Hello from Israel! | Shorashim - Israel with Israelis

Hello from Israel!

By Bus 838

Hello from Israel! 

After a long (10 hour) flight from JFK to Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, we were greeted by our new Israeli friends with song and dance. 

We learned two new hebrew words, Achim (brothers) and Simcha (happiness) and then joined our Israeli friends in a circle and chanted the following song: (this video is'tn ours, we havent gotten a chance to download videos from our phone yet, but wanted to share this song!) 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9pgCO8H6h0

Landing in Israel for the first time was an incredible feeling. When we landed, everyone clapped and the plane was filled with excitement and joy. 

The airport was truly international. With flights coming in from every continent, it felt like Jews were flying to Israel from all over the world. We were all finally home and the feeling of Jewish peoplehood was so positively overwhelming. 

Israel looked different than I thought it would. I always thought Israel was a desert, but when I got here, everything seemed really modern. Having my best friend by my side was awesome, and meeting Jewish americans from all over the over the world was really exciting as well. 

On our first day, we already got to meet Omer, our leader, who will lead the educational component of the trip. We had an introductory lesson where we learned all about the broader geography of Israel and how uniquely placed it is. We’ll share more when we reach Eilat in a week or so! 

Before checking in to our hotel, we said the Shehecheyanu prayer and  took a short hike through a stream called Majrase. The hike was beautiful, and the walk through the water was relaxing. 

Now, we’re off to bed so we can rest up for a packed day of hiking and Kayaking tomorrow! 

Photo Credits: Header Image-@superemilyweee, Image 1-@azizalexis