By Brian Kay & Tami Joseph

So we never thought it would happen, but the  last day has finally arrived. The first thing on the schedule for the day was going to Rabin square in Tel Aviv.  We learned about Yitzchak Rabin and his major efforts to make peace between Israel and it's neighboring countries. His assassination in 1995 also marked an important time in Israel's history.

After some fun facts we stopped at the Azraeli Mall for some lunch and some hardcore shopping. Next we went on a short tour of Independence Hall and found out how Israel was declared a Jewish state in 1948.

Our next stop was the city of Jaffa where we finished all of our last minute shopping and learned some basic history about the city. Nothing could have ended the day better than the whole group watching the sun set as we ate dinner and discussed our best memories from the trip.

Going into the trip, none of us realized how this experience would impact our lives. It is safe to say that everyone felt a stronger connection to their Jewish heritage and most of all, to each other.  Nothing could  have summed up the trip better than a last lesson taught by the Rabbi, "Wherever you go, make here Israel", meaning that wherever we are in life, we must always remember how Israel helped us connect to Judaism. Thanks to the Rabbi and all the staff for making this trip AAWWEEESSOOMMMEEEE

By Jessica Kurzweil (JK) & Sari Shapiro (SAS)

Today we started our morning bright and early waking up from the Bedouin tents in the Negev desert. As a family we gathered together at 7:30 am to start our camel riding adventure. Pairing up in twos, this adventure was quite comical. During this time we all became very close and attached to our camels, naming them individually (i.e Carlito, Frank, Jamal, and Jeffery). The camel riding lasted about 30 minutes. Needless to say it was plenty of time considering the saddles were not the most comfortable. We were all excited to continue our upcoming day, but more importantly to take an hour catnap on the bus, making our way to Masada.

As we entered through a LONG winding road, the mystical mountain of Masada was breathtaking. When we arrived, we quickly gathered our hiking gear and started our steep climb up to the top, which took anywhere 10-20 minutes. Once we were at the top, our phenomenal tour guide Merav started explaining historical facts about King Herod and his palace. As we were walking around and viewing the ancient artifacts of the Roman’s, we entered what was once a synagogue. Rabbi led us in a short Shama as we all sang together. This was the perfect place to all pray together, as other tourists chimed in and sang along. The hike down was going to be about a two hours, but then Merav did a “Mitzvah” and we quickly descended in a short 3-minute cable car ride down.

After Masada, we continued our journey to Ein Gedi. At Ein Gedi, we took a 15-minute hike up to a gorgeous waterfall where we were refreshed with cool natural water. Many of us jumped in and took some pictures, which was a great preview before the Dead Sea. 

Once leaving Ein Gedi, we got back on the bus for a short ride to the Dead Sea. All extremely excited to float in the salty water, we were greeted by many local Israeli’s who provided us with Ahava mud where we exfoliated our skin before entering the water. Once in the water, we quickly noticed if we had any open wounds as is stung from the amount of salt deposits from the sea. Attempting to walk in the water as long as possible, our feet slowly rose from the rocky bottoms as if gravity was taking over. It was hilarious and shocking to see everyone just simply floating.

Arriving at our fourth home in Tel Aviv, we were greeted with a delicious meal that quickly prepared us for our last night out as a family.   Once done eating, we all rushed to our rooms to pamper ourselves since showering was not an option for roughly two days. We all got beautified and hopped on the bus to a local pub. What made our night even more special was being surprised by not only one, but four out of the eight soldiers. This truly made our night perfect for our last hoo-rah in Israel. Although this trip is coming to an end, we will not only be 40 individuals, but one family. This is not our goodbye, but it’s a see you later.

By Mike Levine and Stephen Cofer. Hi Mom ;)

To begin our day group 89 met with Rabbi in the activity room for a ”Taste of Jewish learning”. The debate was whether the belief in god is considered a mitzvah, or should be an understood principle of our religion. From there we drove to the Prime Minister’s home. Gilad Shalit is an Israeli soldier who was captured by the Hamas about 5 years ago, and his family set up a tent to urge the government to negotiate a deal to get him returned home. In Israel, negotiating with terrorists is an everyday part of life unlike in the U.S. The controversy surrounding Gilad, is that Hamas is demanding the release of approximately 450 captured terrorists in return for Gilad. From there, we walked to a park in Jerusalem and held a closing session with the soldiers where everyone including the soldiers expressed how they felt about the trip and about meeting each other and what we had learned from each other. This is also where we had to part ways and say goodbye. This was a bitter sweet moment for us all, as we were all so grateful to experience the trip with each other, yet so sad to see part of our “family” leave. The relationship built between the soldiers and our Mayanot family is unexplainable, and something that we would cherish and not let   it fade in the future. As were getting closer to concluding our trip, we will go back to the reality of our everyday American lives, while the 8 of them all go back to the harsh reality of serving in the Israeli army.

