Wednesday, January 5, 2011

A Day in the Upper Galilee

Wednesday was a long and active day, and I imagine that the participants are plenty exhausted.  We are still based at the King Solomon Hotel in Tiberias, and will be heading to Jerusalem tomorrow.

This morning we had breakfast at the hotel and then met the 8 Israeli soldiers who will be us with for 5 days.  The participants interviewed them to learn who they are, what they do in the Israel Defence Forces, and how their backgrounds are different from, but similar to, their own.  Because Israel has mandatory military service for 2 or 3 years after high school, these soldiers are roughly the same age as the students.  They have the same tastes in music and film, but have had very different post-high school experiences.  This encounter is an exceptional way to build a bridge between Israel and the young Jewish community in the States, and it probably means that our 38 students will soon have 8 new Facebook friends.

We then drove to the mystical city of Safed (Tsevat) and learned a little about kabbalah.  We visited the synagogue of Rabbi Isaac Luria (an ancient mystic) and then enjoyed a stroll through the market and artists’ galleries.  We spent time with artist David Friedman who paints interesting works integrating Jewish mysticism and numerology.  (Our art and music majors, as well as the scientists in the group, were especially enthralled).

From Safed we drove to Yekev Dalton, a winery in the Galilee.  We met the CEO who explained to us how the vineyard was started and the processes that they use to cultivate their crops in the rocky soil of the area.  There was a wine tasting (very classy) and another chance for the students and soldiers to get to know each other and learn their stories.

We drove back to Tiberias for a raucous but relaxing evening at a spa!  The students enjoyed the hot springs after a traditional Israeli dinner and then celebrated with several other Taglit-Birthright Israel: Hillel Trip busses.  There was dancing and a DJ, which apparently is what college students love J

We are now back at the hotel ready to rest up for a long day tomorrow.

One of the great things about this trip is that our students are learning about Israel from Israelis and with Israelis.  They are also encountering hundreds of students from other universities who are on a similar itinerary.  It’s remarkable how many connections are made quickly, and how easily the students find people from other busses that they already know.

Here are a few quotes from our participants:

“I had no idea what to expect when I got off the plane in Tel Aviv.  But Israel feels so much like home, even though I have never been here.”

“Until I saw it for myself, I didn’t realize how small this country really is.  But it’s so diverse, and I can’t wait to get to Jerusalem and see more.”

“These soldiers are awesome.  I can see how even though we are the same age, they have had to grow up much more quickly than I have because they go to the army before college.”

“I love Israeli ice cream!”


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