Dan DeFossey's Blog

Day 10: It's so hard to say goodbye

Date Created: Jan 12, 2005, 04:08 AM

We woke at 8:30 AM. I was SO tired--- it was starting to hit me that I had very little sleep. Almost everyone was sick and i was looking forward to resting in my own bed. I wasn't looking forward to saying goodbye and having to go through the process of reflection and looking ahead to go back to school. We met around 9 AM in the hotel conference room. Each one of us went around and reflected on our experience in the past ten days. It was hard for me, because even now, I am still processing everything and will into the future. More on that later. It was great to hear the experiences of the others, and Max was very brave to tell the group he was disappointed because the whole Palestinian- Israel issue was totally one sided. We only got to hear the Israeli position, which was expected, but I was disappointed we were not challenged in our dilemmas from the other side. A few comments were negative, but most of the group talked about how the trip really changed them. I don't know if it changed me, but I am coming home from the holy land a better person.
The day was filled with light activities. I decided to burn CD's of my 350 pictures for the entire group-- this was time consuming, but not too hard. All day I was carrying around the laptop with Jon in tow with the blank CD's. Jon was my wingman the entire trip with my camera, jacket, backpack, laptop, cord, batteries, water bottle, hat, etc. etc. etc.
We stopped at the mall, which was very much like an American mall, except there were original stores that are not in Israel. it was so nice to not see so much American capitalism in Israel and this held true for most of the places. Israeli people owned Israeli companies that bring the profit back to the country instead of an American conglomerate. There was a McDonald's, however, and it served Shwarma... my first and true love (next to a Taco Pirata). We went through security going into the mall, which made me feel much safer. I really did not feel unsafe the entire trip-- Israel is great place to visit.
Later on, we went to Independence Hall where a famous speech was made by David Ben-Gurion in 1948 declaring Israel's independence and starting the 1948 war. I had to find a plug in the lobby to continue burning CD's, so I missed most of it.
The evening started to set in and goodbyes were imminent. I was spending the final hours cutting the group's farewell video and just talking with the new friends I had made. I knew I would see Doreen and Jon because they live in Manhattan, but Ashly, Whitney and Gabe live out west-- and people live in Israel or Indiana, Chicago, etc. I was getting very sad. We stopped at Rabin square, where Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assasinated.
We spent the rest of the evening in Jaffa, the old city that served as an important port. Napoleon attempted to conquer it, but failed miserably at the hands of the Ottoman empire. We did a bit of shopping then had our final dinner at a local restaurant. Then, we gathered together to watch the final video I cut and the pictures that have been posted on the web blog.
It was time to go to the airport. It was hard, because the people who were extending their trips were planning their week. I was not too happy, because I had to be in Texas by Thursday, so every time I heard their plans to go to Egypt or Eilat or to travel in the muslim quarter of Jerusalem, I got upset-- I didn't want to leave this magnificant country with so much to offer. The goodbyes were hard, but I didn't want to spend much time on them. "Keep in touch" really meant "have a nice life" to some of the people I said goodbye to. I may never see them again.
Went through security at the airport and sat at a bar, plugged in my computer and finished blogging. Now I am about 2 hours from home, and these are my final thoughts:

I left on this trip because I wanted to know what it meant to be Jewish. Everyone kept on telling me that i was because my mother was, and I never really understood why until this trip. You don't have to recite the Torah or go to Synagogue every week to be Jewish. It's a philisophy of life-- it's a state of being. It's a connection you hold with millions of people all over the world. It's an identity. The two times I went to synagogue in my life, I felt very uncomfortable and thought that I did not belong in this house of worship. People were standing up and sitting down and speaking in a language I did not understand. Well, that was no longer a problem for me because I immediately had an amazing connection with 37 other people and 7 people that lived 6,000 miles away. Being Jewish is about not believing there is an absolute truth-- not making judgments on people and not dividing people. Jewish people are loving, caring and want to see the world a better place. Being Jewish is being positive- loving your family and being good to your friends. Being Jewish is about giving to people and seeing the returns come later. Being Jewish is about believing in fate, believing in miracles and allowing yourself to let go to the will of God. Kaballah says that everything happens for a reason. I came to Israel for a reason and explored my Jewish identity for a reason. I touched the wall. I visited places where miracles were made. I met my Israeli brother. I became instant friends with total strangers. And for that, I thank God.

