Monday the 13th and Tuesday the 14th in Israel:
Yesterday we went to the Roman city of Caesaria and the madatech science museum, where we learned about ancient cultures and how far science has progressed.
At Caeseria we learned about the physical and cultural challenges of creating and maintaining the city, which was built by King Herod to appease the Roman Empire. As Caeseria was modeled after the Romans, the city boasted structures that Jews weren't accustomed to - such as a hippodrome for chariot races.
After our tour of Ceasaria, we visited the science museum where we learned about the interaction between physics, the human body and the mechanics of athletic activity. To learn about physics we utilized a huge yoyo, where someone would pull down a rope and gravity would help pull you up several feet. We also went to a dark room where we expiremented with the Tesla coil which is electricity (basically lightning) that followed your finger on the glass it was in. Finally, we explored an athletics room where we tested our athletic abilities and mental capacities on various high-tech instruments.
All in all it was amazing to a see the progress Israel has made from engineering projects 2000 years ago,to the technological advancements of today.
Last night we went to the Reali school to spend the night with our Israeli friends from Haifa. We started the evening with an evening program called Sheketak, featuring two spectacular performers who danced, drummed tapped and beat-boxed. After the presentation, we participated in different ice breakers, scavenger hunts and games with our Reali friends. It was a great experience to be able to get to learn about our sister school a little better and to tour the campus in an interactive way. Finally, the evening culminated with a delicious falafel dinner, before we split into host families.
We spent the night with a gracious Reali family who opened their home to us. They were incredibly sweet, and when we had to say goodbye the next day, we promised to stay in touch!
Kira S. and Yarden W.
Today was another fun and exciting day, but it was also my birthday!
We began our morning touring Kibbutz Hanaton, which is the only conservative kibbutz in Israel. We Davened and I gave a d'var torah about this week's Parasha, Mishpatim, in which G-d tells the Jews that he will give them Israel. In my D'var Torah, I explained that although we have the opportunity to visit Israel, we should never take it for granted!
The next Kibbutz we visited was Kibbutz Kinneret, where Rachel the poet was buried. It was interesting to see her grave after learning about her and her poems in English class, back at school. At the cemetery, we learned about how Rachel came to Israel with the second wave of immigration and then traveled back to Russia to bring children back to what was then Palestine. Rachel was temporarily stranded In Russia because of World War One, and then contracted tuberculosis. When she eventually came back to the Kibbutz and wanted to work, she was denied access to work with the children because of her Tuberculosis. Rachel decided to move to Tel Aviv, where she wrote poems that still resonate with us today.
The next Kibbutz we visited after that was Kibbutz Degania, where we toured a chocolate factory and engaged in a workshop. We watched a movie about where chocolate comes from, and how it travels from the tree to the fermentation to the conching to the final chocolate product that we know and love.
Having my birthday in Israel was really special because I got to celebrate it on a trip that I have been looking forward to for a long time. I feel very lucky to have been able to celebrate with my friends, in another country (and in a chocolate factory!)
Michal W.
Today we visited with some IDF soldiers, which was pretty damn cool. Meeting the soldiers was also really inspiring, as these are people who devote their lives to something so much greater than just themselves. Armed with tanks and guns, they seems confident and prepared for anything that would come their way. They were grateful when we presented them with 200 pounds of candy, collected by our very own 7th grade for a tzedakah project.
For the past several weeks, the seventh graders brought in Hershey's, Reese's and tonsof other awesome American sugary-savory joy to give to the soldiers. Instead of having the teachers give the candy to the IDF, each 8th grader was given the opportunity to give a bag of candy to each soldier. For me, giving a man a bag of sweetness from America was very special because I realized that these were real people, who, like me, love eating candy. Although it may sound small, this connection was an amazing chance to bond with my Jewish brother, who i didnt even know, but was fighting for the land that we both know and love--Israel.
Side note--these guys rock at giving hugs!
-Coby P
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