Shabbat in Kibbutz Afik, magic in Tzfat, Tel Aviv touring...Bus 214 Love Machine
Day 2-4
By: Mati Benefrayim
I think I can speak for a majority of Bus 214 aka The Love Machine in saying Israel has been quite a magical experience thus far. It's crazy to think we aren't even halfway into our trip and the connection I am seeing between these people, scratch that, between these friends of mine leaves me at a loss for words. On Friday morning, we went to the Tel Dan nature reserve in the Golan Heights. We learned about the water problems in the north as Yonatan talked about the irrigation systems. Our hike lead us to a lookout where in the distance you could see Lebanon with a backdrop of snow covered mountains. We stopped for lunch in a small mall in Kiryat Shmona. A majority of us were left disappointed after choosing the first option we saw; It was in a moment speaking with 'Spenny' of The Brothers Beck, about his lunch experience, I realized I needed to open my eyes not just in a literal sense, but also in a grand sense; if you get caught up just going through the motions you will miss what Israel truly has to offer. The lunch Spenny explored for was a fresh home-made middle eastern dish made by a woman who had woken up at 2am to start preparing.
After lunch, we headed back to Kibbutz Afik to welcome in Shabbat. If you've never experienced a Shabbat in Israel, I highly recommend you do so, but only if you are sharing the experience with others. Its very easy to get left feeling all alone on Shabbat in Israel if you don't have someone to share it with since everything shuts down; from public transit to local businesses.
Rachel had the wonderful privilege, which I know meant the world to her, in leading us in prayer over the candles. After this we went upstairs to have a meal while singing songs of joy. A personal highlight for me was drumming on the table singing Shalom Aleichem with all the Israelis.
The next morning we were able to sleep in and rest; the literal meaning of shabbat. When we all gathered, we read the Torah portion for the week and discussed what it meant to us or how it connected to our life today. From there we were given the option of going on a hike or taking the afternoon to relax and make our Shabbat experience our own. As much as I wanted to go crawl back into bed and reflect on the weeks past with my eyes closed, I opted for the optional hike and I must say I am very happy I did. Our tour guide, Moshe, one of the dogs from the Kibbutz led us the entire way as Yonatan told us about the history of the Golan Heights and how the area we were in was once Syria. That evening we had our Havdalah ceremony outside in the pitch black of night. The only thing that lit the night other than our smiles of joy was the Havdalah candle. Dan strummed a melody on his guitar as Netta lead us in the Havdalah prayer. For those who don't know, such as myself before that night, this ceremony is a way of sending the Sabbath bride on her way to end Shabbat. It was grateful to be so close to Lizzie in our swaying singing circle since this ceremony is so meaningful to her. The flicker of the candle in the wind singing with my friends and the smile on Lizzie's face are a memory I will cherish forever.
Sunday was our first fully packed day and by the end of the night many others and I were so ready for sleep. We started the day with a travel to some natural hot springs. This was an event everyone was very excited for. I realized I had forgot to mention the weather in the north and had been the absolute opposite many of us anticipated. Cities filled with snow and wind chill pushing temps down to the 30's leaving you with an understanding why we were so excited to get into these hot springs. The nasty-farty-eggy sulfur smell left on our swim suits will fade in time, but the magic of the hot springs will last with us forever. After getting out of the springs and running around with wet hair in these chillier temps, we hopped on the bus to head to the Holy city of Tzfat. Yonatan shared with us that it is said Moshiach will come down from the mountains. Tzfat has some of the highest mountains in the country and thus it is widely believed this is the city he will come to. This was a beautiful experience for many on the trip who had never visited Israel as all they had known from the last couple days was the desolate Golan Heights. As we ducked into the back alleys, nooks, and crannies this city had to offer, we stumbled upon a number of jaw dropping sites; from freshly made crepes on the streets to breath-taking hand-made candles. I can't really put it into words how amazing the candles are... you'll just have to look at the pictures. I shared a very spiritual moment with my comrades as this beautiful Sephardic group played ancient instruments sharing the melodies to some of our most well known Jewish songs such as Lecha Dodi. I was left speechless as I was taken back in time to melodies our grandparents grandparents once sang. This wasn't the only magic door opened in Tzfat. We met a wonderful artist, who Lindsey described as Ms. Frizzle from The Magic School Bus. She shared with us her Israel experience from her first travels to Israel to becoming an artist. All this took place as she showed us the process of blowing glass. Many of us connected with her artwork as well as with each other in this moment. I found a piece of her art and a piece of my heart in my new found friends that I have to bring back with me. Dana had mentioned to me how sad it was that i lived so far away in Alaska; that she would never be able to see me again, but I assured her I intend on not only keeping in touch with people from this trip but visiting many of them when we get back to the states as well. It was in this moment I realized there are many people on this trip I will truly miss.
As we left the snowy Kabbalistic city of Tzfat, we said goodbye to northern Israel and headed towards Tel Aviv! I, once again, was blessed with the opportunity to share in a friends experience. Jake, of The Brothers Beck, was in awe as we traveled into the city of Netanya asking me if this was the infamous Tel Aviv. I informed him of Netanya and the beauty this coastal city has to offer.
Finally we had arrived to the New York of the middle east, Tel Aviv! Let me stop and just say obviously the only Taglit experience I know is Shorashim, but I feel confident in saying this is definitely the best choice for experiencing Birthright! First stop was Independence Hall to learn a little about the founding and struggle for the state of Israel. My heart was overflowing with joy as this experience ended with everyone singing the states national anthem, Hatikvah. Our night was just as eventful as our morning with another live musical event. This was our first shared activity with Shorashim Bus 208. We had the pleasure of letting the music take over as Israeli musician Udi Krauss played us songs while both buses sang along. I had the personal pleasure of watching two of my friends connect with this music. One of our Israelis in the group, Ori, was having the time of his life dancing and singing along to these modern songs sung in ancient tongue that obviously meant a lot to him, and sharing that moment meant even more to me. Another infectious person to be around on this trip always sharing his smile is Steve. Although Steve isn't fluent in Hebrew, he sang every word he did know while learning new words along the way. Steve is a constant reminder, anytime I'm about to complain about something insignificant, that there is possibly no way to complain; WE ARE HOME. His eyes always shine bright as he takes in each new piece of Israel and it's vast culture. After this musical event we were given our night out on the town.
Many of us although a family in whole split off into groups of our newly found BFF's (Sorry to all the BFF's stuck back in the states). After two hours I can say we are definitely cooler than Bus 208 (sorry not sorry) because there ain't no party like a Love Machine party because the Love Machine parties don't stop!!
We woke up Monday morning and traveled into the old streets of Jaffa. Jake Lipp had some great insight he shared with me after a selfie we shared on the dock. He told me all about his past experiences in Jaffa and his desire to live there one day while I shared my same love for the Hadar district in Haifa where I lived last time I was here. After Jaffa we drove back into Tel Aviv to visit Rabin Square where Prime Minister Yitzak Rabin was assassinated. We had a discussion surrounding this emotional historic event and were then let free to ask Israelis on the street their personal thoughts on Yitzhak Rabin and his tragic death that shocked the state of Israel.
After everyone's stomachs were full with falafel, shawarma, pizza and coffee to name a few of the street delicacies this city had to offer, we were loaded back on the bus to head into the Negev Desert to learn about the desert dwelling tribes known as Bedouins and live how they live for a night....
