We are having MEGA fun! | Shorashim - Israel with Israelis

We are having MEGA fun!

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Today is a beautiful day. The bus gets packed as we depart from our kibbutz and first living arrangement. Off to Haifa we go! Our first stop is the gorgeous Haifa University where we meet friends of the Boston Community. We split up into groups consisting of our personal Israeli soldiers (and friends), career soldiers studying at Haifa and training to become officers, and scholars at Haifa University. It was very interesting hearing different perspectives of what exactly Judaism meant to each person as an individual as well a part of a different group. After our activity the group heads up to the 30th floor of a University building overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and all of Haifa- what an amazing sight.

The Israelis accompanying us on the trip are either from or stationed in Haifa giving us a nice advantage of home familiarity. They have a nice surprise activity they planned for us around their home. It turns out to be a scavenger hunt of funny and embarrassing activities including doing the Havah Nagila song and dance with a taxi driver and doing the macarana dance on the main stage in the central park.

Luckily for us, some Birthright Sponsors decided to buy us all a generous lunch at a nice steak house overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Needless to say, it was quite delicious and very relaxing.

Currently we are embarking on our 3 hour bus ride to Jerusalem for a MEGA Event. This event sounds like it will be awesome - there will be thousands of other people there - all of them participants on other Birthright trips, representing Jewish people from countries around the world including India! Tomorrow we will get to spend the day touring the old city of Jerusalem, a perfect way to welcome in Shabbat!

Signing off until after the Sabbath :-)