SH-21-315's blog

Following a welcome respite from the hectic schedule of the trip, and the ever present whip of taskmaster Ira, we shifted from the ancient and timeless city of Jerusalem, to the positively prehistoric environs of the Negev, whose shifting sands and endless dunes were the backdrop of Moses and the Exodus. Arriving at the Bedouin camp where we were staying, I was struck by how the image of the place fit with the reality of the situation. The palm trees swaying in a desert oasis, surrounding by miles of nothingness, drove home the alieness of this place.

Today, we celebrated the second day of Shabbat in style. The greatest aspect of Shabbat was the wake up time: 11:30 am. We woke up, refreshed and rejuvenated, to a beautiful 70 degree day. Avital says that it is always beautiful on Shabbat, and she was right. In flip flops and shorts, we started our day. Our first activity of the day was an opinion game, where Linor asked us a question and we had to move to four different corners of a field to represent how we felt about the issue: Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree, and Strongly Disagree.

The bus passes a sleek modern suspension bridge and we are in the ancient city of Jerusalem. Our first stop is the Haas Promenade, a terrace with a photogenic panorama of the Old City. A question to consider is: do we feel as if we are tourists or as if we belong here?

We continue to the synagogue that one of the Israeli participants belongs to for a talk with Levi, an American-born rabbi, who discusses his reform congregation and how non-orthodox Israelis have to go to Cyprus to get married because only orthodox rabbis are authorized to perform marriages in Israel.

In life there are only two things you need to worry about, whether you are healthy or not healthy. Now if you are healthy, there are no worries. But, if you are not healthy, then there are only two things you need to worry about: if you get better or if it you don’t get better. Now if you get better then there is nothing to worry about. But, if you don’t get better, then there are only two things you need to worry about: if you live or if you die.

Day One: A Long Day One On January 10th, 930 am Newark time, we all got to the airport. Some of us were coming from places as close as Manhattan, but others came from Southern California, Chicago and Hong Kong. Eleven hours later, we got off the plane in Tel Aviv, but it was 6:55AM. We had a full day ahead of us, and it wasn’t a light day. After a brief orientation and a bus ride to Kibbutz Afiq, a quick lunch we hiked down the steep cliffs bordering the Sea of Galilee.

We wanted to kick off our blog early with some awesome Israel facts!

Population:
7.4 million
75% Jewish
16% Muslim
1.7% Arab Christian
.4% Christian
1.6% Druze

Size:
Approximately the size of New Jersey
22,000 square kilometers (approximately 8,494 square miles)
Ratio to US: 1:437
(http://wiki.answers.com)

114 kilometers at it's widest
10 kilometers at it's narrowest point
(www.zionism-israel.com)

The Lowest Point in the world (consequently in Israel) is:
408 meters (approximately 1338 feet) Below Sea Level

The Highest Point in Israel: