Both of these communities that we visited live through a situation that is unimaginable for me. The strength that these people exhibit in the face of such fear and bloodshed is to me miraculous.
It made hitting the snooze on our 3:00 alarms a little less tempting. Hiking up the snake path under a full moon, which flooded every ancient crevice filled any void in our motivation. Some of us were ascending in groups, listening to Miley's "The Climb" while others chose a more solitary and peaceful journey.
We started our day at Independence Hall where we learned about the history of the state of Israel. We stood in the actual room where Ben Gurion declared Israel an independent state.
"Yad Vashem was an experience that leaves you speechless. So many emotions, so much to be grateful for. #NeverForget"
"We went to Mount Bental, where we could see the Israel/Syria border. We learned the history and recent hardships of that area while getting to interact with UN soldiers from Ireland, Switzerland, and Australia."
"The "iced coffee" here is basically coffee ice cream disguised as caffeine. We haven't gained the freshman 15 yet, but after all the falafel and magnum bars, I'm sure we'll be well on our way."
We were warmly greeted by our Israeli participants and staff at Ben Gurion airport this afternoon, and participated in an exciting Shorashim tradition, the Achim song.
#Taglit #Shorashim #Bus562