After the park, we walked to the Old City. Upon arriving we took a quick tour of the outskirts of the city, along with an inside tour and explanation of the archeological sites. The Old City is divided into 4 quadrants, each practicing their own religion. We were given a couple hours of free time in the city to get lunch, and to shop in the various stores that populate the city. We then made our way to the western wall also known as the Kotel. We took 20 minutes for self-meditation to jot down our thoughts and prayers, and went to the wall to enter our prayers and to pray while touching it. The guys were given the opportunity to put on Tefillin at the Kotel, while we placed our notes into the wall. We also got to witness an IDF induction ceremony commencing at the wall, and saw all different types of soldiers and people there. We then chose to walk to the other end of the wall where there would be less people to carry out bar and bat mitzvahs. We had 4 boys and 4 girls who performed the right of passage, and spoke to the group and celebrated with their Mayanot family by singing dancing and throwing candy.

After our great experience in the old city, we took a 3 hour bus ride to the Bedouin tents located in the dessert in southern Israel. Each group was given their own tent and given sleeping bags to sleep in. We had a family meal in a tent, provided by the Bedouins. After this, we hiked into the desert, in order to have a meditation session without any distractions in the open barren desert. We formed a large circle in the group, and everyone was given time to reflect alone on life and to meditate under the moonlight, and quietness of the desert. We brought the group back together, and held a discussion where we reflected on our experiences so far in Israel. Everyone got a chance to speak to the group, and see how much this trip has truly changed everyone’s lives. We returned to the campsite, started a bonfire, and continued to learn about each other in a bonding moment sleeping under the same tent in the desert.

By Nicole Freedland & Michelle Sullivan

Today was a day to remember two different types of heroes: those that were taken from us in the holocaust and those who have sacrificed their lives for us and the country of Israel . We began at Mount Hertzel where we saw the tombstones of those who have served for our country not only in government positions but in the army as well. As you know, we have eight awesome soldiers staying with us and through the stories they told, we learned why the land of Israel is such an important part of being Jewish. It was especially hard to see the hurt in all the soldiers eyes as they saw their fallen friends.

What we learned at Yad vashem was that from the lowest point in life you learn to climb to the highest point. The holocaust museum was an extremely emotional experience and a look into the past of our ancestors. Through the pain and terror in the pictures from the holocaust, we realized why one of the most important parts of Judaism is to stick together and carry on the traditions of Judaism. The children's memorial was especially heartbreaking to see that such horrible things could happen to the most innocent of all people.

 A great speaker from great Britain, Neil Lazarus, came and spoke to us of the truth behind the troubles in the middle east. We learned of media bias and how different media outlets put their own personal views and thoughts into the news they disperse in an attempt to sway people in a certain direction.

 So far throughout this trip, we have truly learned the importance of Judaism. From the current soldiers that are brave enough to defend the land of Israel to our ancestors and soldiers who have fallen defending our country and religion, we really are the chosen people. In order to continue our faith we must learn all their is to learn and spread everything we're taught. There is a reason for all the sacrifices and we must never forget them

