TL-BR-53-145 UPDATE 1

Group 145 has officially begun our Birthright journey!

We had a fantastic first day landing in Israel and settling into the rhythm of the trip. After touching down in Tel Aviv, we met our incredible tour guide, Hannan, an experienced and passionate guide who will be with us throughout the journey.

Our first stop was the Caesarea Aqueduct, where we stood beside the Mediterranean Sea and learned about Jewish life in the land going back thousands of years. We talked about how Jews were forced to leave the land and what it means for us, their descendants to have this opportunity to return to where our people began. From there, we headed to Zichron Yaakov, one of the earliest modern Jewish settlements founded during the Ottoman period in 1882. We toured the town together and then had time to wander on our own for lunch, taking in the sights, smells, and flavors of this charming historic village.

We continued north into the Carmel Mountains, where we explored nature and learned about sites where humans, and even pre-human ancestors have lived for hundreds of thousands of years. It was a powerful reminder of just how deep the history of this land truly goes. We also got to know eachother a little better and talked about mishpacha or family and how we’ll be looking out for eachother on this next 10 days.

We’ve now arrived at Ayelet HaShahar, a kibbutz in northern Israel where we’ll be staying for the next two nights while we explore the north. Everyone is excited for a good meal and some well deserved rest after a full and memorable first day.

We’ll keep you updated and share more photos along the way. So much more to come!