High School News

June 4 - June 7, 2010 Israel Updates

June 4, 2010
22 Sivan 5770

 

Shalom from Yerushalayim!

 

We started our day with a trip to Ichlu Re'im, a soup kitchen in a religious area of the city.  It was really heartwarming to see this beautiful, modern and bright hall available for those in need.  We learned the story behind the founding of the kitchen and how it has grown from a small kitchen of a married couple who weren't able to have children into the huge charity it is today.  After a short film, we got right to work sorting rice and peeling and chopping carrots.  We left knowing that we had made a major impact on the Shabbat dinners of many of those in need in Jerusalem.

 

In the early afternoon, we were treated to a lecture by Neil Lazarus, a well-known speaker on the subject of the Arab-Israeli Conflict and Middle East tensions.  Neil was engaging and entertaining and presented an informative Power Point presentation that filled us in on some current underlying issues in the Middle East.

 

This afternoon we did our pre-Shabbat shopping in the Machane Yehuda Market.  There we purchased farm-fresh produce, snacks and fresh baked pastries.  The market was buzzing as everyone was getting prepared for Shabbat.

 

We're about to leave for Yemin Moshe for our group Kabbalat Shabbat service overlooking the Old-City of Jerusalem and are excited for the rest that Shabbat will bring.

 

Shabbat Shalom!

Katherine Appelbaum, Perry Barnoy and Eden Safdie

 

Michael W. Hirsch
Director of Jewish Life

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June 7, 2010
25 Sivan 5770

 

Dear Schechter Families,

 

It has certainly been an action-packed three days.  On Shabbat morning, the group divided and fanned out to 4 different shuls and minyanim.  The afternoon was dedicated to rest and relaxation, and after havdalah under the stars, the group had free time to visit Ben Yehudah Street or to order-in sushi or burgers.  We all packed and tried to sneak in some sleep before leaving at 2:00 AM for Masada.

The climb up Masada was both exhilarating and exhausting. While we sat and learned on Masada, a few students were elsewhere helping a group of men set up the top of Masada for their friend to propose to his fiancée. She said "yes" and our group cheered, feeling a part of the moment.  After a well-deserved breakfast, we headed to the Ein Gedi Nature Preserve and hiked to the waterfalls for some needed rest and cooling down.  It was wonderful seeing this oasis in the midst of the desert!

Next, we drove to the Dead Sea and had lunch.  From there we went into the water and floated effortlessly. Some students completely covered their bodies with the moisturizing mud from the sea and others relaxed by the pool or shopped. By this time, we had been up for an exhausting 13 hours, so the 2-hour bus ride to Kibbutz Ketura was a perfect time to catch up on some sleep.

Ketura is a beautiful kibbutz in the midst of the desert.  We were welcomed by David, a former Long Islander who has made this kibbutz his home.  He gave us a tour of the kibbutz, and then there was a lovely BBQ at the pool.  After the BBQ, we gratefully headed to bed, actually happy for the early curfew!

 

Today was much less hectic.  In the morning, we broke up into 5 groups and were led in activities by kibbutzniks.  One group created decoupage rocks, vases, ornaments, etc.  Another group of brave students got up an hour earlier to hike through the desert.  The third group went on a "short hike" in the desert to a "nearby mountain" (no one felt 30 minutes was "short") in search of different color sand for sand painting.  The fourth group made rock sculptures. The final group made a movie about the kibbutz. Half way through the morning, we had breakfast. After all the work we put into our projects, we had minyan, and then presented our projects. We then learned about what a kibbutz is and how it functions. After the great education we received, we had lunch.

 

Then, we went onto our group activities for the day. We went to Eilat for the day and started off by going to the coral reef and snorkeling. We saw some really awesome fish and how they live and function within their habitat. One group even saw a sting ray! Next, we headed to a mall in Eilat and went shopping.  With our purchases in hand, we headed to the boardwalk in Eilat where we sampled fresh fruit drinks, listened to music, purchased some chochkes and, for those of us who were brave enough, went on a ride called the slingshot. As we write this e-mail, we are aboard a Disco Boat on the Red Sea. Surrounding us are the beautiful images of Israel and Jordan, and Saudi Arabia in the distance. We are finally experiencing a nice breeze for the first time since we've been in the south, and soon we will head back to the Kibbutz for another well-deserved night of sleep.

 

Laila Tov!     

 

Stay tuned for tomorrow's update from Tel Aviv.

 

Morgan Hammerman

David Mendelowitz

Rebecca Silverman

 

Michael W. Hirsch
Director of Student Life