I asked the group to give me one lasting impression from the first half of our trip. This does not include today, our first day in Jerusalem. Here’s what they came up with. I’ll accompany them with pictures when I can. Enjoy!
Amy – My highlight has been to witness the joy, exuberance, warmth and beauty of the Ethiopian dancing girls.
Heidi – Although I have had many highlights, my favorite was our hospitality dinner on the kibbutz. I learned a lot about the lifestyle on the kibbutz and it made it very real for me.
Brad – Almost impossible to choose 1 highlight , BUT the dinner with Amir and Moran, a 28 year old couple who have been married less than a month, was memorable. They were so down to earth and REAL. We live thousands of miles apart yet we share many of the same interests and values. An experience I’ll remember many years from now.
Howie – One constant through the first four days of our trip has been the quality of the people we have met. Whether picking turnips or sitting around the dinner table, the conversation has been relaxed and engaging. Everyone we have met has been warm, and inviting, and interested in our thoughts on everything.
Kim – In the first four days of our trip, I have had an “Aha!” moment that has resonated everywhere we have gone so far. I am starting to view being “Jewish” in terms of a land, a culture, as well as a religion. My personal view of what it means to be Jewish is shifting as I see & hear all of the beautiful things I am experiencing in Israel.
Erin – I am so happy to finally see Israel. Though there have been many amazing moments, I know the highlight o the trip for me will be Jerusalem. I have been counting down the hours and can’t wait to go there.
Julia – The first days of this amazing trip have given me the opportunity to understand Israel from a more historical perspective AND has touched me on a very personal level through working with and talking to kids and teens, experiencing Kibbutz life, and having dinner with an Israeli family to compare and discuss our very similar thoughts and lives many miles apart.
Margo – “Kol Yisrael, Aravim Zch la Zeh.” Each of us are responsible…one for the other. It is a true gift to experience our group coming to understand this concept through this experience. We are all members of this family. Their children are our children. Their blessings and burdens are ours. We have a shared collective memory. and an eye towards a future of peace.
Michelle – The most amazing story I have so far is when we were in the the turnip fields and I was talking with Salame in both Hebrew and English. We were having so much fun learning from one another. She learned, “Hey! Hey! Hey!” It was fabulous.
