Beit Shaarim and Beit Alpha Tiyul

by Alex Milgram,      10^th grade,      New Jersey

entrance to the Cave of the Coffins at Beit Shaarim National Park

The purpose of our tiyul to Beit Shaarim and Beit Alpha was to understand the life of the Sanhedrin through examining their tombs; and answering the question: why is all this seemingly un-kosher art present there?  The Sanhedrin was the highest Jewish law court of 70 rabbis in ancient Israel.  As we approached the Beit Shaarim burial caves we were able to tell it was a Jewish city right away because of  the Hebrew writing and also the doors that resembled the gates to the Temple. We are able to conclude from this that generations after the destruction of the Second Temple, it was still in the minds of the rabbis at that time in the second century. As we squeezed our way in the damp caves we were greeted by the first ancient coffin of the day (a sarcophagus in Greek). It was made out of stone and lacked any engraving. The only thing that stuck out about it were the 4 corners which were pointed up. Our teacher David explained that this design likely resembles that of the temple’s alter. As we explored deeper into the cave we passed a few more coffins, they shared the same design as previous ones. When we got to the end of the cave our class was taken by surprise, there stood a huge coffin with the engravings of two lions! We threw out ideas of why there is un-kosher art but David claimed the worst is yet to come, and boy was he right! We walked to another part of the cave and were surrounded by coffins with pictures of birds, lions, and fish, but nothing compared to the Tomb of Nike. That tomb had the puzzling engraving of a Greek goddess Nike along with a swoosh, resembling the Nike logo. While pictures of animals may have been bad, the engraving of a Greek goddess definitely crossed the line of what is acceptable “kosher” art. So why are they there?

a giant stone menorah engraved into the wall of the Beit Shaarim burial cave

 

a sarcophagus featuring engraved lions at Beit Shaarim National Park

To answer this question we traveled to Beit Alpha, an ancient synagogue from the 5^th or 6^th century, home to a beautiful but questionable mosaic floor. It was divided into 3 parts, the bottom part showing what appears to be the biblical story of the binding of Isaac, a scene from Genesis. The middle panel, and more controversial part contains a zodiac wheel with the Greek god Helios in the middle. The third panel was centralized around a depiction of the Temple decorated by menorahs and lions. There are many theories behind the mosaic floor. Some say that it is a representation of the Amida prayer, showing the past present, and future. The past, being the binding of Isaac, the present being under the rule of the surrounding Greek culture that was dominant in the ruling Byzantine Empire, and the future, the dream of rebuilding the Temple for the third and final time.

 

panel of the mosaic showing the binding of Isaac

middle panel of the mosaic showing the zodiac wheel and Helios

top panel of the mosaic showing the Temple in Jerusalem

However for me the answer to the question “why is all this un-kosher art present?”…we can conclude that those Jews who lived in the Talmudic era (500 CE), like the Jewish community today don't mind incorporating other cultures into Jewish life. Jews today have such a strong pride for who we are, and so we are not threatened by the presence of other cultures. So why all the un-kosher art? Why not?  

Christianity Tiyul to Ein Kerem Neighborhood

by Joe Rosenberg,     10^th grade,     St. Louis

The narrow, two lane road into Ein Kerem doesn’t seem like it can fit a bus. Sitting on a behemoth of a vehicle made this small neighborhood in Jerusalem seem small and insignificant, but the ancient stones tell of city made up of events that eventually shaped human life around the globe.

 

the entrance to the Church of the Visitation honoring Mary's visit while pregnant with Jesus 

In the center of the city, there is a spring. This spring made the area now known as Ein Kerem a habitable location. With water, humans can drink and they can grow crops. We know that this area was settled over 3000 years ago, because pottery was found around the spring. However, Ein Kerem doesn’t become an important city until the 2nd Temple period. Ein Kerem is supposedly the spot where Miriam (Mary) stops to wash her feet as she visits her cousin while they are both pregnant. Miriam was pregnant with Yeshua (Jesus) and Elizabeth was pregnant with Yochanan (John), which explains why Ein Kerem is such an important city for Christians. The most important man to Christianity was in the womb of Miriam (Mary) in this city.

my classmate Briahn inside the Ein Kerem church St. John B'Harim

At the Church of Saint John B’Harim, we met Father Jose, a Brazilian priest with mediocre at best English. Father Jose gave both classes the ‘VIP Tour’ of the church grounds. We were shown the cave in which John the Baptist was supposedly born and hid in, but something else stood out to me. I could feel our class “mikveh-meter” blaring from miles away (that’s our teacher’s imaginary invention the beeps when one detects a mikveh in the vicinity). Believe it or not, there was a mikveh in the underground room. This one object exemplifies the relationship between Judaism and Christianity. Before becoming a Christian building, it was a Jewish building. Before Baptisms, there were purifying baths in a mikveh. Judaism is the tree trunk and Christianity branched off.

the main chapel of the Church of the Visitation featuring heroines of the Bible

To further understand how Christianity branched off from Judaism, we can simply look around in a Church. In the Church of St. John B’Harim, there were paintings of humans all over the walls, which differs from Judaism greatly. The Jewish faith sees paintings or statues of humans as avoda zara, but when Shaul (A.K.A. Saint Paul) was trying to separate Christianity from Judaism, he told his followers they did not need to follow Halacha (Jewish law). Therefore, Christians were able to have images of humans in their places of worship. This was just one of the ways early Christians distanced themselves from Judaism.

the main chapel of the Church of the Visitation featuring heroines of the Bible

Why did Shaul want so badly to be separate from the Jewish faith? Was it to make Christianity more appealing to the Romans or was it because the Jewish people actually stopped following Halacha? Either way, Jews were vilified by early Christians, starting with Shaul (Paul), despite Yeshua (Jesus) preaching a form of progressive Judaism. The Jews were blamed for many things by Christians throughout history, starting with deicide. However, things turned around in modern times, especially in 1965, with Pope Paul VI declaring that the Jews were not to blame for the death of Yeshua. In many respects, since then, Christians and Jews have stopped blaming each other for their problems, and have allowed for civility between the two faiths.

the main chapel of the Church of the Visitation featuring heroines of the Bible

Judaism and Christianity have a complicated history with each other. The relationship between the faiths has always been rocky, from the beginnings of Christianity rooted in Jewish ideology to the constant blame put on the Jews throughout history. However, despite the ever present hatred between them, Jews and Christians have started to be more accepting of each other’s faiths. The tiyul to Ein Kerem showed me both the similarities and differences between the two faiths, but it especially showed me how far we’ve come since the initial split in ideology.

we got to descend into the crypt under the main chapel at the St. John B'Harim church

Herodian Mansions + Southern Wall Excavation

by Alex Milgram, 10th grade, NJ

golden menorah on display in the Jewish Quarter in Jerusalem

We started the tiyul by entering a museum built on the remains of an ancient Cohenim (Sadducees) house. It amazed me how massive it was, I couldn't imagine how long it would take to build the house brick by brick. Or how long it would take to construct the beautiful mosaic that we found on the floors. The mosaic artwork consisted of shades of reds, blues, and whites forming patterns that appeared to be waves. This artwork teaches us about trade as the rocks use in mosaic were from all over Israel. The mosaic, not depicting a graven image or person is considered "kosher", a sign that the residents of
the house were observant Jews. This was later confirmed by the numerous mikvaot we found there too.

mosaic floor at the Wohl Archaeological Museum in the Jewish Quarter.  Houses of the Cohenim.

The next museum we visited at the Southern Temple Mount excavations had a moving picture depicting the steps and preparation that each oleh regel (pilgrim) went through before entering the Beit Hamikdash. Once arriving in Jerusalem they had to buy a sacrificial animal (one that's kosher). After, they would spiritually cleanse themselves in a mikva. Once pure and in possession of a sacrificial animal such as a goat, they would pay a fee and begin their way up the Temple's steps. Leading up to the Beit HaMikdash you would walk past community members who were sinners or mourners purposefully walking against the traffic. They would go through this process three times a year, on Passover, Sukkot, and Shavuot.

Robinson's Arch at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem

At the end up the tiyul our class put are notebooks aside and walked up the southern steps of Temple mound singing Shir HaMaalot (Psalm 126). I could only imagine what that would have felt like if I was pilgrim walking up the temple with a goat in my hands. Even Today a structure built around two thousand years ago still means a lot to the modern Jewish state. For starters the Temple Mount is regarded as the holiest place in Judaism. All around the world when Jews pray they face the Temple Mount or Har HaBayit in Hebrew. It is also the site of Mount Moriah, the site of the biblical story of the binding of Isaac. Lastly Jewish tradition teaches us that when the messiah comes, this place will be the spot for the third Temple. All in all the Temple Mount is a pretty big deal in Judaism, along with Christianity and Islam for that matter. Its overwhelming to be apart of a tradition/commandment that spans back further than 900 BCE and to experience what it would be like to be a pilgrim coming from far and wide to make it to the Temple in Jerusalem.     

the Southern Steps of Har HaBayit, the Temple Mount in Jerusalem

                                                                          

Bible Lands Museum, Jerusalem

by Briahn Witkoff,      12^th grade,       Denver

I woke up at 7:00 am sharp, and was ready to go by 7:45 with the necessities. Hat, shirt that covers shoulders, Jewish History materials, three liters of water, the works. I hope the fact that I took a short nap on the bus doesn’t mislead you, I was so excited to go to the Israel Museum to see the Dead Sea scrolls! The Dead Sea scrolls are a collection of writings found preserved in jars hidden in caves by the Dead Sea, some of them had pieces of Torah scripture, and others showed how life was run in the community at the time. They are really cool and important; the finding of these scrolls illuminates the historical and cultural context of Judaism at the time.

            I saw the Dead Sea scroll exhibit in Denver, Colorado, and I was excited to revisit them in their homeland. We get off the bus, it’s hot like usual. We wait. Wait some more. Were at the Israel Museum, why can’t we go in? “Jews, Jews, come’re,” Evan shouts at us. He tells us that Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany, happens to be visiting the Israel Museum at the moment so it is closed to the public. But we get to go see the Bible Lands Museum instead! I had to admit, I was a little disappointed. However, we did get to see artifacts that were from the time of the Matriarchs and Patriarchs. It was crazy to see something tangible from that era, when all I have heard is essentially fables, and I did get to see a piece of scripture from the Dead Sea scrolls! Looking at the fragment of history I could almost see back into what life might have been like at the time under the Romans.

This is an artifact from Egypt that was supposed to accompany and guide the dead down the river of the Underworld. ~2000 BCE (Time of Matriarchs and

Patriarchs!)

Oldest written recording of Lamentations

During the Roman period, life in Jerusalem wasn’t too bad. The Romans created roads, which lead to more trade and more money, we had the protection of the Roman Empire, and we even had aqueducts so we could expand our cities and have more accessibility to water. It wasn’t too bad at all if you didn’t mind the loss of power, culture, and the omnipresent AVODAH  ZARA!!! (dun Dun DUN!)

Here is a model of what Jerusalem looked like during the 1^st Temple Period

We didn’t know what to do, on one hand we could submit to Roman rule and cultural lifestyle, but on the other hand we wanted to maintain our Judaism. The obvious solution is to argue about it and split into four sects.

The Four Children: 67 BCE Style…

1)     The Saducees (the older brother who sucks up the parents and tries to be cool)

They were responsible for the ritual sacrifices to the Temple, as well as upholding the Temple itself.  They fought with the Rabbis and did not believe in what they taught; they subscribed to TorahM’Sinai.com. Oh, and their number one fan? The Romans.

