Second day

Shalom!
It's already our second full day in Israel and time has been flying. After an exhausting day of travel and hiking, we arrived at the Kibbutz yesterday afternoon. The views here are amazing; the landscape is beautiful and the people are friendly. Stray dogs and cats provide us Americans with endless entertainment. However, we were certainly feeling the effects of jet lag and welcomed our day of relaxation and Shabbat celebrations.
We were fortunate enough to get the chance to catch up on sleep last night. At ten o'clock, we began our day with a coffee and cake breakfast and then started our activities. During the day, we broke up into small groups and sat outside to study Torah portions. This prompted religious conversations and an analysis of how we could apply scripture to our everyday lives. Around two o'clock, we hiked to a small watering hole just off the Kibbutz. We met other Birthright students and spent our time in a secluded and peaceful place. Later in the afternoon, we discussed our Jewish idenitity. In our safe and judge-free room, both the American students and our Israeli friends talked about what it meant to be Jewish. Is it a culture? A religion? An ethnicity? What is important to being a Jew? For many on the trip, this was an amazingly enlightening experience and truly helped us to begin to understand what it means to be a Jew.
We passed the rest of the afternoon relaxing, bonding, and spending time outside. That night, once three stars were shining, we began the Havdallah ceremony. This was the first Havdallah for many students on the trip. As we held each other under the night sky, singing and celebrating our faith in an open field, we truly began to bond as a group. It was an unforgettable experience.
Although our day today was relaxing and full of free time, we're gearing ourselves up for our busy schedules ahead. Tomorrow will be full of brand new adventures and experiences; there isn't a doubt among us that this trip will be life-changing.