Adventures in the North

By Gabriela Tscholl and Alanna Kerstein

Another long day of adventures is coming to an end as we make our way back to the kibbutz for our third and final night there. We started today with a hike through the gorgeous Golan Heights. The hike began on rough and rugged terrain where we climbed down (literally, down a ladder), to a beautiful spring with lush greenery. It was refreshing to cool off surrounded by the fish and crabs we spotted!

Afterwards, we headed to Olea Essence Olive Oil Factory. We got to sample their tasty oils as well as their amazing skin care products. Needless to say it was a great way to unwind after the hike before our next stop at Mt. Bental.

In contrast to the beauty of our hike within Golan Heights, our stop at Mt. Bental reminded us of the struggles and strife that has plauged this area in the past decades. While standing in the midst of the border between Israel and Syria, we contemplated and discussed the future of this area, discovering it is a complicated situation without an easy solution. Between touring an old bunker once used by the Syrians and even seeing smoke in the distance, we all came together in hopes that there will be brighter days ahead for the land and those that live there.

The last stop of our day was a serene float down the Jordan River, a nice change of pace in contrast to the day's more intensive activities. We broke up into groups, hopped into rafts, and made our way down the river. In retrospect, today consisted of adventures of in-betweens; the hike into the Golan Heights which reflected the varying terrains within the country; Mt.Bental serving as the literal divider of two nations, and rafting which involved the meeting of two rivers: Hatzbani and Jordan. Stay tuned for updates from Jerusalem!