Israel > Day 10: It's so hard to say goodbye

Day 9: The South to Tel Aviv

Date Created: Jan 12, 2005, 01:56 AM

So, at two o'clock in the morning, a fatal thing occurred that is still a mystery. The heater was no longer heating the tent and literally it was 5 below. Everyone began waking up and grabbing anything that was near them to keep warm. I couldn't sleep because I was so cold. It was cool to be in a bedoin tent, but honestly, I was so ready to be back in a warm hotel room with hot water and heat. 4 o'clock came around and it was time to get up and hike Mosada-- promising to be one of the most promising activities of the trip. The lines went outside the bathroom as people brushed teeth, took care of their business and did the minimal grooming. It was SO COLD. The Jewish bedoins provided us graham crackers and tea then we boarded the bus to take the 1 1/2 hour drive.

the bus was very quiet for the drive, but we arrived at Mosada to of course, a mega amount of buses full of birthright people. The hike up took only about 15 minutes. I was concerned that the sun would rise before we got to the top. Mosada is a biblical place where King Harrod built a villiage and his vacation home. The Romans advanced and took a long time to get onto the mountain, so they built a bridge that took four years to build. The Jewish people watched this happen until the Romans were ready to conquer, pillage and burn the town. They were definitely overmatched, so the village leaders decided that the 900 plus people would die instead of being subjugated to the Roman legions. They chose ten men to commit homicide. The next morning, the Roman army did take Mosada-- but found everyone in the village dead, except for a mother and her two sons that decided to escape.
We climbed to the summit just before sunrise. It was incredible. In front was the dead sea, the lowest point on earth, and behind it was the Jordanian mountains. We were looking at what once was Israel's enemy, but today a partner for peace. The sights were amazing. I couldn't believe where I was.

The sun rose behind the mountains for my first sunrise in a very long time. I love sunrises because dawn is so peaceful. Everything comes to a halt, even in Manhattan. People move slower and things are much quieter. It was the same at Mosada, although there were about 1,000 birthright people there. At about 6:40 AM, The sun rose gently behind the mountains. It was great to see that, but even better that I was seeing it in solidarity with my friends, both Israeli and American. Sitting on that wall was full of power that enveloped me.

For the rest of the morning, we toured the buildings of Masada. I was not tired at all, which was surprising having only 3 hours of sleep in 2 days. The buildings were filled with history. As I walked through each room, I envisioned how life was like in BC. Was there a good quality of life? Were people happy? Were they as complicated as we are today? Seems like our priorities have changed dramatically in 2000 years. We then took a long descent down the "snake road" to a shopping area where we bought soveniors and products from the Dead Sea for our friends and family.

Our next stop on this incredibly long day was to Ein Gedi, a natural spring that is also famous from the bible. Ein Gedi contains a cave that was famous for David's fight with Goliath. Of course we were greeted again by mega amounts of tour buses, but we were used to it already. I was really glad to be hanging out with the Israelis that were on our trip. As we walked to different sites, we would engage in amazing conversations about life, history and culture in both the United States and Israel. The soldiers would enjoy talking about their life in the military and their dreams for when they get out. We walked to a few waterfalls where the most brave took a swim in the cold, but fresh water. It was cool to see- and very funny when Ariel, one of the Israeli soldiers, took a bet that he would put his head underwater in an algae infested pond. It was gross, but the crazy guy did it-- I head so many stories about him during the week. The best was that he flipped over a Hummer and had to spend time in Army jail for it. How do you flip over a hummer? We departed and went over to what was to be one of the top highlights of my vacation- a trip to the dead sea.

We had a delicious lunch then headed down to the Dead Sea for an afternoon of swimming. I heard some horror stories about how if you have cuts or bruises, or if you put your head in the water, it would be very painful. I didn't mind-- it was SOOO cool to be able to float in water. I was destined not just to float on it, but I was going to test if I was the messiah and attempt to walk on it as well.
Anyway, we got to the beach and took me a real long time to go in the water. It was cold and I was a little worried about specific body parts being in pain. I eventually got in and yes it was everything and more than I expected. I really just floated on top of the water-- it was like one big seat. Also, I was not worried about crabs and fish because it is the dead sea. Nothing lives in it. The water is 30% salt while the Atlantic is only 4%. Not to be vulgar, but my ass started to hurt big time. It is the only exposed hole in the water and the burn was crazy. I got used to it after a while and just had a great time floating-- what was more amazing was I was only miles from the Jordan border. Josh and I decided we were going to plot a way to swim over there. The plot didn't work. The last thing I did was try to walk on the water, but unfortunately I fell in.

