g 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 just 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
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 separated 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.
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.
