Week 3/Israel

Our third week in Israel has been filled with inspiration, questioning and reality.  As we departed Sefad, we traveled to the North and experienced more than a taste of the North.  We were welcomed by communities that have felt the effects of hostility for decades, but nonetheless strive in the face of adversity. 

A tour along the Lebanese border brought an amazing exchange between the ISTers and a group of IDF soldiers whose maine responsibility is to patrol the Lebanese border and ensure that all is quiet.  ISTers were able to talk, ask questions and pose for pictures with this group of baby-faced, yet mature group of soliders. Many of the ISTers were even able to hold a gun or sit in a humvee (don’t worry, they weren’t loaded and the saftey was on).  This experience allowed the participants to be truly thankful for the land of Israel and make a personal connection with those who defend it. 

One of the most inspirational and eye-opening experiences for the group was our time spent at the Ethiopian Absorbtion Center.  Our hours there were spent playing games, drawing pictures, running around and even getting tied up by dozens of young immigrants from Ethiopia. Although none of them knew English and our Hebrew is far from proficient, communication was reduced to hand gestures, mimmicking and facial expressions.  The Ethiopian kids found great delight in using our digital cameras, as some even took hundreds of pictures of nothing more than the ground or a fence.  When we debriefed after this experience, many of the ISTers cited this as one of the most moving and educational experiences on this trip thus far.

ISTers were challenged physically this week through a series of hikes through the beautiful Golan.  Although many complaints were heard at the onset of these hikes, the smiles and sighs of relief afterwards reassured us that challeneging these young adults is exaclty what they want, even if they may not admit it. One of the more arduous hikes is known as Nahal Yehudia where all hikers must climb down a 30ft ladder into a pool of water and place our bags on rafts in order to insure that they remain dry.  ISTers pushed themselves through this experience with encouraging words from one another, random conversations along the trail and the thought of ice cream at the end. 

Our third week has consisted of so much more, stories and experiences that will remain with us forever.  Our 5k run/walk for the children of ALYN hospital, kayaking down the Jordan River, meeting Tom Berman a survivor of the Kinder Transport and finally a taste of Israeli pop culture with a dance party on a boat on the Kinneret.

As we departed this weekend for visitations with family members in Israel, and looking ahead to our options week at Gadna, Sea to Sea or Mifgash, we give thanks for the experiences we have had with each other and look forward to the two weeks ahead.  As many of the ISTers have conveyed, this is truly a once in a life time opportunity that they are all thankful they chose.