By Eric McGregor

Our trip is halfway done and I swear we as a group have experienced Israel through the eyes of pure elation. The connectivity of group eighty nine is as strong as the beliefs our ancestors have devoted their lives to centuries ago. We have not only grown as a group, but individualy gained a completely enlightened perspective on the day to day of an Israeli citizen. Whether it was interacting on the simplest conversations about life with the soldiers, to walking into a human herd of all sects of judaism aproaching the Western Wall. The Shabbat service at the Wall was the most revlatory religious experience I have ever had the pleasure of observing. The manorism demonstrated by the masses of local observers was overwhelmingly humbling. Fully accepting us as their own with spinning circles of prayer and a rythm unmatched by any other sound on Earth. I have never been that close to the idea of god before and the unadulterated spiritualism flowed through my veins like the rushing waters of the Galilee. The walk back was a completely different religious experience as I have never followed Shabbat to the exact tee the Torah contains. I do not exactly know how I made it all the way back to the Hostel after walking for an hour straight in sixty degree weather, however when I got back I immediately began an in depth conversation on the inner sanctms of the hebrew spirit and the underlying meaning to the circularity of spiritual metaphysics. The jewish religion and the teachings contained within are more than practical, logical, and traditional, our religion touches deep into the spiritual and interdimentional aspects of thought and values.

Earlier today we visited machane Yehuda market and was sent on a short detour due to a suspicious package down one of the main streets. This situation was like a routine traffic ticket to the citizens as they rushed by collecting assortments of goodies for Shabbat dinner that night. The market was ablaze with vibrant life, colors, scents and screaming Jews all looking for a unique kippa or the best shwarma and falafel lafa the market can offer. Everyone was specifically shopping for the Sabbath and I remember three or four Jews offering to put on talit, with no intention whatsoever of making a quick buck or taking advantage. Simply because they wanted to bless you and bring you closer to god on this holy day. People were willingly walking up to us and asking where we were from, exchanging good shabbis and carried our prayers home with them. I also had the delectable opportunity to indulge in a real fruit smoothie, a thick blend of mango, orange, and banana quite possibly the first real fruit only smoothie I have Ingested. This trip has taught me more than seventeen years in hebrew school could ever have tried to convey, I'm not only closer to my faith I am closer to my true self and the unlocking process that brought this about was the culmination of the groups intense unification and rabbi Lipskiers words of infinite wisdom.

By Sami & Sydney Rosen

Its Friday the 13th so naturally we found ourselves with the earliest wake up time of all the birthright trips staying at the Eden Hotel. With a 6:45 wakeup call this morning, we left the beautiful city of Tiberius and the Kinneret for our journey to Jerusalem. Our first stop was at Kibbutz Sde-Eliyahu, which is a kibbutz surrounded by the Gilboa Mountains to the West and the Jordan border to the East. It is a unique kibbutz in that it is a religious kibbutz as well as an organic agricultural one. We were able to not only see the farms but taste the fresh organic produce they grow. As we walked and ate the vegetables we learned the hebrew translation for each. Eric Mcgregor said that the celery was so good it didnt even need any ranch dressing! Another unique aspect to this kibbutz is that they breed both bumble bees and honey bees. The bees are used to kill the bugs that attack the fruits and vegetables. This is one of their trademark techniques, outsourcing their bees to over 30 countries.

After our Bio experience at the kibbutz, we made our way towards the holy city of Jerusalem where we will be spending our Shabbat. We stopped at Mt Scopus to take our tourist pictures for all you parents overlooking Jerusalem. Then we headed to the market, Shuk Machane Yehuda where we grabbed a quick bite to eat, mostly falafel and shawarma. One of our Shabbat activities today was  "secret moses." We were all scrambling to find a small gift or "matana" for our secret buddy, a challenge for us tourists finding ourselves in the middle of the busy market filled with people trying to buy their last minute items for Shabbat.

As we are writing this, everyone is getting ready to head over to the kotel, where we will be eating dinner and welcoming the Shabbat. I know everyone is very excited about this part of the trip, that now the pictures that we have grown up seeing are going to become a part of our reality. Tonight is an opportunity for us to experience a meaningful Shabbat, free of technology (yes mom and dad, no cell phones or facebook at dinner). Shabbat Shalom!

By Matt Smith

Day 4 began at 7:30 with breakfast at the Eden hotel and a bus meeting. Today we were being joined by eight Israeli soldiers for the next five days and our group discussed what we thought they would be like. Some of us thought they would all be these muscular warriors, but we were wrong. They were just like us. They're our age and if they lived in America, they could very well have been at a University and on a Birthright trip as well. I anticipated speaking to them about the war, and their views on the Arab-Israeli conflict, but instead we connected with them on an entirely different level. We spoke about music, movies, sports and our goals for the future.

