Day Three: Haifa, A Special Visit to Technion, Tzfat, Shawarma, & More
When we arrived at the airport, first impressions were made as we exchanged basic information about ourselves and our background. When we arrived in Israel, friendships were made as we played ice breakers and sweated on each other from the hot sun. On day three, a family was made as we laughed and shared beautiful experiences. We all had a undeniable connection that was clearly evident by day three in Israel.
We started the morning in route to Haifa, the third largest city in Israel. On the bus ride, Yossi shared historical information about the city, such as the mountain in Haifa, that is the only mountain in Israel that is always green. Haifa is known as he city of coexistence. Jews and Arabs live here peacefully, most noticeably, when they celebrate four weekends of three holidays; Christmas, Ramadan, and Chanukah, together.
In Haifa, our destination was the University of Technion. Nationally ranked, this is the MIT of Israel, educating three Nobel Prize winners in chemistry in the past 10 years. Founded in 1912, this university was established because there was a demand for engineering and science education, due to the fact Jews were denied technical education in Europe. The university is now amongst the top ranked universities and has 18 departments of engineering and science.
Once arriving to the university, we visited with some of the students and looked at their current projects. One of the most memorable projects was the race cars built by the mechanical engineers. The students are building race cars which they plan on racing in an international competition against top universities in the world. The Israelis were confident that they were going to place in the top 10. The race cars are made from material from sponsors, which students sought themselves. These internationally recognized sponsors not only provide them with materials but they also expose the students to the industry. We were all amazed by the students ambition and creativity.
After visiting with the students, we had the opportunity to meet 2011 Nobel Prize chemistry winner, Professor Shechtman, who is an honorary doctorate from Northwestern University and currently a professor at Iowa State University. Shechtman embraced knowledge and the power of expertise, as he began his introuctionn by saying, "if you see a child interested in something encourage it." Shechtman's fascination with science started at age seven, when he used his grandfathers magnifying glass. His curiosity continued and at age ten, he became interested with microscopes, which eventually grew to an expertise in electro microscope. "If you want to succeed, become an expert" explained Shechtman. The professor told us that today it is much easier to become an expert because of the internet and says you must Invest in being the best.
In his spare time, he volunteers by teaching science to kindergartens and first graders. He heads a television program that has a laboratory and laboratory aid that features three children of different religions and races. As he spreads knowledge and the power of science to young children, he works to inspire more youth to become scientists or engineers. It is clear that he values entrepreneurship and the importance of company culture. Shechtman explained that Israelis are hard workers, but not obedient, which is why there are more than 5,000 start-ups in Israel. Professor Shechtman was extremely enlightening and it was such a wonderful experience to be in the presence of someone with so much knowledge.
After the visit to the university, we had built up quit an appetite. Led by the Israeli group leaders, we trusted their taste buds and that they would to lead us to the best shawarma in the city. They did and the shawarma in Haifa did not disappoint. Covered in hummus and fresh pickled vegetables, we left Haifa with satisfied stomachs that would hold us over to our next adventure in Israel.
Departing the beautiful city of Haifa, we were now on our way to Tzfat. In Tzfat, women had to wear long skirts and shirts out of respect for the Orthodox tradition. This was a big culture shock for most of us, mostly the women, as we were sweating in our long skirts from the hot summer sun. We all had gained much respect for the women of this religion. Walking around the quaint town we visited the orthodox synagogue which had a Chair of circumcision for 200 years. After the visit to the synagogue, we explored the town and the small little shops. The shops had beautiful mezuzahs and jewelry made from the Tzfat locals.
To end our day, we went to the look out at the kibbutz that overlooked beautiful rolling hills. We learned about he life of Eli Cohen, a member of the Mossad. As a perfect bookmark in our journey, we watched the sunset in the picturesque Israel sky.
Day three was adventurous to say the least. The Shorashim family is real and we thank Israel and this special opportunity for bringing us together. From the corny bus jokes to sharing bites of ice cream, we are one big happy family here in Israel. We have our hats, our sunscreen, and our staff to make sure we aren't a minute late for day four.
Photo credit: @johnny__animal (header)
