It was awesome to be in the place where the State of Israel was born and I feel like we got to learn a lot about the country of Israel as a whole.
It was awesome to be in the place where the State of Israel was born and I feel like we got to learn a lot about the country of Israel as a whole.
Yad VaShem affected me especially, both as memorial to mark and educate the world about what happened, but also to demonstrate that life is still possible and if you will it so, it will go on. We can build countries, learn languages and customs, talk to the survivors we know, and take pride in our resilience.
On the bus ride, many of us wrote letters to put into the wall, as well as the ones our family members gave us. We were lucky enough to witness many IDF soldiers gather by the western wall to prepare to be sworn into the IDF.
I really enjoyed the night life in Tel Aviv. It was a different cultural experience for us as it was exciting to do this with everyone. We made memories I'm sure we'll never forget.
All together this experience has been incredibly rewarding whether we are traveling to Tel Aviv by bus or hiking our way down to a natural spring. My only wish is for the days to go by slower! We cant wait to see whats in store for tomorrow!
We spent the entire day in the beautiful city of Tel Aviv! Our group was inspired by the quote: "If you will it, it is no dream" - Theodore Herzl
Our first stop in Tel-Aviv was Independence Hall, the location of Israel's independence signing in 1948. We watched a brief film describing the context of the signing as well as its implications for Israel. We then joined another birthright group, as we gathered in the room where the signing took place to listen to a speaker elaborate on the knowledge we gained from the earlier video. I was taken aback by the passion the speaker had for Israel, and it was apparent she was an expert on all things Israel. The session ended with us listening to the iteration of the Israeli national anthem that was sang during the signing in 1948; this was truly a moving experience for the group.
After touring the independence museum we left to go to a market in Tel Aviv. There was some impressive original art and interesting scents filled the air. I was able to buy a beautiful menorah for my parents (hi mom!) and had my first semi-successful experience trying to bargain for a fair price.From the market we left for a walking tour of the very historical Jaffa by our amazingly informed tour guide, Omer. Jaffa was a beautiful coastal port and had significance to many cultures and societies throughout history. To any one reading this blog planning on traveling to Jaffa, do yourself a favor and go to Dr. Shakshuka for lunch.
It was my second time visiting Yad Vashem but it was just as moving as the first. I was looking forward to the stunning view of Jerusalem you are exposed to at the end when you walk outside. I had a good conversation with one of our Israeli participants after.
Then, we went to Tel Aviv. A walk around the Neve Tzedek neighborhood offered a great look at what it is like to be an Israeli in the city and Independence Hall was also very moving. We stood up and listened to HaTikva as if we were in that room 67 years ago.