The end

4:30 AM Israeli time: ALL ALARM CLOCKS sound off! Hello to everyone who was still asleep while we were on our way to the top of Mount Masada. It was still dark outside and freezing cold when we set out, but we managed to start our ascent on time at 5am. 45 minutes uphill (maybe a bit more) but everyone walked together and lent helping hands like families do. We reached the top just in time to hold a lovely photoshoot and enjoy the view. The two words that all of Israel and Jordan heard as the sun rose were "brothers" and "joy" as we huddled/sang/danced in our group circle. We learned about the tragic story of the ancient Jews who died at the top of Masada rather than be enslaved by the Romans.

Tired but happy at our accomplishment, we began our journey down the mountain for our second breakfast. Everyone packed up and it was back to the bus for our visit to the lowest point on the planet -- The Dead Sea. The reactions were priceless as many experienced floating in the water- which has 10 times the salt content as other bodies of salt water- for the first time. After the shock wore off, the mud came out and everyone received a spa treatment right on the beach. A couple eyes suffered through massive salt irritations but no permanent vision damage occurred. Sun bathing in the middle of January -- a true luxury of Israel.

Then it was back to the bus for lunch to the largest mall in Israel, Malcha Mall. Post lunch activities included another hotel check-in back in Jerusalem, and a kind present from the staff: a two hour nap!

The post dinner group activity was an introduction to the Masa program, which is an organization that offers the opportunity to come back to Israel in an experience designed specifically to one's interests. One of our participants is starting the program in three days! That was followed by another passionate group discussion about important Jewish issues. The discussion centered around everyone's personal opinion on certain Jewish related predicaments. Everyone has to choose a side: strongly agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree- no Switzerland allowed- about topics like living in Israel, Jews marrying only Jews, IDF protection for non-cizitzens, and how to treat non-citizen donations. The discussion was lively, passionate, and thought provoking. It left many with more questions that caused the conversations to continue later in the evening. End of Day 9.

Day 10 started with an emotional experience in Mount Hertzl -- the National Military Cemetery and resting place for former leaders of Israel. We toured the grounds and saw the graves of many of the 22,000 soldiers who have died for the country since its inception in 1948. The Israelis were kind enough to share numerous stories of heroic but tragic events. It was a very personal experience that left everyone with strong emotional reactions. Israel has a special custom of connecting its Memorial Day with its Independence Day. It shows their appreciation to those who sacrifice their lives so that we can live safely and independently in our homeland. So, with the sounds of the Hatikva, the national anthem, still fresh in our ears, we moved on to an ancient American pasttime...shopping.

After one last amazing lunch and 3 hardcore hours of bargaining, our missions were accomplished...mostly. We are nothing but optimistic about our purchases. Next stop...a stunning lookout of old Jerusalem for some "better late than never" bar and bat-mitzvahs for the members of the group who never had them. Hebrew names were given to the Americans...an vice versa, to a certain extent. A portion of the Bible was read by the Bar-mitzvahs, and an intense storm of candy fell upon the victims.

After our last Israeli dinner, we met up for our final group activity. We split into groups and some very impressive skits were performed summarizing the amazing 10 days we had just experienced. A couple rap performances took place as well, which will be available online soon. Then came the heavy stuff. One by one, everyone shared their thoughts and feelings regarding the trip as a whole. Simply put, it was beautiful. We received our amazing new Shorashim t-shirts, and now, here we are. Ready to return to our other home in the States. Shalom, and see you soon...