Week 1
The day before we left for Israel, the entire group met up at Camp Havaya for dinner, and a little ice breaker. There were about 34 campers give or take including our friend Dan who we would meet upon our arrival in the Holy Land. After spending one night at camp, we took a two hour bus ride to Newark Liberty International Airport Terminal B and departed on an eleven-hour plane ride flying EL AL airlines. Feeling a little jet lagged from a long flight, we exchanged our American Dollars into Checkles, left Ben Gurion International Airport to meet our tour guides Maya and Itai and boarded the bus that we traveled on throughout the entire trip. Our first destination was at a desert with sheep and goats.
Having a day to adjust to a new time zone and eating a very delicious Israeli breakfast at the hotel, we had an early start exploring the Old City of Jerusalem. We walked on the walls and saw amazing views. Walking through the walls of the old city, we stood in front of the wailing wall, wrote our own messages and put them on the wall. After spending one hour at the wall, we proceeded to the subterranean arches and excavated tunnels near the wall touching the ancient stones to travel through a time period of spiritual significance. The excursion was quite tiring, but we kept our energy up with some delicious sandwiches, falafel pitas, and ice cream. Then we walked across the city’s various quarters.
On the second day in Jerusalem, we walked through the Hezekiah Water Tunnels in the City of David. The water was pretty cold and the tunnel was dark. Luckily, our tour guide had a flashlight to help us see where we were going. Once we got out of the tunnel, we had a very intense hike walking up five steep hills to get to our next stop, the Israel Museum where we could see the scrolls of the Dead Sea, the smallest bible in the world, and new artisitic creativity. Our last visit of the day was inside an art museum where we saw fascinating designs from modern Israeli Art to contemporary artifacts. The museum dedicates the existence of art from old and new cultures.
For our third day in Jerusalem, we went to an outdoor shuk market to get a bigger picture of Israeli culture through the shopping and eating. We had our very first Shabbat in Jerusalem. Friday evening, we went back to the wailing wall to see the sun set, Israeli citizens gather at the Kotel, and sing the Shabbat prayers. Saturday morning, we attended a Reconstructionist service at a diverse synagogue very close to our hotel. Getting a good amount of rest in the hotel, we spent time at the park near our hotel playing Frisbee and Lap Tag. Our havdalah service happened right in front of the hotel and some Israeli’s joined us in our circle. We went souvenir shopping to conclude a wonderful night before another long day of driving, hiking, and attending seminars.
Week 2
After a joyous first week in Jerusalem, we hit the road for the Dead Sea and Masada. Before we exited Jerusalem, we went to Ilanot School, a special-needs school that accommodates students who have experienced muscular diseases, limited or non-existent speech, and a variety of learning needs. Working with these kids on artistic projects was extremely impactful since it reflected my experiences of having learning needs and how I have used art projects to express myself. On our way to the south east of Israel, we went to Archeological dig to learn about fascinating artifacts that are more than two-thousand years old. To conclude our visit at Archeological dig, we walked through a steep cave full of candles, and small holes to climb and role through. Prior to our arrival at the Dead Sea, our tour guides gave us warnings of what to be aware of while swimming. (1) It is very salty, (2) You are expected to float (3) If salt goes in your face, exit the water and clean at the showers. I had salt in my face three times. It was not fun, but I managed my way to stay clean and enjoy the moment. Overall, swimming in the dead sea was a relaxing swim. We spread a lot of Dead Sea mud after floating for half an hour with our skins full of minerals that made us look like scary creatures. We ended the day with a nice ride to the Masada Hostel, relaxing time at the pool, a delicious dinner, and an early bed time to get ready for a long day of hiking.
Getting less than six hours of sleep and having a little snack, we made it through the steep hills to see the beautiful view of Mountain Masada as the sun was rising. During the sunrise, we gathered in a circle to share our blessings, and discuss all of the things we are most grateful for. After our gathering, we embraced the amazing scenery to learn about the story of King Herod. During our walks around the amazing view, we also examined a time period of strong leaders who have guided us to ask ourselves: What motivates us to be who we are? What are the qualities we will never throw away? Then, we walked back to the hostel for breakfast before going to our next destination.
