January 13th 2009, I headed to the JFK airport to meet a group of people unknown to me whom I would end up living with, traveling, crying, eating, laughing, loving, learning, hiking, swimming, cuddling, growing with and the list goes on. They say first impressions are lasting impressions and when I walked up to the group of kids sitting in front of the El Al ticket counter I thought to myself oh jeez this is going to be an interesting trip to say the least looking upon a group of about 20 or so kids decked out in their Maryland University wardrobe probably 18-21 years of age. I tried to be positive and think ok Stephanie it’s ok if you are the old fart on the trip you will make it work for you and just let them go about their drinking tour of Israel while they explore what it is to drink legally for the first time going overseas. As I glanced to the right of Maryland I felt a deep sense of relief and sigh. I saw the faces of a few people that looked just as freighted by the kids gleaming in their Maryland Red….faces that looked down to earth, wholesome and like good travel mates. At that time I went over to introduce myself and came to realize they were in my group and the other kids were part of an entirely different group. We all laughed and took a deep breath enjoying the moment that we all just so quickly bonded over…..There I met Leo, Ryan, Lindsay, Paul, Dave and a few others…
Arriving at the airport with more time then really needed as we were following Birthright protocol it gave us time to bond as a group. It is here we sat in the JFK terminal playing games such as “Spot the Jew: Jew or Non Jew”, established the real meaning behind Israel Quest: Bacon Quest (where we would attempt to see who is first to find bacon once landing in Israel) and where I made a pact with Jacob to promise to throw out at least 1 article of clothing by the end of the trip (which we both stuck to and even exceeded the 1 item limit).
Landing in Israel about 10 hours later I began my journey and embarked upon an adventure and self-voyage I had no idea would be as grand as it was. I started this trip with no expectations and as each day goes by something new is experienced.
Day One, January 14th 2009
After gathering our luggage and departing the airport we load our bus and all start to get acquainted with our new friends. Personalities start opening up, nick names are evolved so early in, and some disclose stories that set interesting first impressions amongst the back of the bus where I found myself seated. It is here I found my roommates for the trip as we had to pair up in groups for sleeping arrangements at our first stop.
After a long bus ride driving through the beautiful terrain of Israel (which looked much like California in some ways) we arrive at a Kibbutz just outside the Golan Heights. We settle in, have some icebreakers, meet our staff, and then proceed to dinner where we all indulged in our first and official hummus escapade. After dinner we all gathered at the bar located in an old bomb shelter on the kibbutz.
Day 2, January 15th 2009
Waking up to a cold morning we head up into the Golan Heights where we explored Mt Bental, an observation point and former location for Syrian bunkers. Mt Bental as we learned is an old volcanic mountain that has been inactive since the 6 day war. Looking out on all the land and visualizing the battle while I find myself climbing into the machine gun turrets for a different viewpoint was very surreal. We next headed back onto the bus to venture on to our next stop. On the bus people really started opening up and having fun getting to know each other and bond. I think Corey and I started a long lasting plague of massage trains this day that will go down in history for Taglit 255. It was really amazing to see how a group of 35 strangers were able to mesh so quickly as there typically tends to be a few bad seeds. Adam our American leader told us ridiculous stories and taught us some Hebrew phases that will come in handy on our trip (ie: Sababa and Haval Al Hazmad). Arriving in Tzfat was a nice change of pace as it was a very quaint town made of stone roads that are the same stones our ancestors walked on thousands of years ago. The town had a very uplifting feel to which is quite apropos being that it is the home of Kabbalah and the birthplace of Jewish mysticism. Tzfat was a town filled with life, culture and art. Walking the streets there are many little alley ways where I wondered around finding kids playing in the street, old men conversing and enjoying life and good company. We visited an Ashkenazi temple, met an old man who blessed us on the streets proceeding to ask for Tzedekah in exchange for red strings (kabbalah bracelets) and had the most amazing shawarma for lunch stuffed with all kinds of tasty bits and spicy hot sauce. One of my favorite stories we learned about in Tzfat was of the davidka bomb and how it assisted in liberating Tzfat from the Arab people who were lead to believe the Jews had possession of and used atom bombs leading to nuclear rain (when really it was just a piece of artillery that made a lot of noise, and the rain was purely just rain, but a great story that led the Jews to freedom!) Birthright allows Israeli soldiers that are on good behavior and toward the end of their service to participate in the program to interact with Americans and vice versa. It is here where we met the 7 soldiers Daniella, Tzlil, Amit, Matan, Tomer, Tamir, & Yehuda. We had a little mifgash and awkward moments lost in translation. At first, it seemed that it might be a challenge to find ourselves on the same level and understanding as them but by the end of the trip I was blown away by how much we grew close to them and how alike they were to us in so many different ways I didn’t imagine. Having them as part of our group changed the dynamics in a positive way and engaged us to learn more about what it is to be an Israeli in our generation. After lunch we went to an artists studio where we met the infamous, one and only, Avraham. As much as we laughed at and with Avraham for days because of his crazy, unique, and off the wall mannerisms and phrases it was a very intriguing visit where we discussed the root of Kabbalah in relation to Tzfat, his life, and his art. We had some deep discussions about life and our own unique individuality and the meaning of a person depicted by our given name all in relation to us as a person of the Jewish tribe rooting back over 2,000 years ago (I can still hear his voice saying 2,000 haha)! We ended the night heading to Jerusalem where we settled in and enjoyed each other’s company over some hookah and good laughs.
