We ended the night by walking out in the desert and looking at the stars. Too often in our lives are we surrounded by buildings, lights, etc. that obstruct our view of the night sky. We all appreciated being in the desert for a night
We ended the night by walking out in the desert and looking at the stars. Too often in our lives are we surrounded by buildings, lights, etc. that obstruct our view of the night sky. We all appreciated being in the desert for a night
The Negev Desert, vast and barren brought about feelings of anticipation and excitement as we headed to spend a night in the desert, disconnected from the world. As we arrived at the Bedouin tents, our camel rides awaited. Two-by-two we mounted our camels and embarked on a quite short, smelly, and comedic ride around the grounds.
We exited Yad Vashem to the most beautiful and peaceful view of a sunny day in Jerusalem. We were able to enjoy what our people and family will never be able to enjoy. As I looked around, I was comforted by our tight knit group of Americans and Israelis.
With only a few days left, we are all reflecting on the time spent and the last ones we have. People have changed, grown, and made friends for life! I can say now that this has been an experience of a life time and will never forget.
There was much to learn about his relentless work to build a home country for the Jewish people, but we will probably remember most the more personal facts; his headstand habit, the humble life he led, how his wedding was wedged between important meetings.
Bus 109 and I visited Yad Vashem (The Holocaust Museum) as well as David Ben Gurion's tomb (first prime minister of Israel) today. Although this was not my first time at the endlessly powerful Yad Vashem, experiencing it with my newfound best friends (both American and Israeli) weighed me down in a way I never thought was possible.
We learned and participated in the Bedouin hospitality where they fed us, gave us tea, and invited us into their community. They started a secret buddy event for our group where we each have one person as our secret buddy and give them something special throughout the rest of our trip. We slept in the tents that night, which was fun!
The views were unbelievable. It was as if each stop just kept outdoing the last. To finish off an amazing day, we got to experience what life was like as the Bedouin's, complete with sleeping in tents and getting to ride camels. It was a truly special way to welcome in 2016.
The year is coming to an end, celebrating in a kibbutz in the Negev after a riveting and intense discussion about the Arab-Israeli relation. Happy and healthy new year to all. And for us on Bus 48, we can truly say that we will spend next year (2016) in Jerusalem.
After a hearty sleep at our lovely hotel in Jerusalem, we awoke to a quick breakfast and got right in the bus for a busy day.
Our first destination was Yad V'Shem, the Holocaust museum in Israel. The museum offered one of our most emotional memories on birthright. We experienced stories that must not be forgotten. We also walked through the children's memorial. For many this was a psychologically troubling place that will forever be etched in our minds. We then stopped at a local mall for a lunch and some delicious pasteries for a lucky few!