Day 10 - Saying Good Bye...

We began our last day in Israel with an early breakfast followed by a city tour. Our bus driver, David, dropped us off at Independence Hall, where we got to learn about the history and development of Tel Aviv and how the original founding families left the ancient city of Jaffa just a few kilometers to the south to raise a city just for Jews built on a European lifestyle of "neighborhood living". These early Tel Aviv'niks were focused on bringing the arts, culture, education, and modernity to Israel and would do it through the city's architecture. 100 years later (Tel Aviv just celebrated its 100 birthday) the city is known as the New York City of the Middle East.

We also learned that the building which ultimately became the location for Israel's signing of its Declaration of Independence was the original house of the Dizengoff Family. Dizengoff was one of the original founding families who ultimately held the position of city mayor on four different occasions. He left the house and what was then a community museum of art to the city as he and his former wife (who died many years earlier) had no children.

During the tour we also had the opportunity to sit in the main hall and imagine the scene of all of Israel's leaders coming together to declare statehood. We even got to hear the original recording of the exact words spoken by Ben Gurion as he announced Israel's independence.

From here we began a walking tour of Neve Tzedek, a neighborhood that housed some of the former leaders, artists, and businesspeople, who helped develop Tel Aviv into the major metropolitan city it is today; and after seeing a few of these buildings, and the renovations they are going through so as to keep the original structures in tact, we continued on to Jaffa.

In Jaffa we walked along the city streets, experienced the ancient market place of Shuk Hapishpushim, and then concluded the tour along this ancient port city's boardwalk looking out onto the modern city skyline of Tel Aviv...the duality was a little surreal!

After Jaffa we returned to the hotel for our final opportunity to bath in the Mediterranean one last time and then shower, pack, and head of to the airport for our return home. There's no question that it's hard to believe that our trip is coming to an end.

See you all tomorrow!

Day 9 - Metropolitan Tel Aviv

Today we got to sleep in (wake-up was only at 7:00am)!

Being so close to the beach we decided to take our things for t'fillah (services) and walk down to the beachfront to have services on the sand as the waves broke behind us. It was definitely another change of scenery for the students to consider while they recited their prayers. On this particular day we reflected on the Mi Chamocha and what a sight it must have been for the Hebrews during the Exodus running from Pharaoh and having his army stationed behind them with a huge Sea with no way to cross in front. How must they have felt being cornered and questioning whether freedom was worth the fear. Although the Mediterranean Sea was not where the Hebrews crossed it was still a great visual while reciting the prayers.

We returned to the hotel for breakfast following t'fillah and then began our three part series with "Shopping in Israel". Part one was providing the students with the "market scene" as we walked through Shuk HaCarmel (The Carmel Market) where the students walked in awe of the flea market atmosphere of how many Israelis shop for their basic necessities, clothing, bathroom supplies, fruits, vegetables, meats, and much, much more.

After the Shuk we walked to Nachalat Benyamin where the children had a chance to walk around an arts fair where many young and talented Israeli artists set up their booths and sell their goods. Many of the presents for friends and families will be coming home form here!

Lastly, the third stop on our shopping spree was Rehov Sheinkin (Sheinkin Street). Here the students got to see a sample of the European influence on the fashion and music industry in Israel. Some of the children were slightly surprised, with a little confused, and even a shock thrown in for good measure at how European fashion differs from the USA industry.

After buying everyone their needed gifts from the Holy Land, we got on the bus and headed for our tour of the Palmach Museum. This museum is one of the most interesting museums about the rise of the State of Israel and how the youth movement played an important role in defending the country and playing a major role in the earlier generations of ZHL (tZeva Ha'aganah L'Yisrael - Israel Defense Force). The museum takes you through a walking tour of the history with videos, actors, and real footage of the life of Israeli youth before the statehood and immediately following the War of Independence.

From the museum we came back to the hotel to change and spend the afternoon in the Mediterranean Sea. Here the students got to compare their local Israeli's beach experience in the north at Naharia with a more tourist directed beach on the Tayelet (board walk) of Tel Aviv. There was no comparison...Tel Aviv won hands down!

Well, this brings our Day 9 to an end. Stay tuned for our final summary of the trip, tomorrow's Day 10. L'hitraot (see you soon).

Day 8 - In the Desert; the Mighty Desert...

This morning we woke up at 4:00 am so as to get to Masada's north side (where the Roman ramp is located) and hike up to the top so as to be there for the sun rise...what an amazing sight!

While atop Masada, the students learned about the incredible stories of courage, and martyrdom, and how the fort changed hands throughout history arriving at the remains we see today. Yossi (our tour guide) shared some wonderful insights, and after a couple of hours (when it just got to be too hot to remain on top of the mountain) we started to make our way down the south side using the "Snake Path" (named this because of how it "snakes" down the side of the mountain).

