SH-26-219's blog

It's been a crazy last few days in Israel, starting with Friday morning. After spending Thursday night in the Bedouin tents in the Negev Desert, we woke up bright and early at 4 a.m. (with as much sleep as you would expect getting in one tent with 47 people), had some tea and cookies for breakfast and boarded the bus to climb the historic Mount Masada. Shiri, our guide, told us that her group record for the steep climb up was 13 minutes, so obviously we hauled ourselves up there in 11 to make it in time to both break the record and catch an outrageous sunrise.

"I'll be tired when I'm old."
It's safe to assume these words, once spoken by the great Method Man, have neer been used in relation to a Birthright trip.
Until now. We don't need sleep considering the adventure that's about to unfold.
Meet the team: we're led by Clark, stoic and steady in his command. The late-arriving (not-forshadowing) Stella, slightly more free-spirited in her approach and every bit the Jewish mother we all love know. Finally is Shiri: sweet, a little sickly, and owner of the coolest purple-colored capri's you've ever seen.

In progress

We arrived in Tel Aviv in the afternoon. The hustle and bustle of the city stands in stark contrast to the north. We visited the artist market of Nahalat Binyamin, the Carmel shuk and the stylish cafes and stores on Sheinkin Street. Afterward we visited Rabin Square and the spot where Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated. This prompted discussion about how Israelis today still struggle to comprehend how this tragedy happened. We had dinner and a brief rest at the hotel before going out to experience the Tel Aviv nightlife.

We left Kibbutz Afik early in the morning so we could visit the magical city of Safed. Our day began with an introduction to kabbalah from a man named Avraham who immigrated to Israel from Detroit some 15 years ago. He pointed out that the very fact that we were in the land of Israel, 2000 years after our Jewish ancestors were expelled from their land, was itself a miracle. Our Israeli guide then led us on a walking tour of the city during which we visited some of the historic synagogues and learned of the strong Jewish religious tradition.

First Days,