We began the day by driving to the Israel-Lebanon border where we stood feet away from the border fence and had an excellent view of the valley and the Lebanese towns on the border. We visited Kibutz Mizgav Am which is directly on the border with Lebanon and listened to a resident speak about the challenges and rewards of living in this part of Israel.

We then hiked through Ein Tina through the Golan Heights and got our feet wet as we walked through a river and climbed our way up to a beautiful waterfall. We continued to connect with the soldiers who would now be with us every step of the way, and when they all took off their uniforms and put on regular civilian clothes, they seemed even more like us. I'm not sure an outsider could have told the difference between Israeli and American if they didn't hear an accent.

After lunch we went Kayaking along the Jordan River which was a lot of fun. Everyone had a blast as we raced each other, had a few splashes and fought over an Israeli Watermelon! Tomorrow we are going to Jerusalem and there is an uplifting energy throughout our bus. One thing I can say for sure is that our trip is going to be even better with the eight new additions to the Mayanot 89 bus!  

By Arielle Cole

Day Two started off with breakfast at the Eden Hotel at precisely 700 am. Our bus came to pick us up at 745 where we headed to one of the holiest cities here - Tzfat. we began our journey by listening to an awesome Kabbalah speaker named Avraham Levinthal. it is safe ti say that we all felt inspired by his story and teachings. when we left his house we got to tour the amazing city, including two synagogues, a candle factery and a few art galleries. there are no words to describe how beautiful this city is.

Later on, the boys got to go to a Mikvah while the girls went to speak to glass-blower who moved to this country after reconnecting with her heritage after her college years at Princeton. Her pieces were absolutely gorgeous!

However, I would have to say that my favorite part of the day was overcoming my fear of heights and hiking the Mount Arbel.espite the fact I fell a few times and it took us nearly two hours to hike, it was riveting and I, personally, have never felt more accomplished in my entire life. I think this day has brought everyone a little bit closer and I hope everyone else feels the same.

As I sit here writing this, we are all getting ready for dinner in the city and for our first night out. I get more and more excited as I keep typing! hope everyone at home is enjoying their time because I certainly know we are:)

By Andrew Golin

Our plane arrived at Ben Gurian Airport at 10:45 A.M. Israeli time. Before boarding our bus,  one of out trip leaders explained the rules we must follow as well as a general outline of the trip. Despite the lack of sleep on the flight,  I made sure to stay awake on the bus ride so I could appriciate the scenery as we drove for the very first time 

Due to the fact that it was Israe's Independence day,  we ran into a healthy amount of traffic. Finally,  we made it to Ceasarea, a historic city located on the Mediterranean Sea. The we saw thousands of Israeli's celebrating their Independence Day, and saw a Roman period ruins!

We proceeded back onto the bus and made out way to Tiberias, which is just west of the Sea of Galilee. After checking into our hotel we had a nice dinner and spent some getting to know each other better.

 Its truly a dream come true to be in Israel, can't wait to see what tommorow brings!

By Dan Wynick

Laughter erupts in the distance as you approach the large group of young adults all waiting for the same thing; getting on a plane and flying to Israel. It feels like something out of a reality television show as new friendships are formed almost immediately upon arrival as we wait to be checked in. Some faces are those of old friends and you embrace them in your arms, filled with excitement of the days to come. Others you introduce yourself to and strike up conversation only to ask yourself  "why did I only meet this person now?"

Being a little bit older than the others on my trip, I take a few moments to gather my thoughts and think about what the next 10 days has in/admin/publishing/co_editor/images/htmltabon.gif store.  What did they come on this trip for?  What do they expect to gain from the trip? I know why I came, but the beauty is that we are all searching for something. Whether it is to make new friends, reconnect with old ones or try and find answers to their many questions they have been asking themselves, we are all here to experience the beauty and history of our ancient homeland./

As we fly over the Atlantic at 654 MPH, the airplane is filled with chatter, laughter and overall...an amazing sense of happiness.  Everyone is getting to know one another and seem to be having a fantastic time. It almost feels like home.

Jack Kerouac once wrote "Sometimes, home feels less like the place you grew up and more like a scattered collection of familiar couches and good friends. Sometimes, we meet people along the way who make impacts on our lives we can never really calculate."  This is one of those times. As this amazing trip begins and new friendships are formed, it serves to remind us of the strength of the Jewish people and that when we come together, we can accomplish astonishing things.