Also on Masada we had the opportunity to celebrate Matthew's Bar Mitzvah! We had services in one of the rooms right off of the Beit Knesset (Sanctuary) and then came into the sanctuary for the Torah service and for Matthew's aliyah to the Torah. Matthew did a wonderful job and the students celebrated this special occasion with him, in this incredibly wonderful setting, for a memory that will last him for the rest of his life.

From Masada we traveled a few kilometers north to a beach front on the Dead Sea and gave the students a few hours to experience "floating" in the salty waters and covering themselves with the mineral rich Dead Sea mud. They had an absolute blast! Their fears and anxieties of the Dead Sea "burning" their wounds, mosquito bites, scratches, etc, were soon abated by the bizarre feeling of floating on water...it was truly a sight to be seen.

After Masada we had some time to squeeze in an additional sight so we decided to go to the fresh water waterfalls at Ein Gedi. The students enjoyed swimming in the natural water pools created by the thousands of years old waterfalls burrowing the rock and leaving behind a system of elevated pools, mini falls, and natural vegetation. It was another great "aha" moment for the students to see the tremendous variation in Israel's natural terrain.

From here we headed north to our final destination of the trip...Tel Aviv. The bus ride was about 2+ hours which gave the students plenty of time to get some much needed shut-eye and be recharged for an after-dinner evening walk around town.

Ad machar (until tomorrow)...

Day 7 - Goodbye Jerusalem...Hello Negev!

First of all, we owe you an apology for the delayed postings. We've been so busy, and ultimately, just unbelievably exhausted at the end of our days that trying to detail these experiences in a blog at the end of the day has simply been harder than we expected.

That being said, on Day 7 we we woke up early so as to see the Rabbi's Tunnels under the Western Wall. The tunnel was an incredible sight of recent excavation where we were able to see these unbelievably massive stones that make the bricks from the ancient pyramids of Egypt seem like miniature Lego blocks. The foundation stones of the Western Wall that we saw are approximately 15 meters (50 feet long) and weigh multiple tons each. To think that these bricks were laid by hand without any heavy and advanced machinery is simply beyond comprehension.

After the Rabbi's Tunnel we had one last time to go and pray at the Kotel where we had a chance to leave our remaining notes and prayers for G-d. From here we began our journey south to the Negev Desert where we stopped at Beit Guvrin (an active archeological site) for the students to participate in a real dig of ancient artificats. In fact, during the dig, almost all of the students found some form of 1st Century pottery, coal, or animal bones, but Sam was incredibly fortunate enough to actually dig up a perfect specimen of a completely intact oil lamp. The archeologist leading our dig was absolutely floored by the discovery and brought in his supervisor to see the artifact. Once we had this discovery everyone started digging like crazy to try and find others. Unfortunately, no one was lucky enough to "out-do" this incredible find.

Next the students went spulunking. They trecked underground into a yet to be excavated cave where they crawled through and lit their way with candlelight. They came back wanting to do it again "'cause it was SO much fun!"

After Beit Guvrin we drove a few more hours into the wilderness and stopped at Kfar Nokdim (a fully operated Bedouin tent and "rest stop" where we ended up sleeping the night. Our Madrich, Yossi, kept referring to these accommodations as the "Million Star Hotel" because we spent the night in tents with a sky unbelievably full of starts.

At Kfar Nokdim we experienced an array of Bedouin culture with camel rides to start off our visit; then a history of the Bedouin experience with "tastings" of the tea, coffee, and pita bread; this was then followed with some ancient song and dance; followed by a HUGE meal "picnic style". Sleep was essentially napping on about 5 inches of foam mattress and a sleeping bag to keep us warm.

Lights out was early this evening, and with everyone being so exhausted with the activities of earlier in the day, we decided to come back earlier to allow for as much sleep as possible before our 4:00am wake up to go hike the Roman Ramp atop Masada.

It's now after 1:00am here in Israel and so I will update the blog with Day 8's activities tomorrow morning (AKA in a few hours!!!)

See you all in a few days,
nammie

Day 6 - Shabbat

(Photo taken on Friday afternoon)

So Shabbat started with a nice hike up to the Kotel. Watching all the religious Jews gathering at the wall was awesome! The amount of people was just astonishing. It was an incredible sight to look out to the wall as we approached the Kotel and see the black and white outfits layering the courtyard. There were also many different types of hats. The one that interested me the most was the Russian shtreimel. They were big, round, and fuzzy.

After services we walked back to the hotel for our Shabbat dinner which was lots of fun. Our group had a number of guests; Sabrina had her uncle and aunt, Sarah had her brother and sister visit, and some of the Lippman School students and faculty had guests of their own. We had a very festive and filling Shabbat dinner with songs and kiddush. After dinner we went back to our rooms and observed a traditional Shabbat by resting, talking, and just hanging out.

