I’m Back from Israel…

…wishing I was still there! Five weeks was not long enough to do, see, and learn everything Israel has to offer, but I’m already planning my next trip back. I got home on Sunday 8/31, and now that I’ve recovered from the 22 hours of travel back and the 10 hour time difference I’m posting pictures and will tell as much as I can about my fantastic trip.

I’ll start with the Birthright trip, which was the first 10 days I spent in Israel.

Day 1- Jerusalem

A great place to spend the first day in Israel! See the post below for more.

Jerusalem

Day 2- Mt. Meron, Hazbni Nature Reserve, Mount Bental

Started the day by hiking up Mt. Meron, the second highest peak in Israel (Mt. Hermon is the highest).

View from Mt. Meron, overlooking Syria

After Mt. Meron we we went to Hazbni nature reserve for a water hike through a river that feeds the Jordan River.

Following the nature reserve we went to Mt. Bental overlook in Golan Heights. From Mount Bental you overlook beautiful views of Mt. Hermon, the Golan Heights, and Syria.

Israel- Syria border: the green area is Israel, the dry area is Syria

From 1948-1967 Syria controlled the Golan heights. In the Six-Day War of 1967, Israel moved against Syrian forces on the Golan. By late afternoon, June 10, Israel was in complete control of the plateau. Six years later, in the Yom Kippur War of 1973, the Syrians overran the Golan Heights before being defeated by Israeli counterattacks. Mount Bental is a key strategic point for Israel due to its advantageous observation point. Israel knew it count not risk losing this mountain, nor any of the Golan Heights. After the war, Syria signed a disengagement act that left the Golan in Israel’s territory. Here we visited a bunker used in the war.

Bunker at Golan Heights

That night we stayed on a Kibbutz in the Golan Heights.

Day 3- Zefat, Kayaking the Jordan River, and Tiberias

We spent a day in Zefat, an artists community in the North of the country, where we toured some historic synagogues and spent time in the galleries. Zefat is one of the four holy cities in Israel, together with Jerusalem, Hebron and Tiberias, and is said that the Messiah will come from Zefat on his way to Jerusalem.

Zefat

After Zefat we went kayaking down the Jordan River. It was fun, relaxing, and really interesting to kayak and swim in such a historic river. We also went zip lining over the Jordan, and then dropped into the river.

We spent the night in Tiberias, a town on the Western shore of the Sea of Galilee. The Sea of Galilee, or the Kinneret, is Israel’s largest fresh water lake, the lowest fresh water lake in the world, and Israel’s main source of water.

Day 4- Mt. Arbel, Wine Tasting, Caesarea, and Netanya.

We started the day with hiking Mt. Arbel, in the lower Galilee. From the top of the mountain, where we started, there are views of almost all of the Sea of Galilee. We hiked down Mount Arbel, which involved hiking down the side of the mountain wall. Built into the side of Mount Arbel are several cliff dwellings dating back to the 17th century.

View from the top of Mount Arbel

Hiking down

Cliff dwellings in Mt. Arbel

When we finished hiking Mt. Arbel our group was invited to our tour guide Avner’s home for some snacks and to see how many people in Israel live. After stopping by his house and meeting his family we went to the winery he used to co-own to taste some of Israel’s award winning wine (unfortunately my camera died after Mt. Arbel, so no pictures).

From the winery we headed to Caesarea. Once the site of a Phoenician port, over the course of 12 years Herod the Great built Caesarea into the grandest city other than Jerusalem in then Palestine, with a deep sea harbor, aqueduct, hippodrome and magnificent amphitheater that remain standing today. We walked through an underground aqueduct and then visited the Mediterranean shore of Caesarea and the amphitheater.

From Caesarea we went to Netanya, which is just North of Tel Aviv, where we spent the next few nights.

Day 5- Tel Aviv

We spent the day in Tel Aviv. First we went to Independence Hall. On this site, sixty-six families gathered in 1909 to establish a new Jewish neighborhood outside of Jaffa, which became the city of Tel Aviv. Years later this is where David Ben-Gurion declared Israel’s independence on May 14, 1948.

After the museum we went to an art market where local artists sell jewelry, paintings, etc. Needless to say I returned to the art market many time throughout my stay in Israel.

