At Mt. Herzl
By Daniel Kliman (Washington, DC)
The last morning began with a trip to Israel’s military cemetery on Mt. Herzl. Entering the cemetery, the noise of Jerusalem fell away. In silence lay the heroes of Israel.
Walking alongside rows of lovingly maintained graves, I experienced a range of emotions.
Grief: the soldiers who gave the ultimate sacrifice for Israel were so young. For many, life ended at 18, 19, 20. With each perished an entire world – their hopes, dreams, and the family that might have been.
Awe: the courage of men and women, many younger than myself, was inspiring. Michael Levin’s story struck a particular cord. An America oleh, Michael Levin set aside a comfortable life to join the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces). Like so many other solider, he died so that a Jewish state might live.
Frustration: Israel emerged from the ashes of the Holocaust only because its citizens were willing to pay the ultimate price. The geography of Mt Herzl symbolizes this: the graves of the soldiers and Yad Vashem and the memorial to Theodore Herzl, Zionism’s leading visionary. More than 60 year later, the geography of Mt Herzl still describes Israel’s precarious existence. The Jewish state would cease to exist if not for the sacrifices of its people. Little has changed.
Resolve: services in the military imbues the lives of Israelis with meaning. They serve a cause larger than themselves. As American Jews, it is easy to focus on our narrow personal goals. Standing amidst Israel’s heroes, my resolve to live a life of meaning was reinforced.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Taglit-Birthright Israel: DC Community Trip Day 9
Hiking Masada
By Max Spitulnick (Potomac, MD)
Transitioning from the Bedouin camels to the beauty of the Masada mountain was no easy task at 4:30 in the morning, but well worth it. Black as the night could be, we ascended the “Roman Path” with 4 other group as if we were following Moses out of the desert. I was dehydrated, sleep deprived, and had a blasting headache from the horrible French singing all night long. I kept asking myself, why are we doing this horrible hike?
In the end, it turned out to be one of the most rewarding experiences of my trip. On the top of the mountain, I closed my eyes and was able to hear such a vast array of sounds of the Jews who fled to this mountain in efforts to escape the Romans - screaming, terrorizing everyday living, scrambling footsteps and more.
I sat within the walls of a water cistern and touched with my bare hand a piece of architecture made by the Jews over 2000 years ago. We explored the bath house, the aqueduct filtration system and several other components which were used by the Jews for survival. It really was an inspiring experience for me.
Finally, after hearing the most incredible ending to a story I’ve ever heard (if you don’t know it, you should really check it out) – we made our way back down through the Snake path, crisscrossing through sideways baths and half completed crossings. It was a wonderful experience – ps, we all missed Shaun.
The Dead Sea
By Stephanie Grow (Washington, DC)
We approached the Dead Sea by bus and marched towards the changing rooms filled with trepidation. "I hear it hurts," could be heard by everyone as we assessed our numerous cuts, scrapes and bruises. "Do you think it's worth it?" was asked as we paid our two shekels to change into our bathing suits and headed down to the hot sand. We marched down to the water in 40 degree Celsius heat and looked out at a gorgeous blue body of water. It looked harmless, and inviting, after a long day of hiking Masada.
The members of the group that were the most adventurous stepped in first, navigating the rocks in our brand new water shoes. We took a few more steps, turned our backs to the sea and leaned back. Everyone's jaws dropped as we became instantly buoyant. The water, warmer than bathwater, held us, suspended and floating nearly against our will. If we tried to sink, we couldn't. If you moved around too much, you ran the risk of splashing oily salty water in someone’s eyes. How does floating like that feel? Like laying on a bouncing trampoline, or like we were totally weightless. It was the most amazing feeling. Does it burn? Oh hell yes. Was it worth it? Most definitely.
By Max Spitulnick (Potomac, MD)
Transitioning from the Bedouin camels to the beauty of the Masada mountain was no easy task at 4:30 in the morning, but well worth it. Black as the night could be, we ascended the “Roman Path” with 4 other group as if we were following Moses out of the desert. I was dehydrated, sleep deprived, and had a blasting headache from the horrible French singing all night long. I kept asking myself, why are we doing this horrible hike?
