SH-26-130's blog

What could be better than Pizza in the Old City. And supporting the Israeli economy one kovah at a time. Because, one thing we learned from Brandi and Michael was we always have to wear our hats.

Enjoy a couple of picutres of a scenic hike next to a stream in the northern negev.

Last night we stayed at the Bedouin tents. Following a delicious dinner, we set up a camp fire and our leader Yossi broke out the guitar. The entire group came together for the occasion (“Yossi-oke”) as we sang tunes ranging from Britney Spears, Red Hot Chili Peppers and James Taylor. We stayed this way for literally hours and signing and dancing under the stars of the Negev. It was a trip through time back to the days of sleep away camp. With our days together dwindling, our time by the fire was such an awesome way to bring the group together once more.
Sam Wager

The Negev is special not because there are no other deserts in the world, but because it is one of the few deserts that you can find people fighting nature and making the desert greener. I don’t know any other nation in the world that has a vision to make deserts habitable places but if I could define pioneering it would be exactly this kind of doing. We had visit a Bedouin camp not far from Sde Boker and it was great, I think people really come together when they are in extreme places like the desert, living in one big tent and doing unique activities like riding camels.

Israel is not just a country, it’s a feeling, it’s the passion of the people, it’s each stone and ridge in the home of all Jews. The hike through the Golan Heights was a journey through time back to simplicity, peacefulness, and adventure. The Bedouin experience incorporated a delicious authentic feast on mats with our hands, an old fashioned bon fire filled with all the classic songs, and sleeping on mats. The morning began with a rooster call followed by a genuine breakfast of champions.

We started our day in Tzfat where we visited a synagogue and several different shops ranging from a candle maker to a restaurant with amazing authentic Israeli hummus. We were then off to Tel Aviv to complete a walking tour that eventually lead to Independence Hall. After watching a short video we actually got to see the room where Ben Guron announced that Israel would from that point forward be a Jewish state. It was amazing to learn the background information related to this monumental decision.

Yesterday we were able to visit Tzfat and see the mystical city that was once the center of Jewish life. This town now full of artists and Kabbalist. We learned about the practices of Kabbal and how it has evolved over different generations. Next we went to Tel Aviv which is the first Jewish city. We saw where Hebrew was developed and where the original schools stood. Another large site in Tel Aviv thatr we were able to see was the Independence hall where we heard the recording of Ben Guron declaring the the Jewish state of Israel.

Started the day with a big breakfast then we started our trip to the Golan Heights. We then visited several wonderful sites around the Kinneret Sea! The river we visited was Gilaboon where a waterfall running through what was once Syria, then to Har Bental which Israel acquired in the last day of the 6 day war. We then headed for lunch and the Falafel amongst other foods was amazing. Brandi and Michael along with Tom and Yossi, are our staff. Koby, Yoav, Liran, Chantel, Simo, Moshe, and Einat are the Israeli participants, and everything is running according to the itinerary.