We then went to the sight where Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated in 1995 at the end of a rally in support of the Oslo Accords. After the rally, Prime Minister Rabin walked down the city hall steps when three shots were fired towards Rabin. The assassin was Yigal Amir an Orthodox far-right law student, who had strenuously opposed Rabin’s peace initiative and especially the signing of the Oslo Accords. In Rabin’s pocket was a blood-stained sheet of paper with the words Shir Lashalom (“Song to Peace”), which ironically dwells on the impossibility of bringing a dead person back to life and therefore the need for peace.

The memorial, which included graffiti done following his death was moving, and made clear that Israel has yet to recover from his assassination.

Day 6- Shabbat

I spent Shabbat at the beach in Netanya. It was perfect!

Day 7- Caves, Camel Ride and Bedouin Camp

We spent the day learning about the several types of caves in Israel. The first cave we toured was Avshalom Cave‎, which is unique for its dense concentration of stalactites. The cave was discovered accidentally in 1968 and some of the stalactites found in the cave are four meters long, and some have been dated as 300,000 years old.

We then went to a cave that we had to crawl through, and in some spots was less than 3 feet wide.

I'm supposed to crawl through there?!?!

Next we went to the beehive caves, which are caves deep within limestone, and where we saw ancient religious wall carvings.

carvings of children

After the caves Avner introduced us to his pet yellow scorpion.

We then went to the desert where we went for camel rides and spent the night in a Bedouin camp. Bedouins are Arab nomads who reside in the desert, who are known for there hospitality to travelers.

Day 8- Masada and the Dead Sea

We woke up at 5:00am the hike up Masada and watch the sunrise over the Dead Sea and learn th story of Masada- the site of ancient palaces on top of an isolated rockplateau on the eastern edge of the Judean Desert overlooking the Dead Sea.  After the Great Jewish Revolt a siege of the fortress by troops of the Roman Empire led to the mass suicide of Jews, who preferred death to surrender.

We then went swimming, or should I say floating, in the Dead Sea.

view of desert from Masada

Palace porch

covered in Dead Sea mud

floating

Day 9- Eilat and the Negev

We traveled down the desert to Eilat, a city on the southern most tip of Israel on the Red Sea, bordering Jordan and Egypt. Eilat is known as Israel’s Cancun, and is a popular vacation spot for tourists and locals.

beach in Eilat, with view of Jordan in the distance

Egyptian border

After leaving Eilat we visited Ben-Gurion’s in the Negev Desert. Before he declared Israel as a country, Ben-Gurion believed that the sparsely populated Negev desert offered a great opportunity for the Jews to settle in then Palestine with minimal obstruction of the Arab population. He set a personal example by choosing to settle in kibbutz Sde Boker in the middle of the Negev.

Day 10- Yad Vashem and Mt. Herzl

We started the day at Yad Vashem where we heard a lecture from a Holocaust Survivor and toured the museum. Yad Vashem is Israel’s official memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust established in 1953 through the Yad Vashem Law passed by the Knesset, Israel’s parliament. The origin of the name is from a Biblical verse: “And to them will I give in my house and within my walls a memorial and a name that shall not be cut off.” (Isaiah, chapter 56, verse 5). It is a moving museum which I hope to visit again, and spend more time.

We then walked to Mt. Herzl, a cemetery for fallen IDF soldiers, where we heard the stories of several soldiers buried there.

Mt. Herzl cemetery

After the cemetery we had dinner in Jerusalem and went to the airport where the group said goodbye. From the airport I started the second part of my adventure…volunteer work. I’ll post in that soon.

Israel!

I love it! I’ve learned so much and I see now why they call it the homeland, as soon as you get here everyone is quick to welcome you home. The general population here really believes that Israel is the home for all Jews, not matter how you practice, how strong your faith, or what you do or do not believe.

My fist ten days were my birthright trip- an organized tour with about 40 young adults to educate us about Israel, the culture, and the religion. The days were packed with as many sights and activities as possible. It’s amazing how much history there is in this tiny country, and to think that most of the sights we saw were hundreds-thousands of years old. While the entire trip was amazing, I’ll post about some of the highlights.

The Food! Yum!

The food here is fantastic. I love most of it- the falafel, shawarma, hummus, large varitey of cheeses, bread, and the fruits and veggies are very fresh! I have had a few meals where the hummus was yuk, but other than that, I’m in food heaven!

Shawarma

Falafel with Chips (French Fries)

Avner and Nadav

Our tour guide, Avner, was great! He knows so much about Israel’s history, politics, and environment and was very passionate about teaching it to us. He has an obvious love for his job which made my experience much more meaningful. He even took our group to his home to meet his family so we could see how most Israelis live, which is something most don’t ge to do when they travel. After stopping by his home he took us to a winery he used to co-own to taste wine and see some of the agricultural offerings of Israel.

Nadav was our medic/security. Not only did he keep us safe and healthy, but he took the time to become our friend and answer many questions about life and culture in Israel, something most don’t typically learn firsthand on a guided tour.

Avner and Nadav

Jerusalem

We went to Jerusalem on our first day. It was a beautiful pace with so much history. After walking through the old city we visited the Kotel (Western Wall). The Kotel really was a moving experience. Jews from all over the world go to pray, give thanks, or reflect. As most know, I’m not a religious person, however when at the Kotel I had an overwhelming feeling of thankfulness for my culture, grandparents, and family. For me the Kotel was not a place to pray, but a place to give thanks for all I have in my life.

Standing on 2000 years of history- these stones are the original of the Old City

View of Jerusalem

Kotel

Life on a Kibbutz

We stayed one night on a Kibbutz and we learned what an interesting way of life it is. The residients were very hospitable and invited us to the Kibbutz pub…what a fun night!

At the Kibbutz pub

Zefat

The birthplace of Kabala, and a really fun community of artists and Israeli hippies (for lack of a better description). I definately reccomnend a stay in Zefat to anyone who comes to Israel.

Zefat

Mt. Arbel

A hike which included some beginner rock climbing and incredible views of the Sea of Galilee. After the hike down we made our way to a fotress bulit into the side of the mountain.

View from Mt. Arbel

Hiking down Mt. Arbel

Fortress in Mt. Arbel

Tel Aviv

We visited Independence Hall, the sight where Tel Aviv was founded and listened to a lecture about some of the political history of tel Aviv and Israel. We then went to an outdoor market where local artists sell jewelry, crafts, photography, etc. As you can imagine it was just my style, and I plan on doing some shopping there before I come home. Afterward we went to the Parliament building where Prime Minster Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated in 1995. It was interesting to learn how Israel reacted to his assassination and how the country has still not recovered.

Shabbat in Natanya

“I’m not a Jew, I’m just Jew-ish” (quoted from a speaker we saw in Natanya)

My first Shabbat in Israel (spent in Natanya, North of Tel Aviv) was one of my most important experineces of the trip. We didn’t do anything too special but I learned so much about being a Jew.

Before coming to Israel I was sometimes critisized for not practicing the religion “properly” and was sometimes told I wasn’t a “real Jew.” Further, when I’ve explained that for me being a Jew is a culture, not necessarily a religion, I was told I couldn’t have one without the other.

Well..here’s what I was taught by Avner: 80% of the population of Israel is Jewish (the other 20% spread among Christian, Druze, Arab, etc.). Of the Jewish population 80% of them are secular, and claim Judaism as a culture. My jaw dropped when I heard this statistic! All these years I was told I was wrong, and here 80% of the Jews in Israel feel the same way about being Jewish that I do! So to those you told me it’s not a culture, you’ve been proven wrong. The statistic came right from an Israeli’s mouth, and was confirmed by the IDF soldiers that were traveling with us (all of which were NOT religious). He also went on to tell us how he often hears Jews say “oh I’m a bad Jew because…” and went on to say there is no such thing as a “bad Jew.” He explained that being Jewsih is very personal and that we can all be Jewish in our own way and most Jews in Israel (probably with the exception of the Orthodox) won’t argue another’s beliefs about his or her own relation to being a Jew.

Further, after talking about Judaism, Avner proceeded to tell us how Shabbat came to be. It was adopted originally by the Jews as a day of rest, a time to spend with family. It wasn’t until later in Jewish history that it became a “holy” day, even though i has no holy origination.

This was the biggest lesson I learned in Israel and made my feelings about being Jewish confirmed and appreciated. I feel that Israel embraces all Jews, and that this lesson has given me a strong connection to Israel. Thank you Avner!

IDF Soldiers

Toward the end of our trip several IDF soliders came to join us for five days. They were not with us for protection, but with us so that we can learn about the importance of manditory military duty in Israel, the life of a soldier, and learn further about Israeli life and culture. I think they leanred as much from us as we did from them. The soldiers all were truly thankful to join us and quickly became part of our family and I now have some good friends in Israel!

Tal and Patricia

The Caves

We spent one day going to several caves, all different from on another. The most intersting was one that was used as an escvape route from the Romans (I hope I’m remebering that correctly). It was a tunnel we had to crawl through that was completly dark, and in some areas the hole was smaller than 2-3 feet in diameter.