2)     The Pharisees (the middle child that doesn’t really want to start a fight, is creative, and doesn’t want to stick to the old way of doing things)

They believed their older brother’s obsession with purity clouded their judgement when it came to Jewish ideals. Yeah they liked TorahM’Sinai.com, but they also created their side blogs OralLaw.blogspot.com/Torah_Is_Cool_Too, along with RibazIsTheCoolest.blogspot.com/We_Hate_The_Romans_But_Don’t_Want_To_Revolt-The_Messiah_Will_Come_Save_Us.

3)     The Zealots (the youngest, most rebellious child)

There’s hating the Romans, and then there’s HATING the Romans. When they went to Masada and used King Herod’s paranoia-fueled escape fortress, they wouldn’t use the bath houses or rooms that were already there, they built their own baths and sleeping quarters. They even hated other Jews who weren’t as passionate about their hatred for the Romans, and believed Eretz Yisrael belonged to Am Yisrael at any and all costs, even if that meant fighting other Jews. They wanted to incite a revolt because they didn’t see Eliyahu coming anytime soon with the Messiah; their destiny was in their own hands. They were too busy HATING the Romans to run a blog.

4)     The Essenes (the other middle child that stays out of all the drama, loves brownies for some reason?)

The hippies of the family. Though they believed in ritual purity and the coming of the Messiah, they didn’t like the Romans but didn’t want to fight them either. They chilled in Qumran, and wrote Torah. (Probably the Dead Sea Scrolls too) Instagram handle: @חי_on_life_and_writing_Torah18

Pictured: us having a good time at the Bible Lands Museum and hearing Josh’s words of wisdom

Not all of the sects survived through Roman rule, leaving us with the Pharisees as the only remaining group of Jews. That’s why today Judaism looks more like prayer, Torah study, and tradition, rather than animal sacrifice like in the old days under the cohenim.

Even though we didn’t end up going to the Israel Museum, I loved seeing the ancient artifacts in the Bible Lands Museum and experiencing the culture of the Jewish people throughout different time periods.

The Masada Tiyul

By Elliot Sadoff,      11^th  Grade,          New York

Sunrise over the Dead Sea from on top of Masada

The sky was pitch black when we woke up. At 4 am, there isn’t much to see. We had begun climbing by 5:30, still unsure of where the top of the mountain was or what the view would even be.  Even though we were all very tired, we kept climbing up. We knew that the very long, yet very short 50 minute hike up the mountain would be worth it. The more we climbed, the more our eyes opened. Every few minutes as I turned and faced the view, I became less tired and I was able to see more. Soon, I could recognize the top of the mountain and if I turned around, I could make out the Dead Sea. Unfortunately, the temperature was much hotter near Masada than it was back at our campus at Kibbutz Tzuba, and it was not very cold in the morning. I was sweating like crazy after about 20 minutes, but I knew it wasn’t much longer until I could relax and take in the nice view. So I pushed myself upward. Step after step, more and more light rose into the sky. Getting higher and higher, eventually I saw the cable car stop at the top of the mountain and I knew I was almost there so I kept climbing. Then, it hit me. I had reached the top of the mountain and sat down on one of the walls facing the Dead Sea and the sunrise. At 6:37 am, we all watched the sun rise. We took in the first light of day together, and it was beautiful.

After some rest, some water, and then praying shacharit (the morning prayer service) with our traveler’s Mishkan T’filah prayerbook, the two classes split up and we began our Jewish history studies for the day. We walked around the top of the history-rich mountain, learning about what occurred on the mountain. At first, we learned that Masada, in Hebrew, means ‘fortress’. This name stems from the strategic advantage that the mountain top had. The mountain was hard to climb, it could not be climbed by an entire army, and it had the resources required to life, and the space for Jewish life to flourish.

