Welcome to Israel!

We’ve made it to Israel! We arrived in Tel Aviv on Monday afternoon with a warm welcome from our tour guide and seven new Israeli friends. We began our journey with an opening ceremony and a bus ride north to Kibbutz Chukuk. Once we were settled in, we ate a big, delicious dinner in the Kibbutz’s dining hall and had fun with some ice breakers to meet everyone in our group. On our second day we explored the region known as the Golan Heights. We went for a rigorous yet exhilarating hike along the Gilbon stream in the Jilaboon, an important tributary to the Sea of Galilee. Towards the end of our hike we took a break in a natural spring that had a giant waterfall descending into it. The water was a little chilly but a lot of fun! After wrapping up our hike we stopped to eat and experienced true Israeli food including Shawarma and Fallafel - it was delicious! Then we went to observe the border between Israel and Syria where we learned about the conflicts of the area and were fortunate enough to hear personal stories from our Israeli counterparts. We also toured an Israeli bunker that if needed, can be transformed and ready to use instantly. We came back to the Kibbutz and will have one last meal and night of relaxation before we travel to Haifa on Wednesday morning and then on to Tel Aviv!