It was a beautiful evening, a great last night in Israel!Â
We had spent 11 days and 10 nights with strangers who had become best friends, in new lands learning so many new things about ourselves and our heritage, and experiencing more than any one of us had ever hoped or dreamed.
We all hurried into the stalls of Machane Yehuda as we were given an hour and a half to explore this enormous market looking for lunch, secret Moses gifts, and a snack to share.Â
A marvelous smorgasbord of traditional Bedouin food was presented to each of the groups.
A few of the best names we gave the camels were: Donald Hump, Alexander Camelton, and Chewy Bacca.
We all left in silence, reflecting upon what we had just heard and seen. It was such an individual and unique experience for all.
Hebrew word of the day: Ad Matai which translates to "until when"
We were all excited to sleep in and have a late breakfast after a long night of living in the moment. In observation of Shabbat, we had the Kibbutz at our disposal to rest and rejuvenate.
We shabbated really hard, learning the prayers for wine, challah, and washing of the hands. We were told that we would be at the kibbutz for the next 25 hours relaxing and enjoying each other's company and the simpler things in life. Â
We were extremely excited to see our Israeli family dancing and singing to our arrival. We gathered in a big group circle and learned a pump up chant "achim simcha", or brothers-joy . This set such a great tone for the trip.