TL-46-337 Update 1

Shalom from Birthright!

With only a few bumps in the road, our group of 32 participants on UJA’s Zenkel Birthright trip landed in Israel! When we arrived, we were greeted by Gadi our educational guide, Ofir the medic, and Waseem our incredible driver, along with some rugalach! We then got right on the bus and drove to Northern Israel. 

Our first stop was Tiberias, where we enjoyed a fun ATV ride driving through the beautiful countryside with a view of the Kineret. We ended the day back at the hotel where we had dinner and did our first group activity. Everyone shared their personal connection to Israel and why they chose to come on Birthright. Most of our participants came on this trip alone and are experiencing Israel for the first time. They came searching for a Jewish community both here and back home and it was amazing to see everyone be so vulnerable with one another on the first night!

Today we started off our day by learning a sentence in Hebrew “Slicha, aefo hasherotim?” Which translates to “excuse me, where’s the bathroom?” Hopefully, by the end of the trip, the participants will feel comfortable speaking Hebrew to anyone!  We traveled to Metulla, the most Northern village in all of Israel, as well as saw the borders of Lebanon and Syria. The participants were truly able to visualize how close these countries are to Israel and now have a better understanding of why these conflicts exist to this day. We then hiked along the Dan river followed by rafting on the Jordan river. The teamwork needed to steer the rafts bonded the group together! 

This group is full of amazing personalities and such excitement – we cannot wait for the days to come!

Until Jerusalem,

Eliana and Amanda