Mount Hertzl
Masada Monday!
On Monday morning we all woke around four to hike Masada at sunrise. As we departed the lovely Bedouin village we headed towards Masada and the Dead Sea. As we arrived we began climbing the Roman Ramp and quickly arrived at the top of Masada. We made our way over to an extraordinary lookout point and gathered as a group as we watched the sun slowly peek out over the Dead Sea. This was a truly magical experience and we enjoyed spending this moment together as a bonded group. We then began our tour of Masada with our fabulous guide Shachar. We toured the ruins of the mountain and heard about the story of Masada. After we completed our tour, we hiked down the Snake Path and made our way back to the bus. We then departed for Ein Gedi, a natural desert oasis complete with light hiking, waterfalls and natural springs. After hiking and touring hot hot Masada we enjoyed cooling off at Ein Gedi in the cold water! Feeling refreshed, we then headed over to the Dead Sea to enjoy floating and time at the beach. As we made our way into the hot Dead Sea water, the Group could not believe how easy it was to float. We spent the next few hours floating around the Dead Sea, applying mud, eating lunch and relaxing on the beach. We then boarded the bus and headed North to Jerusalem. When we arrived in Jerusalem we enjoyed a gorgeous lookout point and heard music and short stories about the city. We then checked into our hotel, ate dinner and prepared for the following day as we would be visiting Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust museum.
Building and Bedouins!
On Sunday morning we began our day with a tour of Kibbutz Mashabim where we had spent a relaxing Shabbat. The Kibbutz is beautiful and we enjoyed learning more about the Kibbutz lifestyle from Shachar, our guide, who grew up on a Kibbutz himself! We viewed the Kibbutz schools, homes and even the many cows who live on the Kibbutz! We were all sad to depart from the Kibbutz, but excited for the adventures the day held for us. Our first stop was at Kfar Adiel, an Aliyaim project in the Negev funded by the Jewish Federation. Here we learned about all the volunteers from Israel, the United States and many other countries who are working to build homes in the desert, which as of right now is mostly unsettled. After learning more about this amazing project, we spent time building homes. We put on gloves and enjoyed mixing cement, gathering wood, laying bricks and learning our way around a construction site. It was a truly inspiring experience! After leaving Kfar Adiel, we went to visit the town of Sderot which borders Gaza and learned about what life is like in a town where many missiles have destroyed homes and we were touched by the pride and determination people in the town have to find peace in Israel. Next we drove across Israel to a Bedouin village where we would be spending the night riding camels and donkeys, learning more about Bedouin culture, eating a delicious dinner and sleeping under the stars. The evening was truly magical and one that we will never forget. We were sure to get to bed early and set our alarms as we would be hiking Masada first thing in the morning to catch the sunrise! Stay tuned to hear about Masada Monday!
