Wednesday, December 28 | Shorashim - Israel with Israelis

Wednesday, December 28

Bus 166 (named "Infinite Goodness" today by our Israeli educator) started the day ascending into the Golan Heights, as we were informed that we were headed to the second most landmined area in the world, a point which was driven home by the tri-ingual signs posted everywhere, warning us of this danger.

Our hike along the Gilliboon stream was beautiful, leading us through lush bamboo areas, across streams, and even past a historic "gum wall" where years worth of students had left their mark. Helping each other across the water and on the slippery clay terrain was a bonding experience, and by the end we were all exhausted but pleased that we had made it to the waterfall. One of our new Israeli friends taught us the phrase "Ze kesum" in reference to the waterfall, meaning "It is magical," but it began to catch on and could be heard multiple times throughout the day, since it appropriately describes all of our current experiences.

We stopped for our first authentic Israeli lunch is Katzrin, a quaint town that seemed accustomed to big groups of kids coming through, and continued on to Mt. Bental to discuss conflict. The bunkers on the hill were a bit chilling, and it was interesting to be able to get down in them and explore the paths that have been taken by actual soldiers defending this country. Looking across the valley to the Syrian border and learning some backround about the conflict helped lead to our discussion about it's current standing and why the Golan Heights is such an important territory to the army.

We then continued on the Tzfat ( a 45 minute busride.. as everything seems to be) and entered the historic holy city. We explored the uncovered tunnels of the Micrah and began to get a feeling of the ancient city while the sun set over the mountains and created the second night of fantastic sunsets. As we were given some time to wander the mysterious cobblestone streets, we learned the traditions of the city and even encountered a successful proposal on the terrace. All in all, it was a day jampacked with culture, romance, and historic landscapes. I know that I was shocked when I realized it was only our second day, and we have over a week of this kesem (magic) left.