BLOG SIX
by Roni Levkovich ('22) and Zach Ingham ('22)

We woke up at Kibbutz Ketura. Then we prayed on the bus because Rabbi Litton said we can. Zach said: “A bus is just a long camel just without humps”. The halacha says you can pray on a camel so we did. The idea is if you are moving and it is unsafe to stand up then you can sit down while you pray.

After that, we hiked up Mount Tzfachot. It was an incredible view. You could see the Red Sea, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Eilat, and Jordan. After that, we went “Shnorkeling”, not snorkeling. “Shnorkeling” is Jewish! It was fun but Roni got cut. Everyone else had a fun time seeing beautiful things under water. After that we went banana boating. Then we went swimming, paddled kayaks, and enjoyed paddleboards at the beach.

Then we went to Kibbutz Yotvata and got Shoko – Shoko is chocolate milk in a bag. Kibbutz Yotvata is known for its dairy products. It is so good. We had dinner there, too. Then we went back to the kibbutz and played Kibbutz Jeopardy, took our clean laundry, and packed it back in our bags.

Today was a very fun action-packed day.

 

BLOG SEVEN
by Jordan Zimmermann ('22) and Shira Rahamim ('22)

It’s April Fools Day!

In the morning, we packed all of our bags for the millionth time and headed out to our first stop; the Beit Alpha Synagogue. This historical site was the remains of an ancient Jewish synagogue from 1400 years ago! Surprisingly, the middle piece in the mosaic was representing Greek gods and zodiac signs. They were built into the mosaic by the artist who was not an experienced artist, but, he offered to do it for a reasonable price. He convinced them to do it by saying that it is the new thing, or in other words (for the typical teenagers out there), “It’s the new trend”. The beautiful mosaics, representing the Jewish history, cover the floor. It is a beautiful site and it helps you imagine what our ancestors lived through.

Our next stop was Sachne Park. We had so much fun swimming in the clear, fresh, and natural pools. Sitting under the waterfall was refreshing, and very painful :) The water was cleaner than any water I have ever been in. This park is so beautiful that some people think that it was the “Garden of Eden”; and for good reasons. This park is the best place to have a relaxing day and take aesthetic pictures. I had so much fun with all my friends and I am sure that they did, too. No day in Israel is complete without our amazing singing on the bus (people were actually singing while I was writing this). We all got so much closer, and I cannot wait to do so many more fun activities with my best friends and my favorite teachers. Yayyyyyyyyyy!

 

BLOG SIX
by Ella Sadka ('22) and Brianna Richardson ('22)

We woke up and had to get ready for our first activity of the day, biking, and were obviously late, due to packing. We had a great time, nonetheless, and learned about how the kibbutz makes money through farming dates, high-tech start-up, tourism, and energy production. We biked to the border of Israel and Jordan and saw the beautiful mountain range in the Arab country. We then hopped on the bus and road to Nahal Tamar for rappelling. While we were waiting to descend the canyon, we played many games. We really enjoyed the game, Big Booty, (no, this is not an inappropriate game; it is for children,) a camp game about reaction timing that has nothing to do with people’s behinds :} Rappelling was an unforgettable experience. The canyon was beautiful and pushed many people out of their comfort zones. On the way to the Dead Sea, the students were informed that they would be spending the afternoon in the Herbert Samuel Hotel, a beautiful resort off the coast of the Dead Sea. We ate the best meal we would have the entire trip. We covered ourselves in the beneficial mud of the Dead Sea. Most of us were only in the water for a few minutes and then jumped into the pool, but others floated halfway to Jordan. Some of the girls found showers (with soap) in the women’s locker room and showered there. On the way to a new kibbutz, where we would be staying, we decided to stop at an Aroma. So, eighteen coffee “frappuccinos” later, we were all set to ride to Kibbutz Levie. We emptied the bus and then headed to dinner. After our meal, Brianna and Ella presented their essay and poem. The teachers’ versus students’ basketball game took place. Unfortunately, the students lost 21-3. On the bright side, we learned not to challenge Rabbi Litton and Kobi to a basketball game ever again. Everyone was wiped and went to bed shortly after.

 

 

 

VLOG TWO
by Eli Kraus (’22), Mia Blum (’22), Tannah Levin (’22), Kayla Kosfiszer (’22), and Addison Monfried (’22)

https://youtu.be/gb7BwlOFsR4

Eli, Mia, Tannah, Kayla, and Addie share some highlights of their special Shabbat in Tzefat. On Friday night, we had an outdoor Kabbalat Shabbat in a park. Toward the end of the service, we heard intense ruach and singing from the Bnai Akiva Girls Seminary and many started singing along with them, and they welcomed our girls, and then the boys went to a Chassidic synagogue where we heard spirited singing and several boys danced with shtreimels and made connections with Chassidim visiting from Belgium. Throughout the Shabbat, the girls seminary group invited our girls to several Shabbat activities like: a "Tisch" (spirited spiritual party of divrei Torah, dancing, and food), etc. Most of our girls chose to attend these activities. Next, we ended Shabbat with an Havdalah service together with the high school girls in Bnai Akiva led by Rabbi Litton.