Throughout his reign as a puppet king from 37 to 4 BCE, King Herod was constantly in fear of losing the power that the Romans gave to him. Due to his paranoia, King Herod built a few escape fortresses around the land of Israel so that he would be able to retreat to any one of them if he thought he would lose his power. Herod chose Masada due to its huge defensive advantage and its possession of the basic necessities of life. The fortress had access to water, agriculture, and defense, so the location was perfect. Herod built himself a lavish palace with a massive bedroom with a beautiful view on the northern side of the mountain, and made the residence very luxurious.  He also built a water system that allowed the water to run in paths on dry river beds from the desert (around the hills) and end up on the side of Masada in various caves. When these caves were full, Herod’s slaves would go halfway down that side of the mountain to collect the water, carry it back up, and then dump the water into cisterns on the top (shown below).

water cistern lined with plaster at Masada's northern palace

When the Jewish zealots tried to escape Roman rule in the year 66 CE, they conquered Masada and settled there. The Zealots wanted to escape Roman rule after the destruction of the Second Temple in the year 70 CE, and had known of the defensive capabilities of the mountain fortress. When they settled on top, a lot of the work that King Herod had done still existed.

The zealots used these resources to sustain basic life, and to continue Jewish life to its full capability on the top of Masada. They were able to use the water cisterns, they were able to convert the bathhouse to a facility for mikvaot, and they were able to create a synagogue. According to the historian Josephus, there were around 900 Jews living on Masada, and they were able to create a Jewish community on top of the mountain without having to go down. The zealots also created a food surplus, so they were able to create a functioning society on top of the mountain with everything they needed. In their minds, the zealots believed that perhaps they were the last remaining Jews in the world, so they did everything they could to keep themselves alive.

An ancient mikveh (Jewish ritual bath) at Masada

2000 year old frescos that have been restored in Herod's palace at Masada

            The zealots had lived safely on the top of Masada for three years. As time went on, Roman encampments that surrounded the mountain grew in size. Each night, it was said that the number of Roman campfires grew. However, the Romans knew that they would not easily be able to get an entire legion straight up the mountain in order to attack and subdue the Jews. After they grew their encampments (shown below), the Romans eventually were able to build a ramp up to the top of a mountain so they were able to carry up battering rams and take control of Masada and the zealots. The community of zealots knew that this attack was coming, but they could only become more and more paranoid as there was no way off of the mountain without directly fighting the Romans, a fight which the zealots would clearly lose.

a view of the remains of the largest Roman army camp on the western side of Masada

The rest of the story, according to the Jewish historian Josephus who actually wrote from the point-of-view of the Romans, went as it follows:  all of the men on Masada gathered and decided they must not submit to Roman rule and be forced to do Avodah Zara (idolatry), which is one of the reasons to break p’kuah nefesh (the rabbis’ ruling that saving a life takes precedent over all other mitzvoth). The men decided that they should all return to their families, and kill their wives and children. According to Josphus, after this the men met again and chose ten men to kill the rest. The remaining men chose one man to kill the other nine. This last man killed himself. Before all of this, Josphus writes that the Jews destroyed everything that could have been of use to the Romans and burned almost everything, except for their food stock. Josephus claims that they left their food untouched, so that the Romans would find the food and recognize that the Jews could have survived longer. This showed the Romans that the Jews were a great people, who prospered on top of the mountain, and it was not because of the Roman legion that they all died.

Today, when we say “Masada will not fall again”, we represent the heroism of those who died on top of Masada as to not submit to Avodah Zara and to remain faithful to God. These Jews were heroic enough to face the reality of murdering their own families and their friends, to remain faithful to their God. When we say this, we mean that we will continue to be heroic (maybe to a less extreme) and stand up to defend our values, our beliefs, and our people.