Our crazy day kept on going with a trip to ride a camel. it was late-- the sun was setting and the group was getting tired. We weren't the only ones that were tired. The camels we were supposed to ride revolted. They would not ride any more people-- they put up a good fight and the camel rides were ditched. Instead, we wrote letters in ancient hebrew and saw some cheesy skit about some guy who thought he was Moses. We had a very unfulfilling dinner in yet another bedolin tent and were on our way to our last stop of the trip to Tel Aviv.
We arrived at the hotel around 7:00. I burned some CD's for Aviad then took a quick 45 minute nap. Since it was our last night together, we decided to hit a local bar-- we were so tired but nothing was going to stop us from spending these last days with our new friends. We were so close now-- and the sadness was sinking in that we had to say goodbye in a little less than 24 hours. We headed out to the club on foot and had a great time dancing with everyone, both Israelis and Americans... It was so great. On the way home, I was horsing around a bit with our medic. I decided that I was going to convince him that I was going to run to Jordan-- because I always wanted to visit Amman. I took off in a sprint down the street as the medic with his automatic rifle took off with me. It was hysterical! We attempted to order pizza, and tried to find a shwarma shop, but both attempts failed. We went to sleep around 4:00 AM, exactly 24 hours after we woke up to hike Masada.

Israel > Day 9: The South to Tel Aviv

Day 8: Jerusalem and South

Date Created: Jan 11, 2005, 04:16 PM

Day 8 was probably the most trying day of the tour. Many in the group were extremely exhausted from a long evening at the mega club. The place was supposed to be the best in the Middle East, but personally, I thought it was small, the decor was a bit dry and drinks were ridiculously expensive. One of our group ordered a double scotch and it came out to 96 sheckels (the equivalent of almost $24). We got home at around 2 AM and the NFL football games were on in the hotel. It IS the playoffs. By 3 AM, about 10 of us were there with a bottle of wine and a long night ahead. The Jets were up, but everyone bailed by 4 PM. If I was a die hard, I would stay up the whole night-- and that I did. I hung out with some guys from the IDF and hooted and hollered until I fell asleep most of the way through the 2nd quarter. I woke up just in time for the fourth and literally watched the sun rise as the Jets were finishing up in overtime.
Point is, I had no sleep and our first scheduled meeting was with a holocaust survivor. It was a painful morning, but nothing compared with the pain and suffering she conveyed because of a horrible episode she had to endure sixty years before. She was from Holland, and lost her sister and father in the Holocaust. She was also good friends with Anne Frank, and told us about Anne and her family. Hannah's parents used to socialize with them before the Holocaust began. Hannah left for Israel after the war with help from Mr. Frank-- I couldn't stop thinking about the other countries that never let Jews in- but Israel was there to accept them. Six million Jews were killed in the Holocaust, but the ones that survived had no place to go until the gates of Israel were opened.
After the emotional meeting, we boarded the buses for our first stop- Yad Vashim, the Holocaust Museum of Jerusalem. It was quite different from the one in Washington-- a bit more subtle and historical. It did not try to "stick it to you" like at the one in DC. They didn't have piles of shoes-- and it did not smell like a gas chamber. It was simple and symbolic. We took a walk over to a replica of a train on a fragmented tressel. Then, we walked over to the main museum. It was old and deteriorating, but a new building was being constructed next door. We then moved over to the section dedicated to children who perished-- and this was the most moving part of the entire museum. They had candles and mirrors that represented the one million children that died in the holocaust. It was something else. There were two speakers naming each child that died-- their age and where they were from. I wanted to well up with tears, but honestly, the holocaust has numbed me. I have watched so many movies, heard school lectures, took an entire class on it in college and visited numerous museums. I have watched it on the history channel and read books. It does not rile me emotionally any more-- all tears have been shed.

After a poor meal in the snack bar at the museum, we headed on a bus to the south. We weren't going to get down to Eilat (a resort by Egypt) but we would be able to see and experience the desert. After a few hours of driving and a few rest stops, we made it to a place where we would do a little spelunking and an archeological dig. We were greeted by 800 birthright buses from other programs. This was probably the worst part of the trip. We were tired of being with other Americans- we wanted to experience the land, the culture and the people by ourselves-- not with MEGA amounts of participants.
The climbing through the caverns were really cool. I've done this before in New Zealand and Scotland, but to many of the participants, it was a new thing. One of the funniest points in the trip came when we had to squeeze through a small hole. Eric was a bit large, and we all laughed when he attempted to fit through the hole. He was successful and kept moving on. Israel is so diverse in its climate-- it is amazingly beautiful- I could understand why so many people tried to conquer this mystical area.
The archeological dig didn't interest me so much. Some found pottery-- and I couldn't help to think how cool it was that there were still artifacts in the ground. Someone found a bowl and something else, but I just wanted to get back on the bus.

