Exploring the Negev
Hey folks!
It's been another breathtaking few days here in Israel. We had an incredible Shabbat where we prayed and explored our Judaism together and had a delicious Friday night dinner. On Saturday we got to sleep in and finally catch up on some rest :) During the rest of the day we hung out at the pool and played capture he flag. It was so much fun! Shabbat ended with Havdallah, which we learned means separation. This service marks the difference between Shabbat and the rest of the week. It was absolutely incredible to have this service overlooking the hills of Jerusalem!
On Sunday we were back to our regular schedule of waking up bright and early. We started the day on a sad note of rememberance by visiting Yad Vashem, Israel's national Holocaust journey through World War II Europe. After she spoke we toured the museum and it was unlike anything we had ever seen before. Even those of us who had been to other Holocaust museums thought this was different and special. We ended by visiting the children's memorial, dedicated to the 1.5 million children murdered in the Holocaust. It was an emotional morning to say the least.
After lunch we did a short hike called Sataf, which is an ancient agricultural village. We got to see the terraces that used to be used for water collection and agriculture, enabling people even in ancient times to farm and grow crops. Now the reserve is used as a community garden for people living in and around Jerusalem. Thousands of years later and people are still so connected to history here!
Last night we spent in a Bedouin tent learning about Bedouin culture. It was an experience unlike any other we've had for sure. The Bedouins live in the desert in Israel, and even though their culture is different than it used to be they still have a special place in Israeli society. They taught us about Bedouin culture, and we got to hear about their music, taste their food, and sleep all together in one huge tent. This morning they even let us ride on camels.
After leaving the Bedouin village we went to the grave of David Ben Gurion and his wife Paula. We can't even begin to cover how much we learned about Ben Gurion. He was the first Israeli Prime Minister, first Secretary of Defense, and basically the founding father of the state. He lived an incredible life and even though he was a bit stubborn he accomplished an incredible amount for the state.
Glad you're finally caught up? Good! Check back for more soon. Even though we're sad to be leaving soon we can't wait to see what these last few days have in store for us.
