By Mike Koretsky

Monday started out with us waking up at the Almog Kibbutz.  The Kibbutz that we stayed in was fairly nice and modern. We left the Kibbutz and took a drive to Ein Gedi, an oasis in thw desert where we hiked up a mountain and went swimming in a natural freshwater spring.

After visiting Ein Gedi, we took a short drive to the Dead Sea. Once we arrived, everyone was really anticipating going into the water. As soon as we reached the beach, everyone quickly put their bags down and went into the water. Once I went in the water, I was amazed that we all floated. It was probably one of the weirdest feelings in the world to just be laying back and floating on water. The water did burn a little bit on our skin and really hurt if it got into our eyes or mouth.  After getting out of the water, everyone’s skin was very oily and full of salt. This was definitely one of the highlights of my trip.

After experiencing the Dead Sea, we went to Masada. We arrived at Masada about 2 in the afternoon and ate lunch there first. After eating lunch we watched a short video on the history of Masada. Then, instead of spending 2 hours hiking up the mountain, we all took the cable cars up to the top. The cable car was packed tight with about 100 people, which was a little scary since the sign said max capacity 80 passengers. On our way up we had a great view of Masada and of the Dead Sea. After reaching the top, we walked around and learned about the history of Masada and what took place there.

Feeling exhausted, we all boarded the bus and headed to the Bedouin tents, where we spent the night. There were about 15 large tents with a canvas on the bottom, covering up the sand. We were given a mattress (which was a canvas-covered piece of foam) and a sleeping bag. We listened to a resident of the Bedouin tents tell us about his culture which was very interesting. After learning about the Bedouin culture, we had dinner. The dinner, which was pita bread with rice and chicken, was very good. Once we all got settled in, we went on a little walk to an empty piece of the desert still in the Bedouin tent complex where we sat down and just looked at the stars in the sky and the atmosphere around us. It was very easy to see a lot of stars because there are hardly any lights in the desert. I know everyone really enjoyed sitting and looking at the stars.

Monday was a very busy day and everyone was exhausted by nighttime but I know that everyone enjoyed every second of the day’s activities. I’m definitely not looking forward to leaving Israel.

By Eric Cortellessa

To visit Israel as a Jew, without reflecting on our history, would be neglecting an incredibly important and ever-present element of what it means to be a Jew now. Today we were able to do just that. We took the time to meditate on our past in order understand who we are as a people now and how to formulate our trajectory.

We spent our morning at Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Jerusalem, where we witnessed the result of the effort of Jews and others around the world to make sure that one of the most dreadful, catastrophic events in the course of human history is forever remembered. Yad Vashem is the largest Holocaust Museum in the world and documents the horrors of the effort to exterminate Jews from Europe and in parts of North Africa, serving to continue the essential lesson of the International conversation on its subject: never forget. It was one of the most daunting and overwhelming experiences of the trip. It was visibly observable that everyone on the trip was deeply emotionally affected by the haunting impact this tragic moment in time had on our people, being able to feel in their bones the horror of the degradation, the sorrow of how much we lost. More than anything, we all realized that it is the responsibility of our generation to keep this awareness alive and to make sure that the generations that come after us always remember too.

After lunch, where we all enjoyed our favorite authentic Israeli cuisine, Shawarma, we spent the afternoon at Har Hertzel, the military cemetery of Israel. As we passed grave by grave, each a different life, a different story, we couldn’t help but notice the ages on all the tombstones, most of them right within the vicinity of our own ages. To walk throughout the cemetery, alongside the Israeli soldiers who we’ve gotten to know over these last five days, inspired us all. The tears that emerged came as we saw firsthand the countless amounts of men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for the cause of this country, the cause of a Jewish homeland. We saw the grave of Michael Levine, an American Jew from Philadelphia, who joined the Israeli Defense Force, and perished in the Second Lebanon War, leaving each of us to think what our own contribution will be.

 Afterword we said goodbye to the soldiers, who each gave us a portal into Israeli culture, an understanding of what it means to be Israeli, and an example of honor and service. We then headed to a Kibbutz where we would have dinner and spend the night, continuing this journey through Israel and our selves. 

By Brian Levy-Hara

Shavua tov! Being in Yerushalim for Shabbat was a life changing experience. We arrived to the tomb of David and the girls lit the Shabbat candles. After Kiddush we went to the kotel for Shabbat. When we got to the western wall you could see a swarm of people praying and welcoming Shabbat with great enthusiasm.  There were various groups of people praying at different tunes rhythms and starting at different times. When we started to pray I was overcome with joy and could picture ourselves inside the great temple. Just looking at the remains of the temple and think the man power that it took to build was incredible. After prayers it was Shabbat so we had to walk back to the hotel. We had a two hour walk; it was a painful walk to remember forever. To experience Israel to its fullest some of us wanted to keep Shabbat, and we had the experience of riding a Shabbat elevator.

Saturday was the first day that we had the chance to sleep in, we met at 11:45 for a activity that the soldiers prepared for us.  After the activity we had lunch, and then time off to relax and experience Shabbat. Before havdalah we had two more activities; Jewish Identity where we had some flash-cards with different values of Judaism and we had to sort them by importance according to our thoughts. We also had “stump the rabbi” in this activity we had the chance to ask the rabbi any question, and he was going to answer to the best of his abilities.

It was finally time for havdalah we all gather around the candles, wine, and Besamim. We started singing and got in the spirit of Shabbat to say goodbye to Shabbat. It was finally time for our last night out, we had the chance to go to Ben Yehuda Street. We all went shopping for our families since there were a lot of Judaica and other t-shirt shops. Many people went to eat kosher food and experience an Israeli night.

