"Life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans" - John Lennon
Here are a just a few fun things I got to do in the month of December:
December 7:
Went dirt biking in the desert, and sat in a 1942 German Glider (I will be going up in it soon!).
December 16-19:
Went to Jerusalem for the week-long Masa Leadership Seminar. I got to meet people living here in Israel, also on different Masa programs, who are from all over the world. This was a special seminar that you had to apply for. Four other fellows from my Be'er Sheva group were also accepted and traveled to Jerusalem (albeit a day's delay because of the massive snow storm that crippled the country's transportation system). We attended seminars, a gala event, went to the Neot Kedumim Biblical Village, were visited by the Jewish Agency's Chairman Nathan Sharansky, and had a private tour of the the capitol building the Knesset, and got a private tour of the tunnels under the Western Wall. It was a great opportunity to meet new friends, hear some inspirational speakers, learn more about Israel, myself and my purpose here, and get away for a week!
December 29:
Had a tour of different communities in the Negev, including a Ayalim, a student village where young adults live and work to preserve tough places that need sustaining. These students are seen as young Zionists and Pioneers to preserving communities all over Israel. Here is a link to their site: http://ayalim.org.il/en/
We also visited the black Hebrew Israelites in Dimona, which is almost another hour's drive south of us. It was really fascinating to hear this group of people, who hail from Chicago, IL, and found a calling back to their homeland of Israel in the 70s. We learned why they came here, and what they do in their community. Here is more about them: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Hebrew_Israelites_of_Jerusalem.
Later we traveled to a town called Yeruham, where we were hosted by a very nice woman who came from Romania when she was a little girl in the 60s. Afterward we had a group discussion, coffee, and cookies at a lake nearby. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yeruham. It was a very beautiful way to end a great day of adventure.
December 7:
Went dirt biking in the desert, and sat in a 1942 German Glider (I will be going up in it soon!).
December 16-19:
Went to Jerusalem for the week-long Masa Leadership Seminar. I got to meet people living here in Israel, also on different Masa programs, who are from all over the world. This was a special seminar that you had to apply for. Four other fellows from my Be'er Sheva group were also accepted and traveled to Jerusalem (albeit a day's delay because of the massive snow storm that crippled the country's transportation system). We attended seminars, a gala event, went to the Neot Kedumim Biblical Village, were visited by the Jewish Agency's Chairman Nathan Sharansky, and had a private tour of the the capitol building the Knesset, and got a private tour of the tunnels under the Western Wall. It was a great opportunity to meet new friends, hear some inspirational speakers, learn more about Israel, myself and my purpose here, and get away for a week!
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| Walking in the hamster wheel to fill jugs of water, the old fashioned way! |
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| Team building exercise...building a sandcastle! |
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| The view from my hotel room. Snow in Jerusalem! |
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| At the Gala Event with Becca, and Samantha from ITF Netanya. |
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| Be'er Sheva girls! Me, Bari, Becca, Anna |
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| Becca, our Israeli friend Avi, and me |
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| Jewish Agency Chairman, Nathan Sharansky |
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| My friend Emily from ITF Ashdod |
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| The Knesset |
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| Bari, Me, Anna, Becca |
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| This shows who's presently inside the Knesset |
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| Tapestry that depicts different scenes from the Torah |
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| Ruth Calderon, member of the Knesset, and an inspiring woman to listen to! |
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| The Country and Karaoke Extravaganza |
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| Every country represented at the Summit with a different colored party hat |
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| Getting a tour of the Western Wall Tunnels |
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| Panorama view of just some of the wall underground |
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| 6 centuries of history below my feet |
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| Centuries ago, these tunnels once were an open air market next to the courtyard wall of the Second Temple. Now, they are sealed off, but the Arab community still lives above these tunnels! |
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| Anna and I |
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| The Kotel on a very empty and cold night |
Had a tour of different communities in the Negev, including a Ayalim, a student village where young adults live and work to preserve tough places that need sustaining. These students are seen as young Zionists and Pioneers to preserving communities all over Israel. Here is a link to their site: http://ayalim.org.il/en/
We also visited the black Hebrew Israelites in Dimona, which is almost another hour's drive south of us. It was really fascinating to hear this group of people, who hail from Chicago, IL, and found a calling back to their homeland of Israel in the 70s. We learned why they came here, and what they do in their community. Here is more about them: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Hebrew_Israelites_of_Jerusalem.
Later we traveled to a town called Yeruham, where we were hosted by a very nice woman who came from Romania when she was a little girl in the 60s. Afterward we had a group discussion, coffee, and cookies at a lake nearby. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yeruham. It was a very beautiful way to end a great day of adventure.
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| The view of the land surrounding the Ayalim village |
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| This is the very definition of "middle of nowhere" |
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| Listening to our tour guide |
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| Climbing down from a lookout |
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| At the Hebrew Israelites' community |
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| Our awesome tour guide! |
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| Listening to the minister |
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| At the grocery store, learning they don't eat meat, only "yummy" tofu. Kari and I found it amusing. |
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| Being fed at a house in Yeruham |
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| The group |
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| The Yeruham lake |
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| Roommates:) |
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