Happy birthday Cole! | Shorashim - Israel with Israelis

Happy birthday Cole!

By Tyler Faierstain

What did you do today? 
Today we went to Ben Gurion's grave and learned about his life and influences on Israel. It was very interesting and powerful. Then we traveled to Ein Ovdat, where we hiked through the beautiful canyon. Next, we arrived to the Salad Trail in the Negev and ate a delicious lunch. We picked fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, spices, and carrots to taste and made our own pita bread. We then held their home pigeons and released them for peace. It was very cool and moving, but difficult to explain. Now we are on our way to one of our Israeli friend's homes to visit his family and learn even more about his life. Afterwards, we will ride camels in the desert and stay overnight in the Bedouin Tents. It is also my brother Cole's 20th birthday, so we are celebrating with Mazel Tov banners, candles, and songs! It is so wonderful to be able to celebrate with him here in Israel.

 

 

What was your favorite part of the day and why? 
Holding the pigeons was my favorite part of the day so far because it was something I have never done and was also very meaningful. As our guide, Owen, taught us about these birds and their homing capabilities, it was quite the experience to be able to release them with our whole group. After we released them, the sprinklers turned on and sprayed us all as we laughed and ran out of them. It was a blast!

What's something new that you learned or something that you tried for the first time? 
I tried an edible flower handed to me by our guide Owen. I learned that I do NOT like these kinds of flowers, but it was also a funny experience in front of my group, so it was worth it to try!

What was the best thing you ate today and where did you get it? 
We ate schnitzel and fresh salad from the garden at the Salad Trail. Yum!

What are you looking forward to tomorrow?
I am so excited to get bat mitzvahed on Masada.