In the end, it turned out to be one of the most rewarding experiences of my trip. On the top of the mountain, I closed my eyes and was able to hear such a vast array of sounds of the Jews who fled to this mountain in efforts to escape the Romans - screaming, terrorizing everyday living, scrambling footsteps and more.
I sat within the walls of a water cistern and touched with my bare hand a piece of architecture made by the Jews over 2000 years ago. We explored the bath house, the aqueduct filtration system and several other components which were used by the Jews for survival. It really was an inspiring experience for me.
Finally, after hearing the most incredible ending to a story I’ve ever heard (if you don’t know it, you should really check it out) – we made our way back down through the Snake path, crisscrossing through sideways baths and half completed crossings. It was a wonderful experience – ps, we all missed Shaun.
The Dead Sea
By Stephanie Grow (Washington, DC)
We approached the Dead Sea by bus and marched towards the changing rooms filled with trepidation. "I hear it hurts," could be heard by everyone as we assessed our numerous cuts, scrapes and bruises. "Do you think it's worth it?" was asked as we paid our two shekels to change into our bathing suits and headed down to the hot sand. We marched down to the water in 40 degree Celsius heat and looked out at a gorgeous blue body of water. It looked harmless, and inviting, after a long day of hiking Masada.
The members of the group that were the most adventurous stepped in first, navigating the rocks in our brand new water shoes. We took a few more steps, turned our backs to the sea and leaned back. Everyone's jaws dropped as we became instantly buoyant. The water, warmer than bathwater, held us, suspended and floating nearly against our will. If we tried to sink, we couldn't. If you moved around too much, you ran the risk of splashing oily salty water in someone’s eyes. How does floating like that feel? Like laying on a bouncing trampoline, or like we were totally weightless. It was the most amazing feeling. Does it burn? Oh hell yes. Was it worth it? Most definitely.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Photos from Israel
Members of the Taglit-Birthright Israel: DC Community Trip Volunteering at our Partnership 2000 community, Beit Shemesh.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Taglit-Birthright Israel: DC Community Trip Day 7
The Sabbath Day in Israel
By Brian Scheur (Rockville, MD)
For most of us, we haven't been to a Shabbat service led by a peer since our Bar or Bat Mitzvahs over a decade ago. Maybe that's why our Shabbat service in Israel was so special. For some, it was the first Shabbat service they ever attended and for others it was their first in years. Regardless of how often each of us attends shul or recognizes the sabbath, this was likely to be a day we won't soon forget.
Friday Night Services
Our service was led by three individuals from our group, Clark Hagen, Daniel Kilman, and Jon Kushner. After soaking in the entire day, Jon spent a few minutes discussing the experience of leading a service with me.
It had been over two years since he had last led a service. Prior to that it was his Bar Mitzvah back in the mid-nineties. He described the experience as inspiring. Leading his fellow peers and a group of people he was a stranger to just a few days ago added to the experience. He felt the support offered to him by Daniel and Clark aided the calming of his nerves and once they were into the service, everything seemed to just click.
Jon continued to describe the evening as an elevated experience because of the location (on a kibbutz in Israel) and stated that it was one of the few times he really felt connected to Judaism. Of course, this trip is not just about experiences, it's about learning from those experiences. Jon felt he learned to really embrace the sabbath. After spending a relaxing sabbath at the kibbutz, he really felt the significance between the work week and a special day of rest.
Sabbath Day
After several succesive early mornings, we all ushered in the sabbath day by sleeping in. When we finally met as a large group, we broke into smaller groups to discuss the week's parsha (Torah portion).
The portion we talked about involved Moses' final message to his followers as they approached Israel. He recited the laws that were passed down from G-d that were important for the Jews to follow. Specifically, we talked about kashrut (keeping kosher) and the origins of some of those guidelines.
