Day 6 -- Eretz Yisrael Sheli Yafah v'Gam Porahat
Today's blog post bears the opening line of a wonderful Israeli children's song which means, "My land of Israel is beautiful and blooming." Despite the terrible multi-year drought in Israel (a major contributing factor to the damaging fires in the Carmel Forest earlier this month), the northern part of Israel is green and leafy, unlike the desert-like wilderness in the south.
We got to see that up close today, in some very exciting ways. Following our morning's service (today's focus was on the power of words and using them wisely)and breakfast (sorry, it just didn't hold a candle to Neve Ilan -- except for the cappucino machine), we drove a short distance to the starting point for our jeep tour of the Hula Valley and the Golan Heights foothills. What a thrill! The bouncing ride was great fun, but also brought us close to wonderful and interesting sites. The tour crossed over the Jordan River, approached flocks of cranes, passed sophisticated computerized irrigation systems and saw an amazing bird called a shaldag in Hebrew, a kingfisher in English (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingfisher). We saw countless cows (one jeep driver, in response to a comment on how beautiful they were, said "Why not? They live the good life.") Stopping at an overlook alongside Nahal Hamdal, we got out of the jeeps and admired the valley from above in one direction and looked up at the Golan Heights in the other. When we walked back to the jeeps, we discovered that the drivers had made us delicious herbal tea, a welcome tonic for the wind and chill. The views were beautiful, but the north should be far more lush and flower-filled.
Still, the jeep ride (accompanied by shouts and cheers) could not get us as close to nature as our visit to the Tel Dan Nature Reserve (http://www.parks.org.il/BuildaGate5/general2/data_card.php?Cat=~25~~9704...) where we made our way on trails lined with native basalt and saw the rushing springs which feed the Jordan River. We learned about how water makes its way from Mt Hermon to the Sea of Galilee and saw the spring which is the origination point for the Dan River, one of the three sources of the Jordan. One of our participants even served as a visual representation of how the water bursts forth from the spring when the ground reaches its saturation point. Further along the trail we discovered a tree known as the Winnie the Pooh tree, with a large hollow trunk which our travelers enjoyed exploring. We learned about some of the many ways the Bible refers to trees, highlighting their literal and figurative significance. It was cool and green and shady.
Yet another new experience followed, with a lunchtime stop at the Kiryat Shemona Mall. Food court options included pizza, falafel, shawarma and burgers. There was much excitement about exploring new foods and shops and a fascinating pilgrimage to a supermarket, where milk is sold in plastic bags, varieties of chocolate abound and the various types of crunchy, salty snacks defy description.
Sated and warmed, we drove to Har Bin Tal, a mountain lookout which was once home to Israeli bunkers and offers incredible views of Syria and snowcapped Mt Hermon. The wind and cold were New England quality, but we braved them to learn about the strategic value of the Golan Heights -- and struggle with the political and security questions associated with Israel's annexation of this strip of land. This group continues to awe and amaze with not only its depth of knowledge, but its thoughtful articulation of complex problems. We learn from them every day. On a more lighthearted note, Har Bin Tal is home to a coffee shop known as Coffee Anan. Anan does mean cloud, but the play on words is unexpected and amusing.
Weary from the day's adventures, our last stop of the day was a bit more restful, at the Magic of the Golan Visitor's Center, where we saw both a film and a model of the Golan, one focusing on its natural beauty (and which provided real mist when showing the rapids of the Jordan) and the other telling the story of the role this area played in both the Six Day and Yom Kippur Wars.
The bus has become our newest program venue, with travelers coming up to the microphone to reflect on questions silly and serious, to share their insights and their gifts. They can't seem to get enough.
A starlit walking tour of the kibbutz and dinner were not the end of the activities of the day. Our soldiers, Maayan, Idan and Ziv put on their uniforms and put our participants through some of the rudiments of basic training. Standing in formation, learning Hebrew commands and being tested on Israel's geography kept the group in smiles and laughter despite being ready for bed.
And off to bed we sent them, with reminders about packing for tomorrow, when we will slowly make our way back to Jerusalem and the familiarity of Neve Ilan.
Are there really only four days left? It's hard to believe that tomorrow we'll have known each other for only a week. Conversations have begun about contact information and Facebook groups and even as we start to ease them into the idea of leaving, it's hard for us to imagine.
More news tomorrow, as the days, but not the pace, wind down.
Lailah Tov (Good Night) --
Rabbi Elyse Winick