Day 3, January 16th 2009
Jerusalem the holiest place in the state of Israel, a city rooted in so much conflict and hatred amongst people so alike, sits so peacefully as we looked over the viewpoint of the old city from Haas Promenade. From the lookout point we then proceed into the heart of the old city and enter the large stone gates guarded by our men protecting and servicing the place of prayer where so many Jews still go today to leave behind their notes to g-d, reflect, and speak to the higher powers in their life, the Kotel (the wailing wall). The moment that resonates the most for me about this day in Jerusalem has to be when we were wondering the Jewish Quarters and were passing this memorial plaque on a stone wall that read in Hebrew “children will run in the streets of Jerusalem again…” It brought a happy/sad tear to my eye but the most ironic and amazing part was that right next to that spot was a class of children out on their recess playing and racing in the streets. It was so precious to hear their little voices and laughter as they played just like any other child in the world, they are no different, and do not deserve to not play in the streets freely and safely. To top off the moment, Andrew decided to jump right in with the little ones and challenge them to a race. They were so excited and cheered with big laughs as they watched Andrew (purposely) loose the race to a bunch of 7 or 8 year olds, it was precious! Before returning to the hotel to prepare for Shabbat we stopped at Mahane Yehuda Market where we were all assigned the task to pick up something we have never seen or tried before to share with the group later that night at our party. The market was amazingly beautiful in it’s own seedy way. I was pushed from left to right front and back but I felt just right as I fought in line for my falafal hollering for chips in my pita as they shout at you (which is just their way of speaking friendly) that they are all out of chips! I wondered the different vendors with Dave, Elissa and Sarah as we picked out some nuts and dried fruits for the group. We then hit up the most amazing find in market…a true gem to Israeli baking, Marzipan Bakery where we caved in to buying a box of fresh chocolate rugelach. Sitting on the bus going back to the hotel we gave in and devoured the fresh gooey goodness that melted in our mouths…..this put all my mothers and grandmothers baking to shame! The thought that our bus driver Yair would hit us with his wooden stick if he caught us eating (seriously true statement….I was whacked once but that was later on in trip…this guy means business! Check this photo for proof.) At the hotel that night we cleaned up and put on our nice threads to celebrate the Sabbath. After prayers and dinner we had discussion groups where I went to a very interesting session on women, sexism, myths and facts about Judaism (I will spare you the details but it was very eye opening if you ever want to know). After deep conversations and probing about the meaning behind Jewish traditions and what it is to be a Jewish woman we proceeded to celebrate in our own TL-19-255 way….meaning Booze and Food. You can see in the photos all of our crazy finds from Mahane Yehuda Market. It was so fun to try so many new things good and bad, sticky and messy, sweet and salty.