The day continued with everyone relaxing around the kibbutz. Most spent time by the pool sunning and swimming. Others took this day as an opportunity to catch up or get ahead on sleep as the rest of the trip is going to seem like a sprint after the slow pace of the sabbath day.
Conclusion of Shabbat
The day ended with a challenging exercise where everyone was forced to confront several moral and political issues that have challenged Jews and Israeli politics for the past seven decades.
Lastly, we had one final service to conclude, havdallah. Daniel took leadership again as we sang, prayed and enjoyed each other's company for the last time on our first sabbath in Israel.
It was a fitting conclusion to a day filled with rest and relaxation without the stresses of a tight schedule or of the busy-ness that surrounds most of our Washington DC lives.
By Brian Scheur (Rockville, MD)
For most of us, we haven't been to a Shabbat service led by a peer since our Bar or Bat Mitzvahs over a decade ago. Maybe that's why our Shabbat service in Israel was so special. For some, it was the first Shabbat service they ever attended and for others it was their first in years. Regardless of how often each of us attends shul or recognizes the sabbath, this was likely to be a day we won't soon forget.
Friday Night Services
Our service was led by three individuals from our group, Clark Hagen, Daniel Kilman, and Jon Kushner. After soaking in the entire day, Jon spent a few minutes discussing the experience of leading a service with me.
It had been over two years since he had last led a service. Prior to that it was his Bar Mitzvah back in the mid-nineties. He described the experience as inspiring. Leading his fellow peers and a group of people he was a stranger to just a few days ago added to the experience. He felt the support offered to him by Daniel and Clark aided the calming of his nerves and once they were into the service, everything seemed to just click.
Jon continued to describe the evening as an elevated experience because of the location (on a kibbutz in Israel) and stated that it was one of the few times he really felt connected to Judaism. Of course, this trip is not just about experiences, it's about learning from those experiences. Jon felt he learned to really embrace the sabbath. After spending a relaxing sabbath at the kibbutz, he really felt the significance between the work week and a special day of rest.
Sabbath Day
After several succesive early mornings, we all ushered in the sabbath day by sleeping in. When we finally met as a large group, we broke into smaller groups to discuss the week's parsha (Torah portion).
The portion we talked about involved Moses' final message to his followers as they approached Israel. He recited the laws that were passed down from G-d that were important for the Jews to follow. Specifically, we talked about kashrut (keeping kosher) and the origins of some of those guidelines.
The day continued with everyone relaxing around the kibbutz. Most spent time by the pool sunning and swimming. Others took this day as an opportunity to catch up or get ahead on sleep as the rest of the trip is going to seem like a sprint after the slow pace of the sabbath day.
Conclusion of Shabbat
The day ended with a challenging exercise where everyone was forced to confront several moral and political issues that have challenged Jews and Israeli politics for the past seven decades.
Lastly, we had one final service to conclude, havdallah. Daniel took leadership again as we sang, prayed and enjoyed each other's company for the last time on our first sabbath in Israel.
It was a fitting conclusion to a day filled with rest and relaxation without the stresses of a tight schedule or of the busy-ness that surrounds most of our Washington DC lives.
Taglit-Birthright Israel: DC Community Trip Day 6
The Golan Heights
"See that country there, there and there"
By Max Spitulnick
I'll begin giving away the ending: they all hate Israel. Clearly, it's not that simple but that's what it boils down to. As we all sat on top of the Golan Heights listening to Itzik, I couldn't help but ask myself, "Why all the turmoil?" Again, there is no clear answer, but as one of our Israeli friends put it "This is the same question that every eight-year-old Israeli asks. After that, you just stop asking." Seeing the international border of Syria and Israel, and seeing them from the Golan Heights, brings the conflict just that much closer. It is easy to see the strategic importance of holding onto higher ground and it is beautiful up there. Even though I was sitting in a bunker on top of a much-fought-over mountain range, looking over Israel and Syria simultaneously, I couldn't help but enjoy the view.