Now that the long hiking day was over, we got to rest a little more, but we still had to be awake to go to a yard and pick up tomatoes. After tomato picking, we went on a trip to Rosh Hanikra along the northern Lebanon border of Israel. We talked about the border geopolitics and then took a cable car down to where the Mediterranean Sea to walk below the white cliffs. We walked through the natural grottos split by the water from the cliffs. Our next stop was to Akko’s ancient port city. In Akko we saw the city skyline, including mosques built by the Ottomans and exploring the ruins of a crusader church and fort. We went to the hotel feeling tired. After a good amount of rest we had lunch, swam in the pool and relaxed before bed.
We went on a walk through the cool waters near the Sea of Galilee to begin our morning. After sightseeing the magnificent waterfall, we headed to the Capernaum right by the same pavement that Jesus had. Next, we drove up the mountains us to a camp called “Scouts.” At the camp, kids of all ages slept in buildings constructed by campers 13 years of age or older. One of my favorite constructions was the design of characters from the Pixar Films, tree houses where kids could zip across to other trees, and the representation of the Israel flag. We divided into groups after looking at all the incredible constructions to learn how to bind knots just like the scouts. Our first stop began driving on top of a mountain. After a wonderful time on top of the mountain, we swam in the waters at Gan Hashlosha National Park. The waters were very warm and it wasn’t as cold as I expected. Before getting wet, we had falafel pitas for lunch. They are very delicious and one of the best sandwiches in all of Israel. For dessert, we had water melon, one of the best fruits to eat during the summer. Before going back to the hotel, I got a water melon ice cream popsicle and it was very tasty.
The next day started with a smooth drive to Bania through the hills. There we embarked on a lengthy walk right by a tiny stream, dipping our feet into the water and taking in the lovely surrounding landscape. We were happy to reach our destination, the Bania Waterfall, as the day became much hotter. Suddenly there was a roaring waterfall before us after a lot of walking. The Bania Waterfall feeds into a luminous blue pool full of fish. Ultimately, all our hiking and sweating was worth it! Then we drove to the banks of the Jordan River, where we were preparing to raft on the biggest river in Israel. Once we were divided into groups of six, we all piled up in our rafts and went into the water. We rafted for a little over an hour along the calm river, swimming intermittently, splashing other groups, and running along the manner into more than a few trees. We made it to our stopping point after dropping a very brief waterfall, and our fun rafting experience came to an end. Our last stop of the day was at another Golan Heights place. We drove through the hills to the far north of the nation, where only a few miles away we could see the ceasefire line with Syria. We learned about the history of the Golan Heights, its conflict and the controversy that still occurs. After a super long week of touring and exploring, we were ready for a restful Shabbat.
Week 3
Our relaxing Shabbat came to an end, and it was time to start the new week early. It begin with our first stop at the Kibbutz Ketura’s dining hall, one of very few socialist kibbutzim remaining in Israel, We did a little activity on the kibbutz about how they run the kibbutz, make decisions, and handle issues. They have a general assembly meeting with the whole society once a month. Committees raise problems for the assembly to vote on at that conference. Many subcommittees report to an executive committee. Currently, the subcommittees are working on various subjects and are making an attempt to establish alternatives and control their own Kibbutz life aspect. Leaving the Kibbutz, we got on the bus and went to Haifa’s excellent town. We arrived in the Bahai Gardens after a short bus ride, an array of lovely trees and flowers constructed in the hills of the Carmel. The gardens are sacred to the Bahai religion, and for individuals who just want to see pretty things, they are also a tourist destination. Having spent most of the day exploring beautiful gardens in Haifa, it was time to stay away from urban areas and explore environmental landscapes. We went on a four hour hike with it starting down the hill, walking on the rocky rivers, swimming by the waterfall, and climbing the hill.
Since yesterday was a very long day of hiking, we had more time to relax on the bus. Our first tour was at Zippori National Park, also known as the Sepphoris having proven to be one of the most archaeological sites in the Galilee. After our stop in Zippori, we went to the Naval Museum to learn the history of maritime traffic and shipbuilding in the Middle East with exhibits and a wealthy collection of maritime mythology, Greco-Roman coins, stamps, contemporary maritime traffic, naval battles and unique emphasis on Jewish maritime traffic. After these two visits, we drove to a beach in front of Mountain Carmel and swam in the Mediterranean Sea. After two hours of swimming, we drove up the mountain to learn about the Druze, a religious minority from Syria in Israel. Then we went to our hotel in Haifa where we stayed for one night.
