Day 2, or, Basically We Rode Camels

Today started with a speech, by the best speaker I’ve ever heard. His name was Avraham Infeld, and if you ever have the opportunity ever you should meet him. Anyways, Avraham was one of the founders of the Birthright program and he also is or was the president of Hillel so he was personally invested in each of us getting the most out of our trip. According to him, that meant each of us finding a way to define our Jewish identity in a way that would never fail to connect us with other Jews. He believed that Jewish identity is founded on five different principles, Jewish Memory (“Jews don’t have history- They have Memory”), Jewish Family, the covenant we entered at Mount Sinai, the importance of the State of Israel, and the Hebrew language. Hopefully, he said, each of us would be able to claim to three of these different facets of Jewish Identity, so that we would all have at least one thing in common with each other. So, I feel a connection to Jewish Memory and Family, I believe in the importance of the State of Israel, and learning Hebrew is on my to do list. Hey Jewish kids- pick your three.

We spent the rest of the morning at Har Herzl, the Israeli military cemetery. Each of the graves was slightly raised off the ground, enclosed in a low brick wall. The white headstones rested at the top of each grave, and the remaining space was planted with green ivy like pants. The care paid to each individual’s resting place conveyed the significance of each life sacrificed in the defense of Israel.

Also at Har Herzl was the most ridiculous museum and movie ever. There was bad acting, 80’s clothes, fake plastic people who lit up, screens on all four walls, and occasional actual historical footage. Somehow, all of it came together to teach us about Herzl’s life and the founding of modern Zionism. 

After that came a wonderful relaxing bus ride out to the desert. We were greeted by a couple Bedouins, about 10 camels, and 15 donkeys. Chloe and I rode a camel together, and then I got to ride on two different donkeys on the way back. At the camp we learned a little bit about Bedouin culture, and how their lives have changed as the world becomes more interconnected and many of the young people decide to move to cities and join the mainstream culture.

A few hours later (once it was dark outside) our group went for a walk in the desert. We stumbled over the rocks and the sand together for awhile, and then the trip leaders told us to all try to head in different directions, until you couldn’t see anyone else in front of you, and to take a few minutes to yourself and think about what we had done so far, and what being here meant to each of us. Sitting in the desert, ‘alone,’ under the stars I thought about the fact that even though each of us at that moment was apart from the others, we were all still sharing the unimaginably incredible experience of being in Israel, on a trip that was a gift from others who didn’t even know who we were. And then I thought about how even though I was halfway around the world, I’m still connected to my family and my friends, because if I can think of them, then they’re in my head, and there with me. So, all of you were in Israel with me for a few minutes- I hope you enjoyed it.