TL-45-80 Update 2
Birthright Day 2, 3, & 4: The North of Israel!
We have had an exciting first few days of our trip! On Tuesday we had breakfast at our kibbutz, Ayelet Hashachar, and then traveled to Metulla near the Lebanon border, where we learned a little about the relationship between Israel, Lebanon, and Syria, and stood in the mist of a beautiful waterfall. We then enjoyed a festive lunch at the Beit Hillel Kibbutz, at Chef Gadasis’ food truck, greeted by the staff and the chef himself, who gave us plastic bowties and leis in celebration of Purim, and turned up the music and clapped with us!
We then were treated to relaxing in natural hotsprings in Hamei Tveria, with a beautiful view of the Sea of Galilee. We stayed in the water for a while and may not have wanted to leave if it hadn’t started drizzling! We finished up the evening back at our kibbutz with an in-depth group bonding activity about our conceptions of Judaism and Israel, and why we decided to join a Birthright trip.
Yesterday we traveled to the mixed Arab and Jewish village of Hurfish, on a hill with a beautiful view of surrounding villages. There, we visited Sheikh Bader Kasem, a religious leader of the Druze people, who gave us a moving lecture on the symbolism of the Druze flag and the ongoing struggle for peace and fluid borders in the Middle East.
We then switched gears with a wine tasting at Rimon Winery, which specializes in wine made from pomegranates, something many of us had never experienced before.
After lunch, we toured the mystical city of Tzfat, the birthplace of Kabbalah, where we visited the artist David Friedman, who showed us his paintings and explained to us a little about gematria, Jewish numerology. We sang “Lecha Dodi,” a song welcoming the Sabbath Bride, in the same spot that the Jews first sang it. We also passed people on the streets, some in costume, who wished us Chag Sameach, or a Happy Holiday, as they walked briskly to their synagogues to hear the reading of the megillah, or book of Esther, for Purim! We finished the evening with a geopolitical lecture about the Middle Eastern countries from Adam Wadell.
Today is Purim and we are having such an amazing holiday! We started our day with a fun and muddy ATV ride with views of Nazareth. A few of us drove the ATVs on dirt roads and through small forests under the careful supervision of the guides. For lunch, we drove to the town of Zichron Yaakov, where we met our 6 Israeli peers, all soldiers currently serving in the lDF, and played a fun getting-to-know-you game. We are now on the way to Jerusalem and are excited to experience one of Israel’s most exciting holidays there! Chag Purim Sameach, and more updates to come!
