SH-26-612's blog

Despite the various similarities between Americans and Israelis, there are some differences; no difference was as prevalent as the one experienced today. This difference occurred as we were surrounded by a place that is a fundamental element of death: the cemetery. At Mt. Herzl Cemetary, Israeli tragedy coupled with Zionism has never been so apparent to me. This entire trip has been insightful and eye-opening, but our journey adopted a new meaning today.

We began our day waking up in Jerusalem for the first time. After a delicious Mediterranean breakfast we left to explore the old city. Along the way we observed the dichotomy between today’s modern Jerusalem and the historical beauty of the old city. We walked throughout the old city, hearing stories and observing thousands of years of Jewish history. We then arrived at the holiest place in the world for the Jewish people: The Western Wall. The feeling was immediately overwhelming and indescribable.

This morning we took a guided tour of Israel’s national Holocaust memorial- Yad Vashem. The building is distinctively shaped like a triangle, with each side wall sloping inward. The architecture of the building represents half of the star of David; the missing triangle represents the 6 million Jews lost in the Holocaust. Our tour guide was super informative, but I couldn’t get over the fact that she has the most depressing job in the world. The experience was overwhelming and emotional for all of us- especially the end when we watched a movie from a survivor talking about his experience.

Each day we spend in Israel offers more insight into the numerous complexities -- land, culture, and religion -- that make this country unique.

It was 8:00 a.m. when we arrived at Nachal Betzet for our first hike in Israel. We began our hike with a brief history of the trail and proceeded on our journey. Our group made several stops in which we learned how to whistle with an acorn, discuss water compression, and even learn toileting skills in a forest setting-something that will be remembered for the rest of our lives! Following the hike, we traveled to Tzfat for an afternoon of walking the streets and a yummy lunch of falafal and shwarma! We look forward to more great adventures!

Heather and Jessie

So, we all arrived at the airport and eagerly awaited the takeoff of our flight. Of course, that just meant more bonding on the tarmac at JFK. In other words, we all became close-knit before we even left New York. Once we finally took off, people enjoyed movies ranging from the Lorax to the Hunger Games, among others. The airplane food, however, was not as enjoyable. Nevertheless, we continued to share in the good and the bad while anxiously awaiting our arrival in the homeland. We stopped for a brief “cheers” on the beach before traveling on the bus with our new Israeli friends.