Yam l’Yam

Sea to Sea Hike Pictures:

URJ Heller High - Fall 2018

by Brad Kaplan

10^th grade      Indianapolis

Heller High students - Fall 2018 semester on the Sea to Sea hike during the Sukkot holiday

students were divided into hiking groups that had to self-navigate in the terrain and carry equipment

the Sea to Sea hike started out at the Madrasa nature reserve adjacent to the Kinneret

getting ready to bike to the Mediterranean Sea near Israel's northern border

the last day of the Sea to Sea hike was on bicyles!

Heller High principal Rabbi Loren Sykes with the students at the camp site during Sea to Sea hike.
The hike was during the Sukkot holiday, and we observed the tradition of the Lulav and the Etrog.  

From Sea to Shining Sea

Heller High students hike from the Sea of Galilee to the Mediterranean

by Brad Kaplan,     10^th grade,       Indianapolis

It sounds crazy walking from one side of Israel to the other. Going to the highest peaks, to the lowest caves, we as a collective team went through it all. It was an unbelievable experience seeing the land of Israel and sleeping in nature. With the most beautiful sight, I have ever seen in my life without a phone to get a picture of it. And just being with some of the best people in the world.

   Day One. After everyone got picked up from their host families for Sukkot we all head down to our start point. All except one of us, Cyle Ginsberg missed his train and came later that night. We arrived at the start point which is a river that flows off of the Kineret. We met out guide Shachar (which means sunrise), and our security guard Shye. We sat down in a circle to talk about the trip and do an icebreaker where we each said our name and favorite place in Israel so far. Then we got changed into our bathing suits and went on our first walk. We went to the river and before we began we filled a water bottle with the water from the Kineret and would carry it with us until the Mediterranean and dump it out there. As we went to the water it was super slippery and almost to our waists, and when we got almost halfway we did an activity where together we went under the cold water and got soaked. It was a lot of fun and there were trees everywhere and the rocks were so hard to walk on. I walked with my friend Joe Rosenberg and we climbed on almost every tree sticking out of the water. As we got out of the river that was about 45 min, we all changed back and got some snacks and started to head to our first campsite on the bus. Once we got there we took all of our bags and took them to these mats, which we soon found out that we would be sleeping on them. Then we had about 20 minutes of free time, then we had a very large discussion about the equipment and the groups and a lot of safety. Then once everyone got into their four subgroups and got all of their materials, dinner began. We started with soup which was good and cooked by the company, which every dinner is cooked by them. It was very good, but the dinner after was chicken with some salad and some rice. After everyone ate and group one cleaned the dishes we got changed into warm clothes and met in a straight line at the edge of the campsite. Then we started to go on a walk, and one by one we were told to sit in a spot separate from others and to think for around 30 minutes. This was a great reflection activity and then picked up one at a time to head back as we all sat down to have a discussion about how our experience went. After that, we went back to the campsite which was small compared to the others but had a lot of different water sources. Most people would sleep on the ground with their sleeping back, but some like me slept in a hammock. But even with this comfort, it was extremely hard to sleep with the cold weather and being outside. I didn’t fall asleep until 3 am which caused for a very hard day of hiking tomorrow at 5:30 am.