Just looking at Israel from a bus window is great, driving through the Bible is excellent, but everyone says that in order to understand the land, you have to walk it. So we did. We hiked down a mountain and along the Gilabon stream. We then walked back up and got on the bus. It was very hot. Jews are still the best. They certainly still rock.
"See that country there, there and there"
By Max Spitulnick
I'll begin giving away the ending: they all hate Israel. Clearly, it's not that simple but that's what it boils down to. As we all sat on top of the Golan Heights listening to Itzik, I couldn't help but ask myself, "Why all the turmoil?" Again, there is no clear answer, but as one of our Israeli friends put it "This is the same question that every eight-year-old Israeli asks. After that, you just stop asking." Seeing the international border of Syria and Israel, and seeing them from the Golan Heights, brings the conflict just that much closer. It is easy to see the strategic importance of holding onto higher ground and it is beautiful up there. Even though I was sitting in a bunker on top of a much-fought-over mountain range, looking over Israel and Syria simultaneously, I couldn't help but enjoy the view.
Just looking at Israel from a bus window is great, driving through the Bible is excellent, but everyone says that in order to understand the land, you have to walk it. So we did. We hiked down a mountain and along the Gilabon stream. We then walked back up and got on the bus. It was very hot. Jews are still the best. They certainly still rock.
Taglit-Birthright Israel: DC Community Trip Day 5
Tsfat and a Man Named Avraham
By Eshkar Vesler (Herzliya, Israel)
Writing a blog is something new to me, and I hope I can handle it. Let me tell you about Avraham or "awesome" or whatever we would like to call him. After sitting in his shop for something like 20 minutes, more or less, and listening to his life story I found myself getting confused. I'll tell you that the experience made me uncomfortable. It was not just that he repeated the word "awesome" a million times - it was because I knew that it was the first time that many of the people in our group had an experience with Kaballah. I'm Israeli and Jewish and it's only like 5 or 6 years that Kaballah has been trendy - in Israel and around the world. Most of you probably have heard about Madonna and other celebrities' relationships with Kaballah.
I find myself to be a curious person and took lessons to understand what Kaballah is. I found that there really are great main ideas in Kaballah, which means "receiving." From my point of view, that day was dissapointing, but after speaking with the Americans in the group, I see that he influenced everyone and made them think about this belief system and methodology and enlightened everyone and made them want to explore the subject. I was really impressed by everyone's openness and respectful observations. Moreover, I thought that the discussions and debates were really mature and polite. I hope that we, the Israelis, can learn this from you.
By Eshkar Vesler (Herzliya, Israel)
Writing a blog is something new to me, and I hope I can handle it. Let me tell you about Avraham or "awesome" or whatever we would like to call him. After sitting in his shop for something like 20 minutes, more or less, and listening to his life story I found myself getting confused. I'll tell you that the experience made me uncomfortable. It was not just that he repeated the word "awesome" a million times - it was because I knew that it was the first time that many of the people in our group had an experience with Kaballah. I'm Israeli and Jewish and it's only like 5 or 6 years that Kaballah has been trendy - in Israel and around the world. Most of you probably have heard about Madonna and other celebrities' relationships with Kaballah.
I find myself to be a curious person and took lessons to understand what Kaballah is. I found that there really are great main ideas in Kaballah, which means "receiving." From my point of view, that day was dissapointing, but after speaking with the Americans in the group, I see that he influenced everyone and made them think about this belief system and methodology and enlightened everyone and made them want to explore the subject. I was really impressed by everyone's openness and respectful observations. Moreover, I thought that the discussions and debates were really mature and polite. I hope that we, the Israelis, can learn this from you.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Taglit-Birthright Israel: DC Community Trip Day 4
August 13, 2009
By Anne Ruchman (Washington, DC) and Omri Sagir (Jerusalem)
In the morning we walked around the port city of Jaffa. There we learned about ancient life in the land of Israel. Later at the Hall of Independence, we had the opportunity to learn more recent history and see where this Jewish state was founded.
After leaving the Hall of Independence, where the young nation born, we continued to Rabin Square, where a part of it died with the assassination of one of Israel's greatest leaders and ambassadors of peace.