After dinner, we went on a walk in the desert. The stars were out, and I thought we would get a lesson on the stars and I guess wildife in the desert. That was not the case. It turned into a military exercise-- I guess they wanted to give us a taste of what boot camp was like. I was definitely not into boot camp and let it be known. This 19 year old dude decided to push us and yell like how it is in the military. I had to laugh. Anyway, he made us climb this hill. I was wearing dress shoes with worn out soles. I was made the commander and was told to run up the hill. Halfway up, we saw this black thing-- I alerted one of the Israelis that this could possibly be a snake. She screamed and the entire "batallion" started running down the dark hill... I slipped and fell- hurt my leg and well, it was a complete disaster and a great story.
We went back to the tent and my adrenaline was running high. I did not sleep for two days but I was feeling okay. I went into my corner of the tent, with three shirts, a sweater, jeans and socks on. It was cold, but the heater going into the tent was keeping us quite warm. Some were playing the guitar, some were playing cards and talking. Others went over to a bonfire to cook Aviad's chicken. Aviad was so proud of thsi chicken and told us it would be the "best we ever tasted". Me? I passed out and slept for three hours.

Israel > Day 8: Jerusalem and South

Top photos of our trip!

These are top photos from our trip to Israel

Date Created: Jan 08, 2005, 01:50 PM

Israel > Top photos of our trip!

Day 7: Shabbat

Date Created: Jan 08, 2005, 01:48 PM

Today, we continued our day of rest with limited activities. We did not have to be up until 11:00 AM where we took a walking tour of central Jerusalem, including the King David Hotel, City Hall and the surrounding areas. Aviad gave a lecture about the 1948 war, which I thought was very interesting. I continue to process the idea of Jewish statehood, and go back and forth in trying to decide if we were right to come in and establish a homeland for Jews. Ha! I just wrote WE-- this is the trip rubbing off on me that I am starting to personally accept that I am part of this Jewish state. Aviad and the Yeladim staff have introduced themes to us that they want us to take in-- we can fight in the military and we can be a part of this nation.
The city is amazing. Even the air was clean and soothing. We stood at an intersection in an orthodox neighborhood, and since it was Shabbat, there was calm and peace-- a tranquil feeling that we don't really get in the United States. It was a bright and sunny day-- a bit crisp but it was good for walking. When we got back to the hotel, we were allowed to rest for a few hours-- but reported to the meeting area for a 4:00 meeting.

We performed skits later in the evening and got ready for the super club-- our final night in Jerusalem. Tomorrow we will be going to Yad Vashem (the Holocaust Museum) and then heading out to Masada... by the way, you probably won't be seeing a blog for a few days-- we probably won't have Internet access in tents.

Israel > Day 7: Shabbat

Day 6: Shabbat

Date Created: Jan 08, 2005, 12:17 AM

It was hangover central at breakfast as the participants struggled to ingest water and caffeine to make it through the day. We had an exciting itinerary ahead- we were going to be joined by eight young Israelis for the remainder of the trip. I was really looking forward to engaging with a diverse group of young Jewish people that served in the IDF and lived in the middle of the conflict with the Palestinians. It was exciting; some were still in the IDF, some were at university. They came from different cities and had different stories. After a slightly awkward ice breaker, we boarded the bus for a game of paintball. I was nervous about shooting my new friends with wads of paint, and was put a bit back with the notion that we would be engaging in "pretend" combat warfare with trained soldiers. We got dressed into our camouflage and began our game of capture the flag. I shot at least five members of the opposing team, and got one right in the face. I was pretty pleased with my performance. It was a fun morning.

Our next stop was to Mt. Herzl, the national cemetary (the Israeli equivalent to Arlington National Cemetary in DC). We visited the graves of Yitzhak Rabin and Golda Meir, as well as resting places for hundreds of Israeli soldiers that have sacrificed their lives in these operations. it was an emotional morning. I was enveloped in sadness to think that so many lives are lost because of war. War shouldn't happen; we should fight to achieve peace in our world. Many of the participants were very emotional because their parents fought in the IDF during the major conflicts in the 60's and 70's. Soldiers spoke about their personal experiences about losing friends during military exercises in Gaza and the West Bank.