On Shabbat morning we all got up and walked to shul. Half of us went to a Reform service at HUC (Hebrew Union College) and the rest of us went to an Orthodox one (including me). The synagogue was Sephardic in a beautifully decorated sanctuary and the service was over by 10:00am! After that we went back to the hotel and chilled through lunch until we went on a Shabbat walk and lunch picnic in the park. We spent some time there and then came back to rest up until Havdallah.

When it was time for Havdallah we met on the outdoor lobby balcony and sang the blessings with the Kiddush, sweet spices, and Havdallah candle. Soon after Havdallah we walked to Ben Yehuda street where I meet my cousin Leonard and his son Joel. We sat down and talked and all too soon he had to leave. It was a great way to end my Shabbat in the Holy City.

Shavuah Tov,
Michael

Erev Shabbat

This will be our final post until after Shabbat. Now we're all off to the Kotel.

Shabbat Shalom form Jerusalem!!!

Day 5 - The City of David

We started off our day at Hezekiah’s Tunnel. It was a 30 minute walk through the pitch black, narrow tunnels in freezing water. Of course, we had our flashlights. For one minute we turned off our flashlights and braved the dark. It’s unbelievable that these tunnels were made by man thousands of years ago by hand, with ancient tools. No electricity!

The City of David is an ancient, yet timeless beauty. The architecture is marvelous. It’s a wonder why we don’t have many things like this at home, or anywhere else. We also learned that throughout the several rulings of the city since David, the conquerors just leveled the cities and built over them.

As soon as we got through the gates to get to the Western Wall, we were approached by a woman telling us to cover our knees. She even went as far as placing a makeshift skirt around Hannah’s waist. When I got closer, I saw people praying and in their own "zone." Their surroundings seemed to escape them and being near that wall was all that mattered. The atmosphere alone was magnificent. The air was thick with faith and hope. I can’t wait for tonight when it is Shabbat and Jerusalem will fill with more life than there is already.

The Time Travel Elevator was a simulator like the Simpson Ride in Universal Studios. It wasn’t as action packed or fast paced, but still pretty cool. My favorite part was when they sprinkled us with water. The narrator was the actor who played Tevya in the movie, “Fiddler on the Roof”. It was a little weird though, because the actual film was in Hebrew and there was an English voice over causing an audio/video lag. Once I got used to it, I was able to really get into the film.

Today was another great day, here in Israel. I’m sure even better is still to come.

- Lexy Guthart (:

Day 4 - Jerusalem of Gold

Today we traveled south from Nahariya to Jerusalem (about a 2 1/2 hour ride) and went straight to Yad Vashem for our scheduled visit. The new museum is an incredible educational experience taking the visitor from the early days of Hitler's rise through the difficult post-war years where life was anything but "back to normal". The students were touched by the experience and found the exhibits and personal tour a powerful reminder of our obligation to "Never Forget."

From Yad Vashem we drove to the Israel Museum where we viewed a scaled-size miniature of biblical Jerusalem so as to provide a context of where the "Old City" ends and the "New City" begins.

Also at the Israel Museum is the Shrine of the Book, the exhibit hall which houses the Dead Sea Scrolls. The students enjoyed the exhibit but found the halls architecture and incredible feat of originality.

Lastly, after we got to our hotel and settled in at The King Solomon for the next three nights, we got right back up and took a 20 minute stroll to a great authentic Israeli restaurant where we had a selection of Israeli salads, filo dough appetizers, and al ha'esh ("on the grill" barbecue), topped off with some baklava desserts and fresh brewed tea.

Tomorrow we wake up early for our most rigorous day of hiking so far, when we participate in a walking tour of the old City of David. Speak to you soon...

Day 3 - Israel's Northern Coast

We started our northern tour of the Israel coast this morning in Akko (also known as Acre). Upon arriving in Akko we walked through the ancient ruins that surround the city and studied its eclectic and colorful history. A particular tourists’ site in Akko is the infamous British prison which was used to intimidate and threaten the early Israeli settlers and defenders of Theodore Herzl’s dream.

Right next door to the prison is a building which was originally built by the crusaders and the “knights” of King Arthur. Upon entering this building the beautiful contrast between these eras is not lost on the untrained eye…clearly there is an obvious vibrant and multi-cultural respect for this city’s incredible diversity.

Next on the agenda were a tour, presentation, and lunch at a local Akko school. Our students had the opportunity to view a special original presentation by some 5^th grade students in honor of Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day) which we will be celebrating on Friday when we’ll be actually staying in Jerusalem. Following the program the students got to have a falafel and chips (French fries) lunch together and discuss pre-adolescent teen interests such as music, video games, fashion, and school. It was great to see the children using the universal language of Judaism (Jewish Geography), not to mention a “Heblish” blend of Hebrew and English.

