Day Three: Shabbat

After getting to sleep in, we started the morning out with a leisurely coffee and cake in the dining hall of the Kibbutz. Because of Shabbat we had a lighter day than usual, but still many activities. After assembling all our rain gear, we began a tour of the Kibbutz Afik, exploring our own kibbutz, and learning the history of other ones in Israel. The tour ended with some nice weather which supplemented the breathtaking view of the Kinneret and grassland surrounding it.

Following the tour, we had some traditional Shabbat rest and relaxation until we all met later on and discussed first in small teams, later in the group at large, the 5 most/least important aspects/values/traditions (i.e. keeping kosher, respecting others, learning Jewish history, identifying as a Jew, etc.) for the Jewish community. This brought out different views on what it means to be a Jew and to perpetuate a Jewish identity for a community. Especially noteable were the differences between the important personal factors for the Israelis versus the important community factors for everyone. After the discussion, the leader of another Birthright group, Yoni, led us in a discussion of the geopolitics of Israel and its neighbors, both informative and interesting. We finished our Shabbat, joined still by the other group, with the Havdallah ceremony and then a night trip to Tiberias (one of the four Holy cities) for some delicious falafels and shawarmas!

Jeremy G