We stopped briefly for lunch in central Jerusalem. This was the most unsafe I felt throughout the entire trip. I knew that these suicide bombings happened in crowded marketplaces, but there was security at the front door and a great military presence outside. I felt relatively safe.
We got back to the hotel and prepared for Shabbat at the Western Wall (kotel). A few participants were late and Aviad began to get nervous that we would not be in the old city before Shabbat began. I left my camera at home to respect religious rules and the others around. Abraham sped through the city, and we began our talk at the Damascus gate. The ladies lit Shabbat candles to welcome the evening and discussed what the evening means to us in the United States. A few prayers and songs later, we were released to make our way to the wall to celebrate our first Shabbat in the holy city of Jerusalem!
I wasn't prepared for what I would encounter-- an amazingly emotional expereince. I put my three wishes into the wall and thanked God for bringing me to that spot. Generations of my family would have dreamt to be at that wall-- and I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to be there. I wasn't there for me, I was there for my entire family. I wouldn't have imagined being there four months ago-- but the most important thing was that I was there in full body, mind and spirit. The kotel was packed with people from all over the world. Many Hasidic Jews were there in their best black robes and hats. They were praying and crying-- the energy in the old city was electric! It was a experience of a lifetime.
We walked about a half an hour back to the hotel since driving on Shabbat is forbidden. The elevators at the lobby were in Shabbat mode. The car stops at every floor to allow us not to touch the buttons on the elevator. We had dinner in the hotel (which was the best that we had all week!) and some went to a Tish to see how an orthodox service is conducted. We had the rest of the evening to rest and recuperate from an exhausting trip. Better yet, we don't have to be downstairs until 11:00 AM tomorrow-- for what will be another adventurous day!

Israel > Day 6: Shabbat

Day 5: Golan Heights to Jerusalem

Date Created: Jan 06, 2005, 12:42 PM

God smiled upon us today as the sun pierced through the window of the cabin. It was the first sunny day that we had on the tour. We packed our stuff to depart to Jerusalem after a few more hours touring the Golan Heights. After another hearty breakfast of cheese, fake eggs and green bread.. we were ready to begin the day's activities. One last stop by the Kinneret before boarding the bus.

We were able to hike for the first time today through a nature preserve. Many may think of Israel as being a desert like climate. The Golan, with its greenery, minerals and large lakes prove that the land is very diverse. Since it rained a lot in the past few days, the trail was extremely muddy. Our shoes and clothes were instantly covered in dirt. The hike was challenging- we walked down a hillside and followed a stream over rocks and trees. Some guys in the group teamed up to assist other hikers to successfully cross some of the challenging streams. Our reward for making it through the hike were two incredible waterfalls.

The largest mountain in Israel highlighted the landscape as our bus travelled through the winding roads of the area touching Lebanon and Syria. The peak was capped with snow, and we learned that a ski resort operates from February through April. I couldn't stop thinking about the thousands of soldiers that were lost in battle to win or protect this tiny piece of land, only 20 miles wide and 60 miles long. Driving through the area, we saw bunkers that were used by Syrian forces and landmine fields that have yet to be detonated. The battle zone covered the fertile plain, and I was beginning to understand why the land was so important to these countries.

After our long hike, we had to help our poor driver Abraham keep his bus clean. Our shoes and clothes were filthy. We made a pit stop at a shoe factory to purchase footwear that was marked at 20% less than in the states. I bought a pair of birkenstock-looking sandals called Nobu for a great price. Then, we dined at a burger joint on the side of the road- which contained fresh vegetables and delicious french fries. Fresh food is a staple here in Israel-- the fruits and vegetables have been top notch.

Our next stop was to a military base very close to the Lebanese border. Throughout the trip, Aviad has drilled the importance of Israeli Defense Force. Israel has to continue to fight for its independence and against terrorists, and the state has lost many soldiers to this cause. We were met at the entrance by a very attractive Israeli soldier named Mayan. She showed us around the base and had the soliders give us a demonstration of the how the artillery works.
I didn't like seeing equipment that is designed to kill people. I didn't like being on the army base and felt sad that nations sometimes could not live in peace. However, the trip has allowed me to ponder and understand the need of the military to protect Israel's soverignty.