From here we travelled north to Rosh Hanikra and the border with Lebanon, Israel’s neighbor to the north. In Rosh Hanikra the students learned about how this border crossing was essential to the British in connecting their Empire but a threat to the Israeli pioneers who wanted safe borders insulating them from their threatening neighbors. Also at Rosh Hanikra, we travelled by cable car down to the underground grottos and then trekked through the spray of the waves breaking around us on our way up to the cliff surface to better appreciate and understand the geography and demographics of this critical border location.

After this we headed back to the hotel to get in a quick dip in the Mediterranean Sea. We quickly changed and headed out by foot (yes, the ocean is that close to the hotel) to go and swim. We all had a blast and during our walk back decided to go back and visit again later this evening to walk along the boardwalk and enjoy the ocean breeze once again. When we did go back after dinner we stopped at one of the outdoor cafes for some dessert and “hanging out” before returning to the hotel to pack and get in some additional journal writing.

Tomorrow we leave the north and head to Jerusalem, the City of Gold. Stay posted for what’s coming next…

Day 2 - The Golan Heights

What a day (read more specifics below)! Also, from here on out we'll be having guest postings from our students (now that they're somewhat on Israel time). Our first posting is from Sabrina...you'll probably be able to tell; she had quite the day!!!

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Israel has been amazing so far today. Went hiking in the Golan Mountains and the view was so beautiful. We got to see the Sea of Galilee and believe me it was so beautiful that we all took so many pictures for everyone to see! We also went on an amazing jeep tour of the mountain range. What made the jeep tour so much fun was that it was so bumpy and everyone in my jeep wasn’t really looking at the scenery we were all laughing at each other because we were bumping all over the place.

After our 2 ½ hour jeep tour we had lunch… and what a lunch it was! We had chicken on the grill, hot dogs with French fries, rice and burgers. After lunch and our sweet jeep tour, the highlight of the day was going kayaking in the Jordan. We got changed into our water gear and climbed into the kayaks. The kayaking had to be the best part of the trip so far. I loved it. It was so much fun in the water. It was so cool… and I very much enjoyed the great view from the river.

Today has been so full of excitement and I can’t wait to go get a good night sleep. Hands down the kayak was the best part of today. We’ve taken so many photos I can’t wait to show you them all.

-Sabrina Benros

Day 1 - Welcome to Israel!

After having been in planes, planes, and a number of automobiles, we arrived in Israel this morning! The students were certainly tired after traveling for 21 and-a-half hours straight; however, they also definitely got their second wind once we boarded the coach bus and began our journey up north.

Caesarea was our first stop; well, actually "eating" was, as for the most part we didn't know if it was time for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Once in Caesarea we learned about the history of this great Roman port city and the construction, destruction, and reconstruction of this city throughout the ages of the many great empires.

From Caesarea we then went on to Kfar Kedem where the students experienced a "taste" of the ancient biblical way of life and tried their hand in the process of making bread...not to mention travelling "on the first known 4x4" (as our host described it), by donkey. Yes, the students had the opportunity to both lead (i.e. "pull" a donkey) as their partner sat on the donkey's back for a leisurely stroll in the local woods; with, of course, the nearby rolling Golan Mountain foothills in the distance.

After this it was definitely time to head to the hotel! The children got lots of power naps during the day but nothing was going to meet their needs better than a full dinner, shower, and l-o-n-g restful sleep.

Thank you all for following along on our journey, and we all continue to look forward to your posts.

Happy trails from the Holy Land!!!

Ne'Siah Tovah!

And we're off...

Shavuah tov everyone. This posting officially kicks off the KDS 2009 8th Grade trip to Israel Blog. The students are so excited (not to mention their Head of School who is still up at midnight with plans to be on the way to the airport in less than 4 hours...yes, me!).

We will be on airplanes from 6:45 AZ time this morning through 9:35am Israel time tomorrow morning. Once we arrive we will hop onto our tour bus and immediately start the trip up north to Caesarea National Park, The Atlit Detainee Camp, Daliet El Carmel, Usafieh & Mt. Carmel, Kfar Kedem, and then end up with dinner at the hotel, the Carlton Nahariya.

Please feel free to post your thoughts, questions, and comments, and we will do our best to reply each evening as we process the day and reflect on the amazing things we will be experiencing. We plan to upload photos every day (so make sure to come back and visit regularly) and we hope that if nothing else, you will be able to experience a small "tam" (taste) of our trip.

See you in a few weeks! B'shalom (In Peace).