic city presented a sharp contrast against The Nonstop City – the centre of Israel’s Silicon Valley.  The incredible architecture, Mediterranean-feeling homes, plant life, and environment, backdropped by gorgeous ocean views and glimmering buildings…

Our first full day in Israel started with a classic Israeli breakfast spread of vegetables and cheeses. We left our beautiful kibbutz to explore the Golan Heights, stopping first at an overlook to see Syria. Next, we visited Tel Facher, a former Syrian outpost before 1967. It was the site of a fierce battle in…

Written by Brandon We visited Mount Herzl today to visit the national cemetery, located on the west side of Jerusalem. Living in North America, it can be difficult to understand the threats and risks that Israeli soldiers and civilians face living here and the impact that has on their lives. We sometimes read about fatal…

Written by Shahar (mifgash-Israeli Peer) As an Israeli who has joined Birthright, you don’t know exactly what to expect. To join a group of new people that you have never met before can be quite intimidating, but as time goes by you become part of a family that you don’t want to be apart from.…

An update from us here at Kibbutz Afik, On Monday afternoon, our group (thirty participants!) touched down in Tel Aviv after flying out from Newark and Los Angeles. By Monday evening, we have gone from strangers to feeling like a community. Along the way, we have had remarkable insight into Israel’s diversity. At the airport,…