While stopped for lunch on our way up north, we managed to get ourselves turned around and were heckled by a fellow American enjoying a drippy McDonald's soft serve ice cream cone. The American turned out to be none other than the Majority Leaders of the US House of Representatives, Steny Hoyer. The Congressman joined our bus to share a few thoughts on the importance of the state of Israel and the responsibility of American Jews.
By Anne Ruchman (Washington, DC) and Omri Sagir (Jerusalem)
In the morning we walked around the port city of Jaffa. There we learned about ancient life in the land of Israel. Later at the Hall of Independence, we had the opportunity to learn more recent history and see where this Jewish state was founded.
After leaving the Hall of Independence, where the young nation born, we continued to Rabin Square, where a part of it died with the assassination of one of Israel's greatest leaders and ambassadors of peace.
While stopped for lunch on our way up north, we managed to get ourselves turned around and were heckled by a fellow American enjoying a drippy McDonald's soft serve ice cream cone. The American turned out to be none other than the Majority Leaders of the US House of Representatives, Steny Hoyer. The Congressman joined our bus to share a few thoughts on the importance of the state of Israel and the responsibility of American Jews.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Taglit-Birthright Israel: DC Community Trip Day 3
By Gabrielle Lake (Arlington, VA)
After breakfast, we headed toward Yad Vashem, Israel's Holocaust memorial and museum, about 15 minutes outside Jerusalem. Translated as the "Memorial of Names", Yad Vashem focuses on the personal stories of Jews and their lives prior to the war until after the liberation of the camps. Our visit was originally supposed to include testimony from a survivor, but she was unfortunately not able to make it. Instead, we watched the filmed testimony of a Greek Jew who recounted the experience of his family and the love story he shared with a fellow Greek woman in the concentration camp. After the film, we were guided by the granddaughter of a survivor, who intertwined the stories of her grandmother and other survivors she had met with the museum's exhibit. We also visited the children's memorial, commemorating the lives of the 1.5 million children killed.
From there we headed to Beit Shemesh to experience life through the eyes of Israeli children. Beit Shemesh is the partner city of Washington, DC (through Partnership 2000), and both cities regularly participate in cultural and volunteer exchanges. There we went to a kibbutz and volunteered with a group of 50 children. We did arts and crafts, cooked, played Frisbee, and helped them improve their English with games of Simon Says.
From the kibbutz, we went to Tel Aviv, checked into the hotel, and enjoyed an evening out at a bar on the Mediterranean Sea.
After breakfast, we headed toward Yad Vashem, Israel's Holocaust memorial and museum, about 15 minutes outside Jerusalem. Translated as the "Memorial of Names", Yad Vashem focuses on the personal stories of Jews and their lives prior to the war until after the liberation of the camps. Our visit was originally supposed to include testimony from a survivor, but she was unfortunately not able to make it. Instead, we watched the filmed testimony of a Greek Jew who recounted the experience of his family and the love story he shared with a fellow Greek woman in the concentration camp. After the film, we were guided by the granddaughter of a survivor, who intertwined the stories of her grandmother and other survivors she had met with the museum's exhibit. We also visited the children's memorial, commemorating the lives of the 1.5 million children killed.
From there we headed to Beit Shemesh to experience life through the eyes of Israeli children. Beit Shemesh is the partner city of Washington, DC (through Partnership 2000), and both cities regularly participate in cultural and volunteer exchanges. There we went to a kibbutz and volunteered with a group of 50 children. We did arts and crafts, cooked, played Frisbee, and helped them improve their English with games of Simon Says.
From the kibbutz, we went to Tel Aviv, checked into the hotel, and enjoyed an evening out at a bar on the Mediterranean Sea.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Taglit-Birthright Israel: DC Community Trip Day 2
"A Holy Uncomfortable Experience"
By Max Spitulnick (Potomac, MD), Brian Spitulnick (Potomac, MD), Jonathan Kushner(Washington, DC)
Our first stop today was a network of caves the Jews used over 2000 years ago. To get to the caves, 48 over-educated, over-fed Jews (us) crawled, shimmied, spiraled, and slithered our way through passages far too narrow for comfort. In the end, it turned out to be a claustrophobic, mud covered, highly informative experience that powerfully connected us to our history.
