Heading Home

The last week has been an absolute blur. I remember saying goodbye to all the Israelis, and now I'm packed and ready to go home. In the meantime, we've been to Yom HaZikaron ceremonies, Yom HaAtzmaut parties, Tzfat, Rosh HaNikra, Druze lunch, and Latrun. And not in that order. Also I see I already talked about Tzfat. Yes!!

We've been really using our time to focus on what's been happening here. What's been happening here is that the kids have been cohesive and cooperative and allowed us staff to do some extra things for them and have made the last week simply awesome. So I stuck blogging aside, but it was worth it!

Sasha has now offered to explain in some more detail the events of the past week...

We started off our last Saturday together, with a walking tour of Kibbutz Farod. We talked about all the things that you might need to build a kibbutz, and we made our way towards a cool olive oil whatchamacallit. On Sunday, we got up bright and early expecting to go on a hike, but after a long drive, it was decided to turn around and head to Rosh Hannikra. It really was beautiful. From there we made our way to a Druze village, where we spoke to a Druze women who told us about her religion and culture. We ate lunch there, before making our way to an Erev Yom Hazikaron ceremony in Kibbutz Amiad.

On Monday, we went to Latrun and watched the Yom Hazikaron ceremony from the tank museum. A soldier named Chen gave us a tour of the museum, and we got back on Marwan’s bus, and made our way to a friend of the Calgary kids, Shira’s house, for an Erev Yom Haatzmaut party in Ramat Aviv. It was weird to go from a sad day at 7:59, to a celebration at 8:00 but I guess that’s what it’s all about. Back at the hotel in Modiin there was a huge party taking place and we watched the fireworks right from our hotel windows!

On Yom HaAtzmaut, Michal says the entire country smells like barbecued meat, and I can testify to that. We set out to picnic in Ben Shemen Forest, and it was completely full of cars. And I’m not talking about nicely parked rows. I’m talking Israeli full. Basically piled on each other. However, Michal outsmarted the masses and we found a great spot at a different entrance. We got a place to ourselves to put down the blankets and pillows we borrowed from the hotel, played games, and contributed to the barbecue in the atmosphere. It was so cool to be chopping and cooking in the forest just like everybody else apparently was doing on this day.

Next we headed to the beach to get some use out of our volleyball and get back in the waves. me and Hannah borrowed Michal’s art supplies while the boys threw seaweed at each other. Finally, there was dinner at the Namal before Mickey and Noa came by for one more visit back in Modi’in.

Today was our last day, but it was probably the busiest. It began with a very energetic tour of the Diaspora museum, we watched a short presentation about Save A Child’s Heart, spent a little bit of time with the kids, went to Michal’s art studio, and to the Birthright Innovation Center. We ate a gross hotel dinner, reviewed all the places we’ve been so far this trip, and marked them all on our own maps to take home. Everybody shared how the trip was, and many tears later, we ended the night with a karaoke party.

I’ve been hearing about all of the fun memories from past trips for years, and it’s really nice to finally have some of my own to tell when we get home. I really enjoyed the trip, and I am so glad I had the opportunity to go.

*****

Thank you, Sasha.

Watching this group develop, learn, and play has been inspiring. I am really lucky to have been on this trip and I am very excited to come home and tell everybody all about it.

If you are thirsty for more and simply cannot wait, Calgary published their own blog and you can access it at http://cjaisrael2017.blogspot.com

Also, all my blog time was spent on these slideshows so please check them out!

https://youtu.be/BbL3BAt_QZw - Bus Tetris

https://youtu.be/Ycu56VkW9j0 - Shape of Israel (CJA and TT)

https://youtu.be/Xoa4d1acUx8 - Shape of Israel (Yom Ha'Atzmaut greeting from TT kids)

Israel: A New Perspective (By Ethan)

As our time in Israel is coming to and end, I am only beginning to realize how lucky I am to be here. I never used to believe people when they would say that Israel can change you but now I'm beginning to believe it. I doubted it at first because for the first week we were only seeing things through "tourist glasses" by going to all of the sights and strips that were meant purely for tourists. In my opinion I felt like I was just on vacation. 

But as soon as I came off the van too Emek HaHula school, those glasses suddenly came off. I finally got to see Israel through an Israeli's perspective. It was in these 5 amazing days through life on a kibbutz, jeep rides and amazing sights that I finally opened my eyes about Israel and in my opinion, I think it changed me. 

When I arrived at the school I immediately knew something changed. They all spoke to me In Hebrew with very little English this time which can only be fair because when they came to us we spoke no Hebrew to them. I started getting used to them speaking in Hebrew and was improving on my vocabulary daily. I think that these few days finally made me understand why people say that Israel has an impact on you.

Wooah, what a mifgash!

After some teary goodbyes, we are back with our original Alberta gang. We have our final Shabbat and then Yom HaZikaron and Yom Haatzmaut, so still a lot of exciting things to see and do. But we will certainly miss those pen pals!

Our final day with the Israelis was spent in the Golan, between the Banias, a jeep ride, and Har Bental. I don’t have any pictures of Har Bental because Daniella and I had to make an early exit, but I heard from Michal that while hiking to the overlook, she kept telling Sasha and Ethan that they were going to see Syria. They simply would not believe her until she showed them Emek Habacha and Quneitra!  

At our closing summary, Edmontonians and Israelis both expressed how happy they were that they got to be part of this mifgash and how they hope to stay friends and remember their time together forever. It truly was a special group and we will miss them a lot!

Today was spent in Tzfat! We saw a superb presentation on Kabbalistic art and saw other galleries, jewellers, and chachke stores. We went to the medieval synagogues of Isaac Luria and Yoseph Karo, bought a lot of presents, and went on to Kibbutz Farod where we will spend the next three nights.

I'm just getting ready for Shabbat now, so I will sign off and Ethan will add to the blog after Shabbos.

Shabbat Shalom and Go Oilers Go!!!