So Hard to Say Goodbye

It's hard to believe that their time in Israel is almost over, but our travelers are making the very best use of every moment.

Last night they joined the throngs of tourists, locals and other Taglit groups traversing the Ben Yehudah Pedestrian Mall. They filled their evening with shopping and eating and marveling at the masses of people. So many of the participants knew that this was THE place to be for a Taglit-Birthright Israel group on a Saturday night and they were determined to be part of the action.

This morning brought a very, very special visit to Beit Ekstein, meeting participants at their day center for participants with Asperger's Syndrome. http://www.b-e.org.il/htmls/page_750.aspx?c0=13707&bsp=13709. Seven of Beit Ekstein's program participants joined them for fun activities and real questions about life in Israel with Asperger's Syndrome. Our participants were very much engaged and asked lots and lots of questions, some even asking about the paperwork involved in making Aliyah (moving to Israel -- fear not! everyone is coming home tomorrow night!).

After lunch on Ben Yehudah once again, http://www.tourism.gov.il/Tourism_Eng/Articles/Sites/Ben+Yehuda+Street.htm (they just can't get enough!), they spent a glorious afternoon picking citrus beneath the sun. As part of the Table to Table program (http://www.leket.org/english/), they rescued oranges and tangerines which would otherwise have gone to waste, picking the fruit, packing the crates and readying it for delivery to needy families. The onsite coordinator at the grove showed them the considerable number of crates which needed to be filled for this run. As an aside, he said to Rose, that he didn't expect that they'd be able to fill them all. Within an hour and a half, every crate was full (and a few stomachs, as well). The coordinator marveled at the group's enthusiasm and diligence, noting that other Taglit-Birthright Israel groups are not usually able to fill the quota. I happened to speak with Rose while they were in the grove and I could hear the joy and enthusiasm in their voices in the background.

They've stopped briefly at Neve Ilan again now, to freshen up and begin to pack before seeing a movie tonight. It's so hard to believe that tomorrow is the last day. Everyone is marveling at how quickly the time passed; many are saying that they just are not ready to go home.

We hope they'll have time for an update tomorrow, after their visits to Har Herzl and the Mahaneh Yehudah outdoor market. It sounds like the experience has been transformative for everyone. Rose has taken plenty of pictures and we'll make those available to you after their return.

An early reminder that they return on EL AL flight 001 at 6:00am on Tuesday, December 29. It will take at least half an hour to collect luggage and get through customs, if not longer. Those families who are picking up travelers can meet them in the Arrivals section of Terminal 4 at JFK International Airport. Those travelers with connecting flights will be escorted through the check-in and security process by a member of our staff, who will wait with them until they board their flight (there are a few exceptions for very late departures and those passengers are all set).

We know you are looking forward to their return. We hope they can give you even a glimmer of the phenomenal experience they've shared.

Rabbi Elyse Winick