Day 4, January 17th 2009
Despite my tired self and not wanting to get out of my bed I forced myself to rise on this joyous day where my friend Roman will celebrate his Bar Mitzvah for the first time at the age of 27. I was so excited and proud of him to make this mitzvah, as well as, to participate in Saturday morning services where I would experience dovening “Israeli style”. We walked to temple (about 3 miles each way…minus the few feet Ben carried me on his back). The experience of walking was a nice change of pace from reality regardless of the level of religiousness one holds themselves to. It was a nice time to just enjoy the beautiful morning air and bask in good company. Attending the morning service and prayer brought many revelations to my attention and hit me in a way I was least expecting. I intended to go because I thought it was the ‘right thing to do’ and thought if I traveled all the way to Israel and didn’t experience it I would regret it (not to mention I would probably get a nice guilt trip from my dad). To my surprise this was one of the more monumental moments of the trip for me….something so small and nothing about history, or physical monuments or tourist stops….all spiritual and self exploration that actually brought tears to my eyes the moment Roman became a man in the eyes of G-d and his new home. A moment so deep to me that I can’t really explain on a forum as such. Let’s just say it gave me perspective on who I want to be as a Jew, what part of the religion and culture is important and meaningful to me to carry on in my life, and how I can accept that not all forms of prayer and religion are for everyone but however you make it work for yourself to celebrate your life with is just as important and accepted so long as you accept it. The rest of the day was filled with rest and relaxation. We concluded the night with Havadallah and welcomed the new week.
Day 5, January 18th 2009
A day of deep pain, tears, joy, and hugs! We started the morning with going to Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial and Museum and Har Herzl Memorial. I can’t even being to gather words to this day and what went through my head so I will leave it at that and if you ever have the chance to experience it you will understand the experience in your own personal way which is so important as the place hit everyone in a different ways but yet all rooted in similar context. After being emotionally drained we headed into the night through the Negev Dessert where we had a quiet night in Arad sharing some of the best jokes and laughs. It is here I learned the odd humor to Israeli jokes and some underlying theme of lengthy rabbit jokes….still don’t understand and don’t think you can unless you experienced what we heard (one of those had to be there moments that we thought was hysterical but an outsider would not find funny at all). Oh and I can’t forget that today marks the day on calendars across the world that Bacon Quest was conquered. Too bad I was sleeping on the bus and missed the excitement at the gas station where Ben, Dave, and Leo celebrated their find.
Day 6, January 19th 2009
Awake and still dark the sun has not rose. It’s 4:00 am and we are standing at the base of Masada about to hike up the hill via the roman ramp to see the sun rise from the highest point of the mountain. We approach the top just in time to see the sun come up over the dead sea looking out towards the historic dessert and old battle grounds leading into the bordering country of Jordan. We hiked around the ruins, saw the old bathhouses, learned about the mass suicide of the Jewish people onset by the Roman Empire and just enjoyed the breath taking view. The hike down the Snake Path was much more arduous and made me wonder how the people thousands of years ago did this with no paved trail and carrying their food and supplies back and forth in the dessert heat. After refueling at lunch we braved the freezing cold water and floated in the Dead Sea. It was the most unusual feeling to float on top of water as if you were weightless and almost powerless to moving your body around in ‘normal’ ways. Some, I won’t name any names - Ben, don’t listen and try to fight the odds by splashing or dunking their head , one of the most brutally painful ideas (don’t worry I won’t post the picture of it as it is blackmail in it’s finest form). The Dead Sea is 33 percent salinity! After soaking in the salt and rubbing the rock crystals on my body exfoliating my skin my body and hair never felt so amazing and soft. After a much rejuvenating afternoon of exercise and body restoration we had gathered to say our good byes to the soldiers as this is where the trip ends for them (for the most part….a few meet up with us later on in the trip in Tel Aviv to go out and party). Before leaving Masada and the Dead Sea we made a pit stop at Ahava, which I was oh so excited about! Amanda and I made sure to sit in the front of the bus to make a mad dash for the store so we could buy as much as we could in our short time we had at the pit stop, which I must say we did. Next on the agenda for the day we start traveling southwards toward Eilat. In Eilat, we went out to hit up the town and have a free night of going out to some bars and nightclubs. We ventured out to the Monkey Bar and UnPlugged where we danced, drank and enjoyed a late night Shawarma at 2:00 am.
