In Living Color

"Why would you come to Israel to plant trees?" David Caron asked the group. His answer was that it allows us to have a hand in making and building Israel.

Thanks to the organization Neot Kedumim, students were able to leave their mark by planting a small tree. The organization's mission is to transform desert land back to forest by planting trees that were found in biblical times -- olive trees, oaks and date palms.

"Perhaps you'll come back to Israel one day and have a picnic under the tree you planted," said our guide as we set off to plant our saplings.

It is a small gesture that we were able to give to Israel after learning more about the man who toiled till his death for a state for the Jews, Theodore Hertl. At the museum in his honor, we learned about his life, the pamphlet he wrote that inspired thousands and created a movement that led others to fight for the creation of Israel.

As the presentation drew to a close, the narrator said that Israel is "a full color realization of a black and white dream." The trees we planted today are part of this colorful country, our hand in its creation.

Remembering

"First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me - and there was no one left to speak out for me."
- by Martin Neimoller

Sixty years after The Holocaust, it is still unfathomable that 6 million Jews were systematically murdered. How was it allowed to happen? Who were the victims? Did people try to stop it?

At Yav VaShem, we found out more about Hitler, his regime and the crimes they committed against men, women and children because of their race.

While we only spent a few hours there, we could have easily made a day at Yav VaShem. Instead, we focused on only a couple of key topics. One was the temporary movement of Jews into the ghettos before "The Final Solution." It quieted our otherwise boisterous group to see the images and hear first-hand accounts of the lack of food, the squalor and the cramped conditions that people were forced to bear. We also learned about the bravery and courageousness that was unfortunately shown by too few. People who helped Jews by either hiding them, aiding them or even dying alongside of them. Lastly, we stopped at the Hall of Names. The museum's mission, our tour guide explained, is to identify each of the 6 million Jews who died in The Holocaust. To date, more than 3.4 million records have been filed, and a few more are added almost every day by relatives or friends who want to make sure they are not forgotten.

After visiting the museum, we climbed to the top of Mt. Hertzl to pay tribute to the man who tirelessly pursued the dream of creating a state for the Jews, Theodore Hertzl. We also paid our respects to the other important Israeli leaders buried there, like Golda Meir and Yitzhak Rabin. Further down the mountain, we reached the graves of fallen soldiers from Jerusalem. Students paused to light candles to thank them for the sacrifice they made.

The mood lightened in the afternoon after taking an evening hike around The Sataf Springs. We marveled at the terraced gardens, the olive trees and the view. Some students even waded into a tunnel to feel the water spring flowing through the mountain.

We ended the day at our new hotel, happy for this time together, grateful to the others who fought and died in order that we could come to this country safely and enjoy it.

Synagogue Tour Through Jerusalem

Students got a good walking tour of the city on Shabbat as they visited several synagogues in the morning, getting a taste of how a culture shapes its synagogue.

The afternoon was reserved for resting, but as evening approached, the students were roused to visit a neighborhood youth organization. There, students mingled with one another and played introduction games to learn about the differences and similarities between each other.

When the sun went down, the students did what many other Israelis do after Shabbat --they headed out. A nearby bowling alley chock full of people who also wanted to socialize after a long day of respite was the destination. The night ended with a birthday cake for Zack Bitan, thanks to his parents who organized the mini-celebration.

A Shabbat of Joy

This evening Morah Yoel wished us all a joyful Shabbat. It's hard to imagine, though, how it could be anything less. Each one of us have been anticipating this trip for so long, and Israel and our tour guides have delivered an amazing experience thus far. In fact, it could even be said that each one of us is grateful for being able to be here in Israel together.
Today, we were able to make a show of our gratitude and give back to Israel by helping out Table-to-Table. This six-year old non-profit organization rescues food to give to the less fortunate. Commonly, food is picked up from corporate luncheons or weddings and then distributed to soup kitchens. Our mission, however, was to pick radishes from a kibbutz.

Owned by an Israeli lawyer, this farm on the outskirts of Jerusalem gives all the food it grows to charity. Maintaining a farm isn't cheap, though, and picking the crops is often the largest expense. So, the kibbutz relies on volunteers, and we were eager to help out. In fact, after ju

st a few hours, Carmel students picked over 800 kilos of radishes, all of which will be distributed to soup kitchens around Israel this week.

After banking some good karma, we headed back to town to do a bit of shopping. Morah Yoel told the group that shopping on the eve of Sabbath is also good mitzvah, since you are supporting Jewish shops. More karma credit! We walked around the markets not sure who was more entertaining, the street performers or the shouting vendors hawking produce, dried fruits and bread. Students picked up some fruit and pastries for Shabbat and even some new kippahs
Then, it was time to prepare for Shabbat. We lit candles in the hotel lobby and walked to the Kottel. The group s

eparated into men and women and went to their designated areas to pray. Afterwards, we walked back to our hotel for a shared Shabbat meal.

There are numerous school groups staying at our hotel, The King Solomon, and the dinner turned into a festive mixer with people singing, dancing and mingling. It truly was a celebration, a Shabbat filled with joy.