   Day Two. Getting up this early wasn’t even the hardest things of the day. We got up and had some tea with biscuits. It was a good way to warm up. Then, we got all packed up and put our bags on the bus. We got dressed and ready to hike. We were walking by 6:45. For a while it was easy, calm flat terrain going down. Then we got to the bottom of the trail to a mountain that wasn’t even the main mountain we were climbing. It was one of the hardest days of my life. Especially have very unsupportive blundstones that made me not be able to feel my feet. There were beautiful views before breakfast with incredibly tall trees that protected us from the sun. We stopped for breakfast on the side of a large road under some trees with rocks. We had some break with a chocolate spread and peanut butter. Not much for breakfast but still tasted good. We started the hard part of the hike where it was so hot and dry with no trees and all uphill. We stopped 15 minutes later and I already was drenched in sweat. We continued but as it got steeper the view got nicer. It was getting harder and my very little energy, to begin with, was draining. After an hour or so of hiking, we stopped for a snack under a very large tree with a well under it. We sat down and had explained to us that we would finish the hardest part of the hike with our groups and learn how to use a map and walkie-talkie in case we get lost. We were off and I was doing good for a while about even an hour or so. However, we just got to the bottom of the mountain that was huge. It got extremely steep and I simply had no energy and did not think I could make it. I fell back in the group ever so slightly, but I just kept one foot in front of the other. I eventually after a lot of hiking made it to lunch, and it was under a lot of shade and had tables which were nice. I just collapsed after that hike for a bit, but it was the hardest part of the trip. We had an ok lunch with uncooked salami which was still good and uncooked rice. It definitely could have been better. It was also a very late lunch because other groups got lost and we were not allowed to eat until everyone got here so it was around 2 pm when we started and 3 pm when we finished. Then after going to the restroom and filling up our water, I felt a lot better considering the hike was a piece of cake after that. I was walking with the security guard Shye and Mili having a very good conversation and learning some Hebrew. We got to the top about 20 minutes after and it was incredible. Honestly a life-changing view. I was blown away and finally say where I came from and the true, prosperous land of Israel. After around twenty minutes of viewing the view, we started to descend the mountain which only took around an hour and a half and was very easy. We got the campsite greeted by Rabbi Lauren. We sat in a circle all exhausted after a hard day and gave each other a massage which was nice and bonding. The campsite was on the side of Mt. Miron and was shared with another group. We restocked on food and water and were fed soup again but this soup was much better this night. For dinner, it was schnitzel and couscous. It was a lot better and probably the best dinner in my opinion. After I ate I rinsed off in the sink and brushed my teeth and started to get into warm clothes and set up my hammock again. We waited for the second group to clean the dishes while we all got some candy. After everything we all go next to the sleeping mats and set up a campfire. We talk about the day and make smores and listen to music later. Right after I go to my hammock and fall right asleep after a long day.

Day Three. I had the greatest night sleep in my life. I was so warm and did not wake up once. I was refreshed and excited for the day. I got out packed up everything and had the same tea and biscuits made by the company. I forgot to mention before that cooking the food was not hard our group worked together well and we all have gone camping before. The food was good and the sleeping arrangement was terrible just would have been better with tents. We continued to go down the mountain and eventually stopped for breakfast fairly short but in that time we walked in a dried out river covered in very beautiful green trees and was a joy to hike in. Then we stopped in a great flat area and had a wonderful breakfast which consisted of the same things as the previous days except with some apples. Then continued, this day was much easier than the day before with more breaks and easier hiking. We sat and did a game where we closed our eyes and smelled unknown items and attempted to identify them we took a lot of breaks and not a lot of hiking after until we got to lunch where we had a great lunch and a very fun game after. It was called king of the roju where you have to be on one leg and hold your ear and pick up a bottle cap with your mouth on a rock tower and would get harder and harder when the rocks got taken away until there was one left. I was not so good at it but Justin won. Then we split into our groups again and our group was getting together a lot better now and were called the “hanemarim”, or tigers in English. Again we were by ourselves and went down this rocky area, and I did not have good shoes on and I slipped and fell which hurt at first but was funny and we laughed about it. Our leader Mili told us that whenever we see a good view that we should do a mental picture with our fingers were you make a square and say click, so we did. We walked together very easily. It got a bit hard in the end because it was hot and I was out of the water but Shye gave me some. Then we got on the bus to our third campsite. Once we got there the floor was a bit orange and cool. The biggest thing about it was its’ size. It was huge and wide open and nowhere to put up our hammocks. As we all sat together on the sleeping mat having our cooldown of the day the counselors had a really big talk about completing the trip together and respecting one another and I think that it really changed things. As we got situated I found a good corner of the mat and set up my mat and sleeping bag and got some soup. It was the same as the night before and really good. I can not remember what dinner was but it was good. I ate with my wooden silverware for all three meals and it was starting to get dirty. There was an important companion, a beautiful dog named Mitzi. He was on the trip with us for a couple of days. That night was our groups turn to clean the dishes and make sure the area is clean. We all got drenched in water and also was a great bonding experience. After that, we got all changed and dry. We all went away from the sleeping area and did a bit of a meditation under the stars which was very calming and beautiful. We talked about constellations and l layed on my friends and relaxed. After that, we went straight to bed for an interesting night.

