The Negev & Jerusalem
We're finally out of the desert! We are sweaty, tired, and generally tanner.
After a quick 20ish hours in Tel-Aviv enjoying the Mediterranean and learning about Israeli independence, we headed south into the Negev. Ben Gurion's dream for the State of Israel was to make the Negev Bloom, so our first stop in this vast and beautiful landscape was The Salad Trail. Run by a South African ExPat named Peter and a Sabra, we learned about a plethora of agricultural technologies and irrigation processes used to grow tomatoes, passion fruit, and variety of melons and herbs in the Negev sands. Not only was all the produce delicious, but our hosts were incredibly knowledgeable in explaining how Israel went from a country with very limited natural resources to a global pioneer and exporter of farming technology.
After settling into a Kibbutz not far from the Trail, we spent the evening discussing the Arab-Israeli conflict. It's rare that a conversation can be refreshing, eye-opening, and heart-wrenching at once, and I'm grateful to all my tripmates for being vulnerable and honest about their views and feelings. The road to peace ahead of us is painfully long, but I was encouraged by our collective determination, despite differences, to protect Israel's right to exist and instill stability in the broader region.
Bright and early the next day, we departed the kibbutz for a day of hiking through Ein Ovdat, and a night in the Bedouin tents. Ein Ovdat is simply beautiful -- a canyon that looks like marbled Halva surrounded by desert shrubs and guarded by Ibex and Eagles. David Ben Gurion and his wife Paula are buried not far away, so we stopped to pay our respects. The Bedouin tents felt more or less like summer camp with more interesting food, feral cats, and lots of tea. A Bedouin woman named Suad spoke to us after dinner about changes in Bedouin society particularly the changing role of women and her role as a trailblazer for women's rights rooted in Muslim law. A film was made about her called Against All Odds. If you can find it online, let us know, because we haven't found it yet, but we'd like to see it very much!
And then came Masada. An early morning hike, a fast but beautiful sunrise, a rendition of Jeff Buckley's Hallelujah in an ancient cistern, and 6 B'nei Mitzvot under the Negev sun. For me, today tied with our trip to the Kotel as the most powerful. I felt a strong mix of joy, pride, and humility to witness 6 of my newest friends affirm their place in the Jewish community in a place symbolic of Jewish perseverance. By 8:30 we descended Masada with 6 new defenders of the Commandments and we struck out for a camel ride followed by a float in the Dead Sea. The sand is mostly salt, the water felt hotter than the air, but the mud was refreshing and everyone's skin looked radiant afterwards. Bus 551 is definitely way ahead of the competition in the race for best looking bus in the land.
We arrived in Jerusalem this evening. We perused the Machne Yehuda market, and tomorrow we head to Mt. Herzl and onto Kiryat Gat, Chicago's sister city. It's surreal to be writing the second to last blog entry on the trip. We'll see you on the other side real soon.