On our way to Tel Aviv, we had a special treat from the camp staff and the tour guides. We saw Despicable Me 2 on the big screen at Cinema City Glilot. The characters spoke in English and the subtitles were in Hebrew. We were rushed, because we had to be inside the theatre before the movie started, or else we would not be permitted to enter. Even though I don’t go to the movies while I am traveling, it was a wonderful surprise from the staff to experience going to the movies in a different country.
During our time in Tel Aviv, we walked around Rabin Square, the biggest public square in the city. Making the most out of our very last Shabbat in the Holy Land, we went to service that was held right by the Mediterranean Sea. Being able to watch the sunset and enjoy the magnificent views of the ocean, it was by far the most relaxing Shabbat of the trip. As fun as our Shabbat was, we did some Israeli dancing on the penthouse of our hotel and had a very late dinner. The next day, we slept in until almost ten in the morning to have a late breakfast, and had our own service on the rooftop of the hotel. After one hour of rest, we went to the beach, which was a five-minute walk and swam in the warm sea. After Havdalah, we went to our close friend Dan Unter’s house for dinner. We had a very delicious Israeli barbecue, watched our friend play the piano, and looked at old pictures from our years at camp. Dan Unter is the oldest son of Gary Unter who is the head of the kitchen at sleep away camp.
Week 4
Following a wonderful week in Tel Aviv, we went to the Air Force Museum, an out door museum just outside of Beer Sheva in the northern part of the Negev dedicated to the preservation of the Israeli Air Force. After the air force museum, we visited David Ben Gurion’s desert house along with his resting place. Overall, we learned about his life and what he did as the first prime minister of Israel. Here is one interesting fact about him. He felt that sleep was a waste of time so he would usually get two to three hours of sleep a day.
Learning about the history of Israel’s most memorable advocates, we started a new day with a one-hour hike in the Negev desert. Walking through polluted ponds, climbing straight ladders, and reaching to the top of the canyon, we saw some camels. Camel riding was one of the most hyped sections of our journey. The camels rumbled like bears, and as we were lifted into the air, we held calm as best we could. These apparently fierce beasts, luckily, became silent and an indescribable experience began. Bedouin hospitality has been another look at a culture that is totally distinct from what we are used to. We had a delicious lunch full of humus, chicken and vegetables later. We took the time to appreciate the desert to calm down after a long day. We found out how easy it is in such a vast land to lose track of time. Before our evening activity, we went back to the hotel to swim and play games. Finally, on a bonfire, we made s’mores, turkey burgers, hot dogs, and then went off to bed. Interestingly, it was a great day celebrating my close friends sixteenth birthday.
Leaving the Kibbutz right next to the Negev Desert, our day started with a visit at a park in Sederot. The place was full of animal designs that we could crawl and walk through or even better, make noise. We were pretty close to the camps were soldiers who join the Israeli Army do their training. With much walking around the Western Negev city, we had a relaxing two hour bus ride to Jerusalem. We went back to the same hotel we stayed in from the beginning of the trip and went swimming in the pool before dinner time.
Being back in Jerusalem for the second to last day of the trip was very sweet. Our day started with a tour at the Holocaust Museum. The design of the museum began with the initiation of anti-semitism and how it was pushed. The exhibits are designed in a zig zag in chronological order. At the end of the tour, there was a large well, where visitors could drop Israeli coins and write little notes to commemorate their loved ones and the Jews who suffered during World War II.
Sadly, it was our last day in the Holy Land and we utilized our time in the capital of Israel. Our first stop was at the Golden Menorah in the Jewish quarter. With the walking tour continuing, we went to Mount Herzl, the site of Israel’s national cemetery. Going through the sadness of Israel’s loved ones we walked back to the wailing wall after lunch to write our last messages reflecting on the things we appreciate and the wonderful memories we have created for a long trip in a very small country. Together, we had our very last meal with the tour guides, and our bus driver. After dinner, we got our purple Noar Hadash T Shirts, changed into our Israel pants, and arrived at Ben Gurion International Airport. It was time to conclude our summer by returning to our home Camp Havaya for Shabbat.
David Sharif 