Mayan took us to the officer's pool, a natural spring built by the Syrian army that was used exclusively by the military officers for relaxation on warm days. Immediately after, we departed for our return to Jerusalem to prepare for Shabbat. After a two and a half hour drive back to the Holy City, we arrived just in time for dinner and then a trip to one of Jerusalem's hottest clubs. Although the drinks were really expensive ($5 for a beer and almost $9 for a shot) everyone had a great time mixing with Israelis and hanging out with each other. It was a great time... we came back to the bar in the hotel and ordered pizza. We had to be up of course at 8:00 AM for breakfast.

Israel > Day 5: Golan Heights to Jerusalem

Day 4: Golan Heights

Date Created: Jan 06, 2005, 12:32 PM

The Golan Heights, located in the far north of Israel, is a of lush vegetation and amazing scenery. Our day started early in the morning with a breakfast of eggs, some bread with green stuff on it (zataar I think), a lot of cheese and salad. I miss the bacon and ham with my eggs, but a kosher meal is part of the real Israel experience.

After we boarded the bus, it immediately started raining. It has not stopped since we landed in Tel Aviv on Sunday. I understand why Noah's Ark floated near this area-- we could have floated to each of the sites. We went to Gamla, an ancient city of 10,000 that fought bitterly against the Roman Legions in 67 AD. It also contained the oldest synagogue in Israel. Aviad gave us great explainations, although the winds were fierce and it was bitterly cold. I was surprised it was not snowing, although it was forcasted for later in the day.

Finally we were on our way to a MEAT lunch of my favorite food-- shawarma.. We were able to walk around in anticipation of our trip to the Golan winery, a favorite for young twentysomethings. It was still raining hard and we were starting to get soaked-- but the winery was warm and cozy. After a brief presentation by the nice wine lady, we went inside the factory to see how wine is bottled and fermented. To cap the tour, the group participated in a wine tasting. I was proud that this delicious wine was made in the state of Israel in a region that is optimal for growing grapes.

Later, we went to a Talmudic village-- old ruins that remain from over a thousand years ago. We saw a video presentation and walked into a home were Jews lived and prayed. The day's activities concluded about a mile from the Syrian border, in a museum that honored the soldiers that fought in the battle of the Golan Heights in the 1973 Yom Kippur war. It was so amazing to be only 40 miles from Damascus-- a different life, world and religion. What was even more weird-- we were only 400 miles from Baghdad. The video was interesting to see-- many Israelis are proud of the valor and bravery shown by the soldiers-- who fought hard for two weeks to protect the land they had won in the 1967 war.

We got back to the hotel and relaxed for probably the first time since the trip began. We were treated with a great meat dinner of Schnitzel and Kebab. It was one of my favorite meals-- the kebab tasted like sausage, which I have been craving since leaving the states.

The evening capped off with a real treat-- hot springs. The Golan Heights has tons of volcanic rock that creates minerals and naturally hot water. This resort took the water and brought it to a pool. It was GREAT.. The sulfur from the water does smell like rotten eggs, but it is theraputic for the body and skin. We swam for about two hours and took a nice ride back to the hotel for a good night's sleep. It was a nice 6-7 hours of well needed rest for another day ahead of great adventure.

Israel > Day 4: Golan Heights

Day 3: The North

Date Created: Jan 05, 2005, 11:22 AM

Our day started through a hasidic area in Jerusalem. As our bus passed by, a loudspeaker blasted messages in Hebrew. Why was this? With no TVs and radios, these people rely on this voice to provide news and information. The two hour drive north of Jerusalem required a break at a highway rest stop. It was there were we discovered pasta can be made instantly with one push of a button. Our first stop of the day was Mukhraka, a holy site from the bible where a Jewish prophet proved to the pagans that his God was more powerful than theirs.

For lunch, we ventured into a Druize village-- a tribe of people who are not Jewish, Muslim or Christian, but a different and unique sect that live peacefully within the confines of the Israeli border. They accept Allah as their God and Muhammed as their prophet, but have an entirely secretive religion that only the most important members of the sect know the most intracite parts of their beliefs. A druize woman spoke to us about rules and their lives. As believers in Islam, they still volunteer for the Israeli Defense Force and attend Israeli public schools. They take a lot of criticism from other Arab nations for doing this, especially because they've fought other Druize people in military conflicts in the past 40 years. We were served a delicious lunch of hummus, druize pizza, and other foods that are commonly eaten.