Day 7, January 20th 2009
Whoever at Birthright came up with the genius idea that drinking is prohibited on the night before climbing Masada and encourages a free night of drinking and banter on the night before the hike at Mt Zephachot is ridiculous and crazy! Hungover, but still adventurous (I mean after all we are Israel Quest right?!), we hiked up the rocky Mountain Zephachot to view a lookout point that was more gorgeous and spectacular in my opinion then Masada. From the top you can see outward towards the Red Sea as well as the bordering countries of Egypt, Syria and Jordan. I mean how many times in your life can you be in 1 country and see 3 others? We sat at the top of the mountain and enjoyed the sun while taking in a breathtaking view. After the hike we had the option to go back into Eilat and go shopping and chill on the beach or go scuba diving in the Red Sea. I chose the later. Nervous but excited for my first dive I was paired up with this Russian instructor who was very abrupt and frightened me but turned out to be quite patient in the water with me as I tried to learn and get acquainted with the gear and going down into the water. I didn’t want to come up once I was down there, the water was so clear and so blue, the fish so colorful and peaceful in their life with no knowledge of what happens above the surface of the water. It was aweeeessssomme (as Avraham would say). The Squba Squad, that’s what we called ourselves, shared a moment that cannot be taken away from us. A moment filled with smiles from ear to ear as we exited the water backwards, back to land and shared our moments we had 7 meters underwater and what different types of creatures we saw. After another fun and adventurous day, we hit the road again into the heart of the Negev where we will spend the night and have dinner Bedoiun style. We arrived at Chan Shayarot Bedouin where we ate the most fabulous dinner survivor style (click to see before and after picture). After dinner we settled into our tents, got the campfire going, and just relaxed and stayed warm in a our layers of clothes. The whole experience was interesting but was definitely not a highlight for me as it seemed a bit ‘set up’ and to my dismay as I Googled Chan Shayarot I see they have a website….I mean you think Bedouin and you think no technology, but they must be making reservations on line….just a little amusing I think. Fighting the cold I fell asleep cuddled up between Leah and Ben keeping us warm throughout the night (we had to keep Meredith quarantined to the sick corner otherwise we would have invited you too…sorry MegaDeath!).
Day 8, January 21st 2009
I woke up in full spoon and teaspoon position, enjoyed a nice warm carb filled breakfast of fresh flatbreads cooked right in front of us doused in Nutella that tasted as if it had been spiked with some rum. Oh yea and don’t forget the stir your own coffee grinds combo that seemed so ever popular in Israel. After breakfast and a sugar high to say the least we took a pseudo camel ride a few feet into the desert. It was a great moment for me to see my friends enjoy this moment with the feisty and odd creatures, but for me it didn’t compare to my experience in Egypt by any extreme measures. Thankfully, after feeling like I might crush the camel from a full breakfast, we went for another hike at Ein Avdat. Ein Avdat consisted of these crazy secluded desert canyons known for it’s desert habitation of both plant vegetation and animals like Ibexes. Heading the pack, as we usually do best, our crew consisting of Leah, Rob, Ryan and myself ventured on and actually spotted a family of Ibexes that we pointed out to the group as we sat an watched them scale the mountains sideways as if they were some sub creature of Spiderman. Speaking of animals in Israel….this morning I was speaking with Eli and learned that my Hebrew name I was so attached to and thought had one meaning led me wrong the past 26 years. Tzivya, my name, to me for my entire life meant ‘deer’ named after my grandfather Tzvi. But what I learned is that Tzivya is actually a gazelle. Ayalah is a deer. Thousands of years ago there was trouble with the distinction between the two animals as there was no such animal like deer until the Jews ventured out to Europe and discovered a new breed of animal, deer. It was an odd moment for me to feel such disconnect to my name but after I soaked it in I can now associate with Gazelle. From the dessert canyons we reversed our tracks going southbound and started back up north to Tel Aviv. Along the way we stopped at Sde Boker home of Ben Gurion. Nothing for me to report here except for another exceptional view (sorry I was dozing off by this point and didn’t hear a word Eli said about the site….I will have to wiki this one I guess). From here we made it to the foothills of Jerusalem, Lod, where we planted a tree amongst all the irony of gun shots riffling off in the background as the group sang the song “Down by the Riverside” singing the lyrics “I ain’t gonna study war no more”. It is tradition to plant a tree in honor of someone, so I dedicated my tree to my grandmother. The tree has been soiled in the earth of Israel and I named her Tara, as it is from the Tarabin family. Let’s just hope now that the next Birthright group to come along doesn’t stampeded and crush my poor little treeling limbs that sits next to Leo and Meredith’s tree. After our tree planting, we arrived in Tel Aviv for the night and went to a lecture that I did not retain anything from unfortunately but I did retain many drinks thereafter at Mikes Bar down the street from our hotel where we met up with our group and reunited with some of the soldiers Matan, Yehuda, Amit, and Tomer. We had a blast enjoying the night and the boys gave us a nice little surprise present, which is so awweeesomme, a dog tag they made for us, back at the base commemorating our trip. Best gift ever!
