Today was the last day of the official Taglit-Birthright trip. We had a very good breakfast at the Golden Beach and then got all of our gear ready for loading the bus, one side for those flying home, the other for those of us staying in Israel. With the luggage handled we headed out...
Day 9: Mitspe Ramon
Today was perhaps our most physical day. As I predicted last night, everyone slept cold but me. Too bad, but ah well. Anyway, after a yoga session, breakfast, and breaking camp we drove just a little ways from camp where Chaim dropped us off for the longest hike of the trip. The mitspe is...
Day 8: Masada and the Dead Sea
Today was one of two big days in the Negev. This morning we got up at 5am and took a couple mile hike to the top of a nearby “mountain” for the sunrise. We came back down to the Bedouin camp for a very short camel ride, fun but short, and for breakfast. We...
Day 7: Sad Memories
Today was perhaps the heaviest of the days this trip. Today we toured Yad Vashem and Mt. Hertzel, the Holocaust Memorial Park and Museum and the National Cemetery. Yad Vashem was far different from what I expected. The Memorial Park itself is very bright and open and full of monuments. The museum itself is...
Day 6: Shabbat in Jerusalem
Today was indeed a day of rest, at lease until after sundown. I slept in to about 8am and had a leisurely breakfast. I spent some time with Vlad, one of our soldiers and my roommate, and David, my other roommate, just hanging out and waiting for the day’s trip to the park via...
Day 5: Old City Jerusalem
Today was our day of exploration of the Old City of Jerusalem. We started with a trip to the Zion Gate from which we walked to the Dung Gate and then down into the City of David. We spent the next couple hours learning about the layout of ancient Jerusalem and how and why...
Day 4: On to Jerusalem
Today was a long day of bus travel. The morning was a delayed start because of the snow at the Kibbutz. Our driver, Chaim, hadn’t driven in snow before and was unwilling to drive until the roads cleared up. We had breakfast, loaded the bus, and then took a walk around the kibbutz. Davi...
Day 3: Tzfat and the Galil Winery
Hey all! So today was an interesting day, as I expect every day to be. Despite the “super-cold” temperatures, rain/sleet/hail/snow/intermittent sunshine, we managed to work in a visit to Tzfat, the city of Jewish mysticism, Kabbalah, and a visit to the Galil Mountain Winery. Tzfat was an interesting mix of ancient ruins and modern...
Day 2: The Golan Heights
Today was our day to tour the Golan Heights. It began with a drive through the Hula Valley, past Dan, past the Nimrod Fortress, and then up past waterfalls (normally dry) gushing with the recent, and ongoing, rains, through a couple of Druz villages and onto the Golan Heights. We stopped to visit Kibbutz...
In Israel AT LAST!
So finally we’ve made it to Tel Aviv! The flight from Vienna was pleasant and again the kosher airline food generally above par. I sat next to a wonderful young woman, a dual Austrian/Israeli citizen, and her infant son on their way to Israel to visit her parents. She was a fountain of information...