After lunch we once again headed north to Safed. This is an amazing and ancient city that also is the birthplace of Kabalah. Jews hold this place very sacred. It contained a lot of mysticism and an incredible amount of culture. Many windows in the village are painted light blue. While there, we visited an art gallery, where the artist, Abraham, spoke to us the history of kabalah and how to interpret his kabalic art work. Next, we visited a beautiful temple painted in a light blue hue. After touring synagogues, we did a bit of shopping and boarded our buses for dinner.

It was time for dinner-- tonight was dairy night, since keeping kosher, we cannot have meat and dairy at the same sitting. It was quite plain; spaghetti, pizza, hummus, a bit of salad and other middle eastern treats. It was hard to fill out without eating a load of bread... After the relaxing dinner, the group purchased a few bottles of beer and wine, and hopped on a small party boat. A medley of music, created an excellent opportunity to show off our dance moves. Later, we gathered in a circle, sitting atop drums, and listened to the beats of Israeli and American music. A few members of the group belly danced in the circle. The group is really bonding. We have known each other for a little more than 72 hours and it has felt like we've known each other for our entire lives. Maybe its a connection that comes with coming to the Holy Land.

Day 3 ended with hanging out with friends in the hotel room. It was a cold and windy day-- we were soaked most of the time by heavy downpours, but that did not ruin our morale. We are in Israel... it is an amazing experience that we will remember for the rest of our lives. We got to sleep earlier than the night before to prepare for our trip to the Golan Heights-- only 40 miles from the Syrian border.

Israel > Day 3: The North

Day 2: The Holy City

Date Created: Jan 04, 2005, 02:36 AM

The City
I would have never thought I would end up in the most meaningful place for all monotheistic religions. Jerusalem was majestic, beautiful and historic. We were walking the soil that held thousands of years of history. First, we passed the Christian Quarter, which houses the two most holy sites in Christianity-- the Holy Sepulchure, where Jesus was traditionally buried, and the church with Mary's remains. This was probably more meaningful to me since I appeared to be the only one in the trip with a Christian background. Then, we arrived in the Jewish Quarter where we visited the home of our tour guide's aunt. This place was unbelievable. it sits on the Northwest corner of the quarter; they live next door to Armenians, across the street from Muslims and near Christians. The buildings in each quarter looked uniquely different, the Jewish Quarter being the most upkept. We climbed to the dome of their library which gave us a magnificant view of the city, including the Dome of the Rock, the Mount of Olives and the rest of the Holy City. We then walked around the quarter, forbidden to cross into the other sections.

Holy Jerusalem

We worked our way over to the holiest of places in the Jewish and Muslim religions-- the Temple Mount. Thousands of years ago, a vibrant area bustled in the heart of the Holy City-- a large temple built by King Soloman and later rebuilt in 400 BC... Destroyed by the Romans in the year 70 AD. The most meaningful part of this adventure was that I finally understood the conflict between the Muslims and Jews.. Israel was under Muslim control for 1400 years- to teach the Jews a lesson, they built the Dome of the Rock, a mosque, directly on top of the temple ruins. Now, both share a claim to a tiny piece of land that has caused violent conflicts even today.
We went through the ruins of the old temple, down a windy staircase and saw history frozen in time... sadly enough, we also saw bullet holes from the 1967 war, which killed over 6,000 Jewish soldiers, about 1% of the population. We saw a video model of what the temple looked like around the death of Jesus and made our trip to the Western Wall, or what Jews refer to as the wailing wall. People come to mourn the destruction of the temple by the Roman army. It was a powerful experience; touching the wall brought me to tears.
We went back into the shopping district and ate falaffel. John and I started down the shopping row, but wandered accidentally into the Muslim Quarter... we realized we weren't in Kansas anymore and had to quickly return to the Jewish Quarter. Israeli Security forbade us from going.
Later, we visited Ammunition Hill, where are great battle took place in 1967. The Jordanian army held the area for 19 years, but this battle was a turning point in the recapture of the land for Israel. 40 Israeli soldiers died in this conflict; a proud representation of bravery and courage for the Israeli army- and evidence of the miracle that allowed the country to defeat the arab nations in a very short amount of time.
We returned to the hotel to shower and change for the mega event that would take place that night.

Mega Event

During the evening, all 3,000 participants of Birthright Israel came together to celebrate solidarity and the programs values. Honestly, it was bit much for me- with thousands of students waving Israeli flags and chanting to show and be proud of their Jewish heritage. The concert was great, filled with pyrotechnics, dancers and great singing groups. Everyone was out of their seats, dancing and celebrating their heritage. The evening ended with the "largest disco for Jews in the world"-- we ended the evening with more beer and a late night order of Israeli pizza.