Day 9, January 22nd 2009
The last day of the trip came way too fast. Spending our last moments today we went to Independence Hall in Tel Aviv and learned about the declaration of the modern state of Israel. I found it very moving and touched me more then I expected. Then we spent some time visiting Rabin Square where we went to his memorial and heard the story of his extremely sad assassination that made a huge impact on the people of Israel. My final lunch in Israel is definitely the best yet. I went to this little place with Leah, Livia and Eli to have Sabich, fresh hot pita stuffed with fried eggplant, hard boiled eggs, hummus, tahini, Israeli salad, boiled potatoes, and Amba (a mango pickle spread). A virgin to Sabich Leah and I will never turn back again….it was so deliciously filled with goodness. We then ventured around Yafo and were free to do our last of our shopping. I was quite surprised by the lack of bartering I found in this country but I just might not have been in the right areas for it. I bought my standard IDF sweatshirt, a must before coming back home, and 2 necklaces, one being another tag with a prayer to travel for the soldiers that I combined with the tag I got from Matan and Tomer last night. Winding down the day we spent some time sitting as a group and taking time to reflect on sharing what the trip meant to each of us as an individual and sharing last minute memories and laughs that will carry on for a lifetime. It was extremely heart felt and warming to hear all the stories and feel on the same page as all the others in the group sharing the same thoughts and sentiment about life and knowing I am not alone in my feelings which I felt before I arrived in the homeland. Some shed tears, some heard sounds of laughter, and some were just there to send a friendly smile and sense of warmth across the circle where friendships have been built from what once 9 days ago were a bunch of strangers. We concluded our farewell dinner at Dr Shakshuka in Yafo. The food came out in endless platters and we stuffed our faces before we knew we had to say our goodbyes and head to the airport. After dinner we said our goodbyes to those staying in Israel and traveling on and I must say Amit and I would have won best goodbye scene ever if it were the Oscars (those that witnessed you know what I mean). The rest of us left behind headed back on to the empty bus where numbers were lacking from our role call. As Yair drove the bus off for the last time we all laughed as we sang along in ridiculous tunes. I won’t bore you with the boring airport details as that is never exciting but all I can say is this is not where my trip to Israel concludes….I will be back.
A trip with no expectations, and no idea of what I would take from it, I feel like a changed person for the better. People before me that participated in Birthright always told me “oh you will come back and feel like a different person….it will change you so much!!!” I never thought how they could really mean this and wondered if I would really buy into the whole experience but I must say…they are right. I am sure it affects everyone in their own personal way, as no two people are alike, but for me individually I feel like a better person for going. I went with the thought that it would just be another country to visit and check off my list and left thinking just the opposite. It is not just a country; it is a place I felt at home in, a place that is my home, a place I want to go back again. I can definitely say that I feel a sense of self-renewal for myself. I made some of the most amazing friends, and for someone who travels a lot on my own meeting strangers all the time, I definitely know I have made some extended family amongst this trip that I will keep in touch with for a very long time to come. And I could not have asked for better guides Adam, Livia and Eli all offered so much more to me and the trip then knowledge of Israel….what they provided to the group goes way beyond that.
L’shana ha’ba-ah b’Yerushalayim
For those of you who can appreciate this here are a few good laughs to keep you going
Sababa = That's what she said = Long Israeli rabbit jokes = Yummy meal = Turbulence = Yan being fashionably late = Puking on the side of the bus, Day 1 = Shower buddies = Snoring like a bear in the tent = Avraham is awweeesome = What's your scene = Get on with your bad self = Hummus!! = Soft Jewey Center = Dial OO = Bacon Quest = Bathroom Talk = Yalmaka on hoodies = Motorboat = Yallah = Noah's mouth wide open = Scuba Squad =Pop Rock Chocolate and ChocoMilk in a bag = Yair's Stick = G.I.
