SH-26-230's blog

As we come to the final day of our trip we reflect on our Birthright to travel throughout the Jewish State of Israel. From traveling through Tel Aviv, the Golan, the Negev, Jerusalem and more, I believe our journey of developing a deeper connection to Israel is beginning. Having the opportunity to discover the Jewish State with an amazing group of Americans and Israelis is an unforgettable experience.

Last night was our last night in the Kibbutz. Early this morning we left for Tzfat to learn about Kaballah, the city's wonderful history, and the artist community within the city. We visited the gallery of Avraham Lowenthal, an American artist from Michigan. Avraham fell in love with Kaballah in college and after attending art school at the Art Institute of Chicago, he moved to Tzfat and began to make artwork influenced by his study of Kaballah. We then walked around the town of Tzfat and browsed jewelry stores and art galleries.

We pulled up to the Bedouin living quarters after a fairly long drive and a very emoptionally draining day. A long morning at Yad Vesehm and an afternoon walking tour of Barsehva had given everyone the chance to get a quick nap on the bus. As we were approaching the Bedouin tents, we had been told that our schedule was being changed slightly and that we were getting to ride the camels today and not tomorrow.

I was robbed at the Western Wall on Monday. It happened just minutes after I entered the women's section. Although visiting Israel for the first time is itself a sort of pilgrimage, the Wall was always the true pilgrimage destination for me. When I packed for Israel, I placed a number of items in my suitcase that I wanted to bring to the wall. Among them was a photo of my grandmother, Sophia Englander, at the wall in what we think was 1968. In the photo, she is standing with her back to the camera, her right hand pressed flat against the Kotel.

The moment my tippy toe touched the water, I felt it all go away. After hiking at Gilabun in the Northern part of Israel for almost three hours, I was finally relieved of my pain and frustration. The thing is, before we started our hike to "the waterfall," our tourguide Yossi warned us... he told us to use nature's bathroom -- after all, in Israel, it's legal. However, even with the thousands of gallons per second falling ever so consistently over the edge of that b-e-a-utful mountain we had just conquered as a group, I couldn't.