Boker Tov Mishpucha,

With mixed emotions we boarded the bus for what would be our last full day in Yisroel.

How amazing it is to see water in the desert. A sea of salt, how could this be?

As we drove we soon learned what happened at Masada and walked on the earth that they say our ancestors took their own lives to keep from becoming slaves.

Soon we would be floating in this body of water and cleanse ourselves with salt and mud.

How appropriate to spend our last night in a Kibbutz.  5am would come way too soon. We had our concluding ceremony discussing how we felt and what we learned about ourselves during this time away and certainly talked about our favorite activities.  We thanked our Israeli staff and realized that we had become one family over these 10 days.

The beauty of the trip is that everyone is accepted for what they bring to the group. No one is isolated and the group is as strong as its weakest link.

Laila Tov Mishpucha!  Enjoy the wonderful music our Israeli staff made for us to keep the spirit alive.

Am Israel Chai!

Tuesday July 2^nd,

Good morning Netanya!

It’s amazing to wake up look out the window and see the beautiful Mediterranean right there in front of me.

Today we had a chance to enjoy the beach and relax a little from our usually hectic schedule.  The water is just as good as it looked from our hotel; I really need to come back and spend more time here.

A funny thing happened on the way to the beach (some would just say it’s just another day in Israel), a parked car didn’t let the bus pass so some of us got off the bus to “help it” park a little better.

After the beach we boarded the bus and headed to Rechovot to visit an amazing place that was used to teach people to learn how to start and live on a kibbutz.  But that’s not all this place did, it was also used as a secret underground ammunitions factory from 1945-48 and it was amazing to hear how they kept it a secret from all the people who would come for 3 months at a time and most importantly from the British.  We learned how the workers would get in and out via a secret entrance under the washing machine and all the steps they took to keep the place a secret.  They even had names for the people “giraffe” as they would be on top and see everything above but not have a clue about what’s going on under).

If I were to make a manual part of the index would have to look like a little this:
1. How to build an underground factory from start to finish in under 30 days while every move is being watched.
2. How to build an entrance under the laundry room
3. Train head of the laundry department to make sure the workers can come up for lunch, go in and out without any “giraffes” seeing
4. How to build a second entrance in the bakery to lower the equipment and seal the entrance by moving a massive oven on top.
5. How to create cover jobs for all underground workers (these covers would include having people outside of the Kibbutz doing their work and leaving the fruit or fish at designated spots for the workers to pick up and make as if they did all the work themselves)
6. How to build an underground tanning booth
7. How to designate and train a worker to remove ALL factory remnants (metal shavings etc…) from shoes and clothing
8. Equipment maintenance 101
9. How to build an underground range to test accuracy etc…
10. How to use a milk truck to transport the finished product and bring in new supplies

From Rechovot we headed south into the desert where we stopped at a place called “Sh’vil Ha’salat” (the Salad Path) and learned all about growing vegetables and herbs in desert soil.  We got to pick and eat out own veggies and herbs make our own special herb flavored pita and learn about the amazing things you can do on land that so many would think unusable.  Let me tell you, the taste was out of this world! If only all the vegetables I eat could taste this good.

At this awesome farm, we also met some really special birds and anyone who wanted got to hold and release one.  What kind of birds you ask?  Homing pigeons!  After we let go of the pigeons we watched them fly in a circle and go back to the house.

Next stop the Bedouin tents our home for the night, where we got to experience Bedouin style food and Bedouin hospitality followed by a fire with marshmallows and a talent show by MY-279 that included everything from singing to acrobats and some serious juggling from our very own Bentzi.

As the fire starts to die down it’s time to get some sleep and all these thoughts are running through my head.  I wonder if my pita would have tasted better with the lemon basil, or perhaps a lemon basil nana mix?  Could they make the chocolate tomato with real chocolate inside?  What is the world record for tomatoes in lips?  When can i…………………

Monday 7/3/12

Mayanot 279’s day started at an assisted living home outside of Jerusalem. We joined the members in songs which we had prepared on Shabbat.  Through this experience we stayed upbeat, which was reflected in the faces of the residents at the facility.

Later in the day we switched gears to the heaviest part of our trip. We entered Yad Vashem, the Holocaust museum as one large group. A lot of questions were answered and after we left the Children’s Memorial, we tied the experience together with a group discussion. This gave everyone an opportunity to reflect and express our thoughts about everything we saw. This was the last day which we were accompanied by our soldiers. On their way out, they left us with a token of their appreciation for us to remember our experiences and bonding with them.

From there, we lightened up the mood with some shopping on Ben Yehuda Street in Jerusalem. This was our best opportunity to buy souvenirs and gifts, and two hours was not nearly enough time.  We returned to the bus with lots of Chamsas and Magen Davids as we departed from the hills of Jerusalem to the coastal town of Netanya. 

The Blue Bay hotel in Netanya was incredible! It is right on the beach and we each have a balcony with an amazing view of the sunset over the ocean. Wish we had more time to spend here and play at the pool, but further South we go early in the morning tomorrow!

