It's been a while since I last wrote, but it's not because I've been lazy! In the past month, I have been all over Israel, from Jerusalem, to Eilat and the Negev, back to Jerusalem, then Tel Aviv, and then to Acco, then Jerusalem again, then Tel Aviv and after that Rishon Letzion, and then back to Jerusalem, then to Acco, then a day of hiking on the Israel trail, and then back to Jerusalem one last time before finally coming home to Acco late last night. Wow, I'm tired just from writing that list! Here are some short descriptions of all the different things that I've been up to.
Jerusalem from March 10-14: Masa Israel Journey is a joint venture of the Israeli government and the Jewish agency that brings thousands of young Jews from all over the world to Israel for long-term programs. In March, I was fortunate enough to attend their annual Leadership Summit in Jerusalem with 400 other young Jewish leaders. Through discussions, workshops, lectures, and other activities (e.g. Archery and Sheepherding) we learned about communication, networking, challenges facing the Jewish community, and how we can be Jewish leaders when we leave Israel and come back to our campuses in America. The combination of interesting speakers, new peers to meet, and plenty of free giveaways definitely made it a worthwhile seminar.
Eilat and the Negev from March 17-20: Having just returned from the Masa seminar, I made the seven hour journey from Acco to Eilat for a four day tiyul (trip) in Israel's south. Highlights included a night out in the port city of Eilat, beautiful hikes in the desert mountains, snorkeling in the red sea, a camel ride and sleepover at a Bedouin tent, and a tour of a boarding school for Eritrean refugees at a place called Nitzana. It was an exhausting but exhilerating trip, and a reminder that despite Israel's small size, it has a geological diversity within that is unparalleled.
Passover in Jerusalem (and Tel Aviv and Rishon Letzion) March 25 to April 2: After seeing some friends in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and recharging for the weekend in Acco, I headed down to Jerusalem to spend the holiday with my British cousins who live in the trendy neighborhood of Emek Refaim. It was such a relaxing holiday, I especially appreciated being able to spend it with family, because out of all my friends in Israel, I'm one of the few with no immediate family in Israel. I spent the Passover weekend in Tel Aviv and Rishon Letzion, and the real highlight was a soccer game that I attended between Rishon Letzion and Petach Tikva. Despite the obscurity of the two teams and the miniscule attendance, a large brawl with no obvious cause broke out between the fans. There was a minor foul on the field, and then all of a sudden people were shouting, cursing, spitting, and then fighting. It was a relaxing way to ease into Shabbat.
Israel Trail April 3: After arriving home in Acco and indulging in some post-passover hummus, my program took us all to participate in a program that commemorates fallen soliders by hiking the Israel trail every year, called Nifgashim BeShvil Yisrael (We Meet on the Israel Trail). For those who don't know, the Israel trail is a trail the length of Israel, from Eilat in the South, all the way to the Golan Heights in the North. We hiked ten miles through the beautiful Galilee forest, and returned home feeling tired and accomplished.
Jerusalem (One last time) April 7: On Sunday, April 7th, my program gathered all of us in Jerusalem for a day of commemorating the Holocaust. April 8th is Israel's official Holocaust Rememberance Day, but the ceremonies began (like all Jewish holidays) the night before, and we were lucky enough to be there. Yad VaShem was legislated by the Israeli parliament to make sure that the terrors of the Holocaust are never forgotten, and every year the museum/education center hosts the national memorial ceremony. This year the theme was uprising and rebellion in honor of the 60th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, and I was able to see Israel's President and Prime Minister speak about the meaning of the day, as well as six holocaust survivors who shared their stories before lighting the symbolic torches. It was an incredibly moving ceremony, to say the least, and a fascinating snapshot of how the Holocaust has continued to affect the Jewish people 70 years later.