Day Four. We wake up, wet as water. Everything is drenched in water. Everything from your sleeping bag to your underwear. After trying to dry everything I pack up my things and have a normal morning with “petibear v te” and was on our way. Before we left we played a game that woke us up. We walked for a while in a muddy trail and was hard avoiding it but it made it more fun. We stopped for breakfast in a beautiful place in the middle of the woods covered in leaves. The crazy thing is that there were these giant cows everywhere and these giant cow leading cows. The food is just getting better day by day. After we walked after that in the woods we stopped by a small pond and learned to filter water to make it drinkable. And we practiced and it was so much fun. Before lunch, we stopped at a place to go swimming in a huge pond with a giant tree. It was such a blast having fun with our friends. At the same place, we made an amazing lunch with cooked salami and peppers with onions. It was amazing. Also, that lunch was an iron chef where we have a competition of who can cook the best food. We came second but I think we had the best food. After almost 2 hours of a break, we got back onto the road. We walked straight up a mountain almost vertical and was very challenging for a short period of time. It was very accomplishing getting to the top with another great view. Also, there was an ice cream truck where we all ate some ice cream. We were literally a minute away and it was the greatest campsite of them all. There were plenty of trees for your hammock. But the ground was so comfortable I did not need it. It was not cold and there was no dew. It was wonderful. The food was good and a great night with no complaints. It was Shabbat so we did a short service. We hung out listening to music and was a great time. We had a fire competition for who could create the biggest fire and could burn a string 3 feet above. After the activity, we just hung out and went to bed in between my best friends.

Day Five. We got up doing our normal things with refiling everything and drinking tea. But today we made a packed lunch for the bike ride. Also, turning is all of our equipment. After we got a safety course about riding bikes. We rode bikes instead of walking all day. After the safety talk, we got on the bikes. At first, it was awesome being on a bike again feeling like a child. But then for a while, it was uphill and was challenging. Then, we were on the street and seeing the town next to my friend Jordan was awesome. Then we hit the open highway. I let go of the brakes and sped up in front and was going almost 50 mph. It was a giant rush and I felt so alive no care in the world. Then we biked on a banana farm which was interesting to see, but Joe fell off the bike and got hurt. After that, it was no time that we were at the Mediterranean Sea. We sat in a circle and got our certificates and talked about the trip. The company left and we went swimming, dumped the water from the water bottle, and had an amazing lunch outside. It felt amazing with everybody just swimming there with such a sense of accomplishment and that we did it together.  We concluded everything by 2:30 and were on our way to a different kibbutz for Simchat Torah. And that is my Sea to Sea.

Some questions that get brought up on this trip is how does this experience strengthen my Jewish identity and my connection to the land of Israel. As I mentioned earlier I really saw the roots of where my people were from and that I got to grow as a person, learn new things, and get out of my comfort zone. This also represents walking in the desert to obtain our freedom and that pain that we suffered. I also got to be with a lot of good people during Sukkot that helped strengthen my identity. Every day I spend with these people strengthens my Jewish identity but this was just amplified. It also works with the holiday because when you put your phone down for a while you connect with people and with god and with earth. And most important with yourself. This was a wonderful experience and I am glad I went from sea to shining sea.