Sunday, July 1^st

The day started with a trip to the Kotel.  Before we entered the city we did a living timeline of Jewish history, ranging from the beginning of time to present day.  It was a very interactive experience as we used props and various people as certain historic events.  This was a very fun way to understand the history behind Jerusalem and how it relates to Jewish history. 

Once we entered the city after the brief history lesson, the three bar mitzvahs and one bat mitzvah of the day spoke in front of the entire group explaining why we wanted to have the bar/bat mitzvah and what it meant to us.  Here is the story that I told,

“I grew up with a Jewish mother and a Catholic father, religion was never an important part of my life and I often joked I was the least religious person in the world.  That started changing for me in college, as I ended up going to a catholic school.  While at the school I became more and more interested in my Jewish roots, due in large part to the ignorance of faculty and fellow students towards the Jewish religion.  While attending this university i was told by professors that the Holocaust didn’t exist or was “our fault” and called ignorant by fellow students for not knowing important priests or saints.  Additionally, being a football player i was required to attend pregame mass and participate in pre and postgame prayers.  It was during this time that the catholic school ended up pushing me towards Judaism and away from Catholicism.  Hence, when Rabi Zev came to me and asked if I was interested in being Bar Mitzvah’d at the wall this was the first thing that came to mind and I felt like I would finally appreciate and enjoy the process.”

After we shared our stories it was off to the wall where all of us were given time alone.  Most of us had something prepared to leave in the wall or ended up writing something while we were there to leave.  After this it was time for the continuation of the Bar/Bat mitzvahs ceremonies, don’t worry candy was thrown at the end.  After this exciting morning, it was time for lunch.

After lunch we went to a Temple museum.  At the museum, Jewish history and traditions were discussed.  It was also nice because it was very hands on.  We were able to lift one of the trays that Kohanim (Preists) used to use to carry bread, one weighs about 25 pounds, and they used to carry 6 at once.  There were horns and harps that we could try, and it all concluded with a movie summing up everything we learned, while continuing to teach us new things.

From here it was off to the zoo, one of the most anticipated activities on the trip from day one, and it did not disappoint.  There was a train that took us around the entire zoo, a special Noah’s Ark exhibit that featured specific animals from the Ark, a very hands-on Lema exhibit and tons of other animals for us to see.  In addition to how wonderful the zoo was, it empty and we felt like the only people there, not having to fight for a view of the animals with other guests.

It was a very mellow night after a very long and exciting day.  The activity for the night was preparation for Yad Vashem, something we knew would be very tough on everyone the next day.  In the activity we split up into groups and discussed why we felt it’s a requirement of all birthright trips to visit a Holocaust museum and what the Holocaust means to us, either in personal connections with family members or how we feel it still affects us today.  The answers to both questions were very impressive and very diverse, but the conclusion all was the same… It was a defining event in our history and something that will never before forgotten and should continually be remembered. 

Saturday 6/30/12 – (Shabbat)

The day of rest started off with a bit of extra time for all of our tired bodies to sleep in. Our scheduled activities did not start until 11AM. Before eleven those who did not sleep in either accompanied Rabbi Zev to Synagogue for an organic Jerusalem Shabbat experience, or enjoyed the fabulous pool amenities here at the Ramat Rachel Hotel.  At eleven we met up as a group in the activities room for a pow-wow before our Secret Shabbat Game. The Secret Shabbat (also known as a Paullina Ana or Secret Santa) was a game that carried over from our trip to Machaney Yehuda (the Shuk, or the Jerusalem food market) on Friday. Every person on our trip was given a folded piece of paper with someone else’s name on it, and instructed to buy a gift for them for under 5 NIS. Each individual personalized this experience as the gift giving ceremony really brought everyone together beautifully.

Following our group activities we preceded upstairs to our Shabbat lunch, which was a buffet style feast with tables and tables of food to accommodate everyone’s taste buds.

After our long lunch everyone gathered outside under a bunch of trees to be addressed by the Israeli Soldiers who have been accompanying us throughout our trip. The Soldiers talked to us about some of the fine points of Israeli culture as well as taught us some new Israeli slang to add to our growing Hebrew vocabulary. Finally the Soldiers showed us how to properly salute and march.

The group was then given a couple of hours of free time following our activity with the soldiers. During this time some of us used this time to catch on some much needed sleep, while others returned to the pool for some more fun in the sun and others lounged in the hotel lobby with the soldiers playing board games and sharing a laugh.  During the end of our free time, a caravan of people went for a stroll around the Kibbutz learning about Kibbutz Rachel’s history and enjoying the view of the entire city of Jerusalem as we enjoyed Jerusalem’s late afternoon breezes.

The leisure time was very welcomed but at 6:30pm the group switched gears, meeting back in the activities room for some discussion and a ‘Stump the Rabbi Session’.  ‘Stump the Rabbi’ was very interactive as each question was answered in front of the group.

Saturday was a great day as the whole group really came together nicely, taking advantage of all of the time we shared with one another to bond as a group. There was a limited capacity to take photographs today, since it was Shabbat.

With another day behind us it is hard to believe that we have only been together as a group for six days. I would like to tell you how much I am enjoying each an every person on this trips company, each adding their unique touch to our group.

All the best from Jerusalem, Manny