Journey to Israel
After many hours, flights, car rides and other means of transportation we finally all arrived at JFK, some earlier than others. A group of ten or so of us congregated after much confusion into Terminal 3 all with the same lost, overwhelemed and perplexed expressions. We made our way through the airport, cross the danger paths of oncoming traffic and up a steep, death hill all while dragging our (somewhat overpacked?) luggage.
Once we met Julie and Benji we sat ourselves down in the middle of the Terminal, patiently waiting for all group members to arrive. Awkward hellos and introductions soon led to flowing conversations where many of us discovered similiarties and mutual connections. Time went by fast as we checked our luggage, and crossed our fingers that we would be under the weight restrictions, and made our way to Gate 6.
Once arriving at the gate we were consumed by an overwhelming finding of "home" as we found ourselves in the midst of yarmulkes, beards, babies, knee-length skirts and tallis'. Not many of us knew how to react.
After a group roundup of the set rules and guidelines we went did the cliche icebreaker where no one remembered anyones names. Finally, by 9:15PM we were on board and set to go on our ten-seat wide, two-level plane. Again, introductions ensued with our new seat partners, trying to remember everyone's name and catch up. The first few hours went by without worry, card games, books, magazines and whatever else we could think of to keep our attention.
Our "dinner" arrived which consisted of a weak rice and chicken dish, nothing that many of us (or maybe just some of us) would choose to finish, although there were those unnamed few who wanted seconds. A few Nyquil later and cramped necks we awoke to a sunrise in the clouds, disorienting us all with the lapse in time.
TV shows and movies, including an ironic Christmas themed film appropriately named "Four Christmas's" played, all with hebrew subtitles, too small for anyone to actually read. Men with tefillin woke and rose to the back of the plane, dressed appropriately, to begin their daily morning prayers, something that many of us were quite unaccustomed to.
Check of the time and we still had another four hours to go. Another, "now what?" was issued. More card playing, a little more sleeping and all of a sudden an announcement that we were to arrive 25 minutes. Another note that we were to not get up from our seats as we had officially entered "Israeli air", something that many of us were not used to.
We went through customs and baggage claim without any worries and were welcomed by our Israeli companions, balloons and all!
We boarded our bus and sat tight, awaiting our "45 minute" trip to our destination. We drove past the West Bank with concrete, electric-barbed wire fencing and learned how to differentiate between Muslim and Jewish communities, most notably the Muslim green-lit mosques.
A beautiful, pink-orange sunset welcomed our arrival to "the homeland" and we continued to drive to our awaited destination...
-Bus Blogger #1, Shaina Dennis