Jerusalem, The Onion

"The city of Jerusalem is like an onion," Zack told the group when we arrived at the City of David, and throughout the day we were able to see the truth in that statement.
Up early, we first stopped at The Promenade overlooking the whole of Jerusalem. Adiya and Yehuda, our tour guides, poured wine for each of us, and we toasted our arrival to the holiest of cities. While many of us have been here before, this occasion was unique because we were in Jerusalem together as a group for the first time.

The heart of the onion that Zack talked about has to be the City of David. Over 4,000 years old, it is the historical core of the holy capital of Israel. The highlight of the tour was Hezekiah's tunnel. This underground system brought water into the city and was particularly necessary in times of war. All of us jumped knee-deep into the waterway beyond the city gates and followed the tunnel that led to the interior of the city to get a sense of the work and labor that went into this ancient marvel.

Since the City of David is still undergoing excavation, the stories of its history and people are also evolving.
We were able to help find pieces of that history later in the afternoon at the Temple Mount Antiquities Salvation Operation. Here, students sifted through actual rubble from the Temple Mount that was illegally excavated by the Wakf to make way for a basement mosque. More than 400 trucks dumped debris from the construction around Jerusalem. Working in pairs, students helped recover valuable bits of history. Abigail and Leah, Zack and Daniel, and Anton and Sean all found old coins. Jonathan and Jeremy found a large piece of blue and white mosaic. Other groups found pottery, bones, marble, metal and glass.

After sifting through a couple dozen buckets, we left wearing a couple thousand years worth of dust on our clothes. We retreated to the hotel for a shower and change of clothes, and then headed out to dinner at Burger Bar. For any burger lovers out there, this place is worth seeking out. The buns have girth -- and the kids loved them!

Our last stop of the day was at the Kottel Tunnels. This underground excavation has revealed the major portion

 of the Western wall that was lost when Muslim communities vaulted the land abutting the wall to be closer to the Dome of the Rock. One of the most poignant moments came when we rea

ched the part of the wall closest to where the temple stood. Students took a moment to pray, kiss the wall or just reflect.

We ended our evening by walking up to the Western Wall that remains exposed in the Jewish quarter. Students will be returning there tomorrow to pray during Shabbat.

We're turning in early tonight, though, since we loose an hour -- it's the equivalent to "Spring forward" here in Israel. This can only compound any residual jet lag we're experiencing.

Tel Aviv to Jerusalem

Another full day. We woke up early to drive two hours back to Tel Aviv. Morah Yoel entertained the students on the way with his own true/false trivia game to pass the time.

Our first stop off the bus was in the city of Jaffa. We strolled around the ancient port city and bargained in the colorful markets for trinkets and souvenirs. For lunch, we picnicked on the lawn near the old watchtower with a view of the Mediterranean Sea.

From there, we traveled to the house that belonged to Mier Dizengoff, the first mayor of Israel. His residence, now a museum, is where the State of Israel was declared. It was a proud moment hearing Ben Gurion announce the formation of the Jewish state.

After, we went to a definitively different museum. This one was dedicated to appreciating the blind. For more than one hour, we were immersed into darkness. We experienced what it was like to visit a park, sail on a boat and order at a restaurant as a blind person. It was eye-opening (pun intended)to meet our guide at the end, who was blind himself. We were amazed at how he deftly navigated us through the dark labyrinth, calling our names and finding us as we fumbled our way around in the dark.

We then helped our tour guides out by giving them a lift back to Jerusalem, our final stop.

We're now hunkered down at the King Solomon hotel, and are about to say goodnight to the students so we can start early again tomorrow.

The Golan

This morning after breakfast we drove North towards the Golan. The bus rolled through the fog and freezing rain until we arrived at the top of the Golan plateau. We had a small reprieve from the weather to explore the bunkers that protected Israeli soldiers during the war against Syria.

When we made our way back out to gaze down on Syrian land, the students noticed there was a small amount of snow on the ground. None of us wanted to linger long as the wind whipped around us, so we took our token camera shots and headed to the bus to seek shelter.

Next we went to see a short movie that told us more about The Golan. The film, shot in 180 degree panorama, was a true sensory experience. Fans and mist blew over us in our seats, imitating the winds and waters of The Golan on the screen.

Unfortunately, the rain washed out our afternoon hike. However, the tour guides quickly improvised by taking us to a chocolate factory owned and operated by a third generation chocolate maker. There, we saw the process of how the various types of chocolate are made. Meshuly even went behind the scenes to help Katrina, the owner, mold one of the sweet confections. And, of course, we were all able to try some of the sweets and even buy some to take home with us at the gift shop.

Pumped with sugar, we made our way to a lookout spot over The Kinneret. On our way, the sun came out leaving a perfectly arched rainbow in the sky. In fact, though, it only highlighted the rainbow of colors all around us. The hills are splashed with yellow, white and purple flowers along with various shades of green. Spring has definitely spread it's brilliance across this part of Israel.

When we got to the lookout, the students put on their creative hats and took inspiration from what was before them to paint landscapes in watercolors. Afterwards, we returned to the hotel for dinner and some team building games.

These full days have left all of us pretty tired. We'll be turning in early so we can get an early start out to Tel Aviv tomorrow.