Happy new year! Shana tova! Or Happy Silvester, as they say in Tel Aviv. After a night celebrating the new year, we awoke bright and early to head to Mount Bental, on the border of Syria and Lebanon. Now a popular tourist destination, the mountain housed a military outpost for multiple wars.
We learned about the Yom Kippur war and were lucky enough to hear from our amazing tour guide Maxi about his experience in the IDF special forces . A bunker still remains, embedded in the mountain, that we were able to explore.
Then we headed to tour an olive press in Golan. Besides making innovative and delicious olive oil, they make fully natural cosmetic cosmetic products from the “waste” from the production process – olive flesh and pit – that would pollute the land if discarded.
We obviously got to sample their oils, creams, and washes! We were lucky enough to hear from the owner himself about Israeli enterprise and his thoughts on peace in Israel.
After a delicious lunch at the factory, we visited two more lookout points. At one, we learned about the 500 million birds that migrate through Israel each year.
On the way to Mishmar Emek, a kibbutz in St. Louis’ partner region Yokneam-Meggido, we drove along the border of Israel and Lebanon while learning more about the border’s history.
At Mishmar Emek, two young Israeli kibbutzniks (members of the kibbutz) showed us around and told us all about kibbutz life.
After hearing so many amazing stories and seeing such great sites, tomorrow will be a more solemn day as we go to Yad Vashem and Mt. Herzl. Because of that, we will spend some time tonight talking about our own personal experiences with the holocaust and what we expect to get out of visiting the museum.