Ready to crawl in

There are so many highlights of the trip that I have yet to mention, and I promise more updates next week. For now I’ve been on my own for a few day in Tel Aviv, and it’s been great!!! Today I head to an IDF base where I start my volunteer work (details still unknown). Next time I’m omline I will be sure to post updates about the past few days in Tel Aviv and my volunteer work with the IDF.

Shabbat Shalom and Ani ohev otachem (I love you)!!!

I’m Going to be RICH!!!

A classmate shared this video in class on Friday….and it gave me chills! Taylor Mali is a teacher and comedian…or inspirational speaker, in my opinion.

Before I went back to school I was worried about leaving a good paying job that I had for nearly 7 years, and starting over at the bottom of the pay scale with student loan debt. My Grad. school experience has been a period of incredible growth, and I’ve had some inspiring professors! I’m now confident that entering the teaching world is the path for me. I may never make millions, but this video reaffirmed my belief that I don’t need a lot of money, a big house, new car, or designer clothes; I’ll be rich in heart and am looking forward to spreading the wealth!

Israel

I saw this article in the LA Times yesterday about the trip I’m going on the Israel and thought I’d share it with you.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-beliefs12-2008jul12,0,383968.story

I’ll be on the Birthright trip (as detailed in the article) from July 26- August 6. Then August 10-31 I’ll be doing VFI, Volunteer for Israel, where I’ll be volunteering with the Israeli Defense Force (Israeli military) on a non-combat military base Sunday thru Thursday, and be on my own to travel around the country for the weekend.

I’ll be updating my blog while I’m there, so stay tuned…
Patricia

Fair Food, Fried Food

I went to the SD County Fair yesterday with the sole purpose of eating…it was quite a sucess! It was a frenzy of fried food. My favorites were the fried snickers and fried oreos (pictured below). Oh man, were they good!

I also (over) indulged in deep fried macaroni and cheese, fried garlic artichoke hearts, and a friend of mine tried the fried frog legs (I wasn’t as brave). I’ll go back next year, that should be plenty of time for my arteries to clear.

Lazy Sunday

…with a Cherry on Top

I’m not as cupcake crazed as my sister, but I bake a batch every few weeks. Thankfully, I have classmates to share with, otherwise I would be sitting at home, eating entire batches by myself. I like to experiment with unusual flavor combinations, and mix in fresh fruit. A few weeks ago I baked chocolate with raspberry filling, and instead of frosting I used fresh whipped cream, topped with fresh blackberries.

Last night’s batch was inspired by those, and they came out REALLY tasty! These are devil’s food cupcakes with cherry icing…my version of a chocolate covered cherry. I topped each with either chocolate sprinkles or fresh cherries. Yum!!

I think next week I’ll try a vegan recipe for Margarita cupcakes…stay tuned.

Peace and Love!

“A good book should leave you… slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading it.”

I just finished two books, both of which were incredibly captivating! The first I read was “Beautiful Boy,” by David Sheff. My mom recommended it to me, knowing how much I love non-fiction books, particularly those about drug addiction. “Beautiful Boy” is a memoir from a father’s point of view of his son’s meth addiction. I think this book really gives insight to what it’s like for the family to have a child with drug addiction. The book is well written, and you can feel the families pain as David Sheff’s son struggles with addiction, recovery, and relapse. I found the book to be hard to put down, very thought provoking, and well written. I finished the book within a week, and couldn’t wait to get my hands on “Tweak,” a memoir by Nic Sheff (David Sheff’s son), recalling his addiction to meth, cocaine, heroin, etc…

I bought the book and started reading it in the car on the way home (don’t worry, I wasn’t driving). Nic Sheff’s story is scary and sad. In a voice that is raw and honest, Nic spares no detail in telling his compelling, heartbreaking, and true story of his relapse and the road to recovery. He paints an extraordinary picture for us of a person at odds with his past, with his family, with his substances, and with himself. Even better than “Beautiful Boy,” and addicting (pardon the pun), I finished the book in two days! I highly recommend reading both books, as there are many parallels between the father and son’s stories. Due to the intensity of “Tweak,” I recommend first reading “Beautiful Boy,” followed by “Tweak.”

Hello World!

I’ve enjoyed reading my sister, Katherine’s, blog, so I decided to start one of my own. I’ll use this space toupdate friends and family, since I’m so bad at keeping in touch, and share recipes, music, books, crafts, and all things Patricia-esque. Enjoy!