The dark twisting caves of 2000 years ago gave way to the falafel and Judaica shops of Ben Yehuda Street. We spent our hard earned American dollars and enjoyed our first free time in Israel (incidentally, free time in Jerusalem tastes like fried chick peas and hummmus).
Our final destination was the Old City of Jerusalem. We perused the ancient street known as the "Cardo," now the heart of the Old City, marked by ancient Roman archways and ruins.
Walking from the Jewish quarter of the city to the Western Wall provided each of us with a unique blend of anticipation, excitement, and even anxiety. Everyone seemed to have a fixed notion of what they should be feeling at the Wall. What we found was an undeniable connection to our culture, our heritage, and to each other.
As we write this blog, max, Kush and I are chatting with fellow travelers and watching several members dance like baboons to the beats of Missy Elliot and Justin Timberlake. All in all, a great second day! And I love Jews. They rock. Totes.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Another Perspective on Day 1 in Israel
By Will Rothstein
As we arrive at the Philadelphia airport a wave of faces emerge. Along with many new faces comes a new adventure. Some of us have yet to travel to Israel, and with the adventure comes a certain amount of excitement and curiosity.
Security checkpoints and delays brought skepticism and nervousness to those with short travel resumes. Others are aware of the uncertainty of traveling to a distant land. A ten-hour flight and it was official, we had landed in Tel Aviv.
Our adventure had begun! A bus driver and our Israeli escorts greeted us at the airport in Tel Aviv. This trip not only permits us to visit the many beautiful sights in Israel, but we have the opportunity to bond with an eclectic group of professionals, students and Israelis. I look forward to this bonding experience as much as the physical landmarks. There is much more to come, stay tuned!
As we arrive at the Philadelphia airport a wave of faces emerge. Along with many new faces comes a new adventure. Some of us have yet to travel to Israel, and with the adventure comes a certain amount of excitement and curiosity.
Security checkpoints and delays brought skepticism and nervousness to those with short travel resumes. Others are aware of the uncertainty of traveling to a distant land. A ten-hour flight and it was official, we had landed in Tel Aviv.
Our adventure had begun! A bus driver and our Israeli escorts greeted us at the airport in Tel Aviv. This trip not only permits us to visit the many beautiful sights in Israel, but we have the opportunity to bond with an eclectic group of professionals, students and Israelis. I look forward to this bonding experience as much as the physical landmarks. There is much more to come, stay tuned!
Monday, August 10, 2009
Taglit-Birthright Israel: DC Community Trip Day 1
By Sara Burns and Laura Malamud
We are so excited to be in Israel!!!
After a bit of a rain delay (aka pretty intense thunderstorm) and 10 hours of flying, we touched down in Tel Aviv. We were welcomed by enthusiastic singing Israeli friends, fresh fruit, and Capri Suns (Israeli Style - kinda sweet!!). We then set off to Jerusalem and got our first taste of traffic. But when we pulled up to the hill overlooking the Haas Promenade, we knew we had finally arrived. We snapped some pictures and gathered to hear about Abraham and the first time Jerusalem is mentioned in the Bible. We also heard a poem about the quirkiness of being an Israeli tourist. We then finished with a quick welcome ceremony, and jumped around in circles as a group cheering "brother" and "happiness." In Hebrew. Then it was off to the hotel and a tasty buffet dinner. We really enjoyed the hummus - and expect to be eating a lot more of it.
After dinner we all took much needed showers, and then got to know each other better playing those cheesy but helpful games - the ones involving sitting together in circles. By the end of the night - at least one of us (go Gaby!) could remember every one's name. We are a diverse group and look forward to learning more about each other over the next 10 days.
That's all for now. Goodnight.
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