Let the Journey Begin!
It's amazing how a couple of plane rides and a few hours can transform not only a location but a group of people. Just a few short (OK, maybe not that short) hours ago, around 40 Shorashim participants met at JFK airport to begin the 10-day trip of a lifetime. After meeting and greeting, we boarded a Swiss Airlines flight to Zurich. Seven plus hours passed by relatively quickly, and - before we knew it - we were landing in Zurich and ready to board the connecting flight to Tel Aviv.
Arriving in Tel Aviv was an uplifting experience. Our Israeli peers serandaded us with a Hebrew song, and then the entire group came together in a circle. We linked arms as we jumped to the left, chanting about happiness/joy. Following that, we took care of the logistics: exchanging money, picking up phones, and boarding the bus.
Our first stop was to Sedot Yam, a kibbutz on the Mediterranean Sea. The gorgeous view captivated everyone, and we had a special ceremony where we recited the Shecheyanu. Lior, our Israeli tourguide, explained that the area was called Caesaria; this was a location built by Herod in honor of Julius Caesar. Before leaving, we all wrote messages on slips of paper and inserted them into the empty grape juice bottle used earlier for the blessing; these will be read at the end.
Now, we are on the road to the Kibbutz at which we'll be staying. Along the way, we passed Haifa, Mount Carmel, and other great sites. Oh, and we learned that vipers can live in banana bunches; don't worry... we were assured we won't run into any of the nine poisonous snakes in Israel.
Here's to the start of a great trip!
By Mindy Golub