Israel > Day 2: The Holy City

Day 1: Problems at El Al- trip to Jerusalem

Date Created: Jan 03, 2005, 07:12 AM

What is Passover?
It was a momentous first few days of our journey to Israel! Looking over to the entire city of Jerusalem with all its lights will be one of the top highlights of the trip... but the exitement and adventure started even before we left New York. I had to pass El Al security, and of course I didn't think I would ever be a security threat, right? The woman started asking straight about my Judiasm. She smiled frequently and was mildly attractive. She asked me about why my last name sounded Italian-- and had to explain that I am from a mixed marriage-- father is Catholic and mother is Jewish. So, she asked me what holidays I celebrated-- I told her just Hanukkah-- then she asked me what we did for Hanukkah. I told her we open presents and spin the dreidel. I started to smile because I thought she was hitting on me. The questions got harder- she asked me to explain the meaning of Passover. I tried to remember the Ten Commandments movie and my brief knowledge of the religion-- and I answered, "well, it was like about these people and something about blood and a door and the Romans and your first born... I'm sorry i told you before we're not religious and I don't know much!" She snapped and reminded me that it was the Egyptians that persecuted the Jews, not the Romans.. She finally started probing me about my Grandparent's Jewish activities, which I had no knowledge of-- and immediately deemed I was a security threat and told to report back to security for extra screening at 10:15 PM. I came back to be searched-- I had to take off my belt, my shoes and socks and be probed with a metal wand which reacted with a loud beep when waved around my midsection. They tested my wallet, passport and phone for radiation or something and finally, 30 minutes before departure, I was cleared to board! I was escored by El Al staff through airport security and watched when I had to pee all the way to the plane.

The Flight
The flight was long-- a clear 11 hours from takeoff to landing, and I was placed away from the bulkhead between two ultra-orthodox Jewish men-- but luckily a seat opened up closer to the group. I was lucky to have met a few people my own age, and was very relieved that there were people on the trip with similar interests- to see the sights, take it in and then party in the evenings! I started my usual international flight with a small bottle of red wine. Read my book, talked with the others and listened to my iPod a bit. My main focus, however, was drinking wine. My plan was to get wasted then pass out for the rest of the flight. It was the only way I would sleep. Five bottles later, Doreen, Josh, John and I were causing a ruckus! Our mission was contagious-- the college students sitting next to me decide to break out the wine too-- then the guy across from me opens his bottle of Grey Goose.. and walla- a big party on El Al Flight 6 to Tel Aviv! Doreen spilled soda all over my jeans and then spilled on John. I was absolutely not intoxicated, but a younger passenger vomited- so she decided to cut all the alcohol off. We were quite upset, but it worked.. within minutes, I was passed out and slept for a good, quality three hours.

Arrival
I woke up to a bunch of orthodox gentlemen praying in the back of the plane. I hoped they were praying for a safe passage to Tel Aviv! The landing was very turbulent, but we did touch down safely. I was now in the Holy Land! It was pouring, but I didn't mind as I was excited to get to know my new travel companions better. After a bit of organizing, we boarded the bus for our first destination- JERUSALEM! We met Aviad, our Israeli tour guide who spoke briefly about the trip and a bit mor about the Holy City-- I was really impressed by the infrastructure. The airport was beautiful and the roads were well maintained. After a 45 minute ride, the skyline of the city was approaching. It was everything I expected-- many hills and medium sized buildings that covered the entire area. We stopped at an observatory and some participants said an opening prayer, followed with a glass of wine and a toast. The wine was way too sweet, but shortly thereafter we started a "horaesque" dance that was awkwardly received by the American students in the circle. I thought it was cool, but I quickly realized that there were many young students that would have to put up a facade to this to gain acceptance from the other members. I was 19 once too.
We got to the hotel and immediately ate supper. There were my favorites, beef swharma, hummus, tahini and harissa (which is an incredibly spicy condiment made of multiple chiles. I enjoyed the food immensely-- and expected to endure middle east cuisine for the remainder of the trip.
We capped off the night with a bit of American football. Surprisingly, a game was on the television at the bar although the Jets were not on. I watched the ticker, had a few beers with friends and met three cool orthodox guys who were studying at Yeshiva. I glanced at my watch. It was midnight (5 PM EST) and realized I was up for 31 hours... it was time to go to bed and prepare for our following day in the Holy City.

My travel companions

John

Israel > Day 1: Problems at El Al- trip to Jerusalem