By Mike Koretsky

Friday started off with our group going to a Natanya Beach in the morning and enjoying the Mediterranean Sea as well as playing some beach soccer.  After soaking in the sun we went to Independence Hall.  Independence Hall was very interesting because that is where Ben Gurion declared Israel’s independence. We sat in the exact room where the ceremony for independence was took place.

After visiting Independence Hall we headed to Jerusalem and we drove to the Shuk. The Shuk was very crazy and busy,  it was right before Shabbat so all the Israelis were buying last minute items that they needed for Shabbat. After spending time eating and shopping at the Shuk, we headed to our hostel that we were spending the night at.

When we arrived, everyone went up to their rooms to get ready for Shabbat. We then took a short drive to the Kotel, where we spent Shabbat. Being at the Kotel for Shabbat was one of the most spiritual experiences I have ever had. Praying, singing and dancing at the Kotel during Shabbat was definitely one of the best Shabbats I have ever had.  After praying at the Kotel, we then walked for about 2 hours back to the hostel where we had a Shabbat dinner.

By Jonathon Cannon

The Days in Israel Keep getting better and better, and have far exceeded any expectation I could have had about this amazing place. Yesterday began with the 2 hours drive from our hotel on the Kinneret to the ancient and holy kabalistic town of Tzfat. The town was a built into the side of the mountain with endless stone staircases around buildings varying and growing levels. It had a truly unique feel with the ancient streets and buildings surrounding the area, most of it looking the same as it was when it was first built.

When we arrived we sat upon the steps of Tzfat and the rabbi gave an introduction to Kabbalah and how it has evolved and become more widespread over the years. The Rabbi  mentioned how Tzfat is the place to be to study. After rabbi finished speaking we were taken to a small art shop where we met Avraham, an artist.  He told us his story about how he was an American guy from Detroit who wasn’t very religious or spiritual but had a life changing epiphany after reading Jewish Meditation. Since he made Alliyah he has studied kabballah and paints various ideas and themes found in kaballah. He was eccentric to say the least, but really was connected to what he studied and definitely gave a new perspective on something many of us were very unfamiliar with.

From there we went to see a two ancient synagogues each with their own unique feel  and amazing stories and history.  Arzal’s synagogue had a hole in the bimah caused by gunfire during one of the wars, which has been there ever since. It was amazing to see firsthand how are religion has survived so much and continues to be a strong force today.

We then went to a Candle Factory filled with various hand painted candles in all different shapes and sizes, including some giant wax sculptures that were extremely detailed. After seeing a small presentation  on how the candles are made and the different candles that they have, we had some time to purchase candles before we took a break for lunch.

When we were completely full from  lunch we had some time to explore one of the small Shuks in the town, and got to enjoy some good old fashioned haggling.

 Once we spent all our Shekels the guys and girls were separated for an activity. The Girls went to see a glass blowing show while the Guys went to the Mikvah. The Mikvah was certainly an experience, and one I don’t think any of us had ever experienced.

After the group was reunited we headed for Netanya for our next hotel. Following another two hour drive we had some time to relax eat dinner and prepare for the evening.

We were split into groups and just sat and talked about our experiences so far and all    our perspective of Israel and the Israelis and how they feel about us, and us being in Israel. It’s amazing how considering most of us knew each other prior to the trip, these 8 Soldiers joined us and immediately became a part of Mayanot 68, it’s a real shame we only get the pleasure of their company for 5 days.

There was no better way to end our day then end up at a Club in Tel-Aviv, it was a great night and definitely one to remember.

It’s sad to think that we are almost halfway done with the trip, but we still have so much more time to make lifelong memories, and so many incredible places to visit, I cannot wait to see what we will be doing next for the trip!

By Tracy

Today’s events made quite a splash, literally. We woke up early in the morning and met the eight newest members of our wonderful Mayanot family, the Israeli soldiers. Ilana introduced them all individually and we welcomed them openly as they joined us on the bus to start the day.  The first stop was Ein Tina Water Hike, where we walked through water (up to about our knees) then hiked up a steep dry area which led us to a beautiful, streaming waterfall where we all stopped to take pictures, cool off, and take in the majesty that surrounded us.

After a short bus ride we made our way to Kibbutz Misgav Am which overlooks the Lebanese border which Israel is separated from by a mere fence. At the very top we met with Alex, an opinionated yet brilliant man from our own stomping grounds, Hollywood, Florida who gave us an incredible lecture about the conflicts Israel has been involved in throughout its history. He also explained to us the lifestyle within the kibbutz and told us some extremely memorable and shocking stories.

We then ventured to Kiryat Shmoneh, to a mall where we stopped shortly to eat some lunch then made our way to the Dan River for river rafting. We had some time to kill before our water adventure so we had an activity with our new friends, the Israeli soldiers, where we split up into groups of 5 and the soldiers had one minute with each group where they had to answer a question that the Rabbi supplied them. We learned a lot about the soldiers and their opinions through this activity. We then got into groups of six, armed with two oars per group, and jumped into our rafts. Going down the river was quite the adventure and bonding experience.  After getting stuck in some rough patches, gliding down small waterfalls, and having some “Fadicha’s”  (embarrassing moments) that ended up in us all getting soaking wet, we made it back to dry land about an hour and a half later, exhausted and ready for dinner.

Lastly we traveled to the holy city of Tzfat, where we got to celebrate the holiday of Lag Baomer, a night where we commemorate the passing and celebrate the life of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai (author of the Zohar). We gathered together with other Mayanot groups and grooved to a funky live band outside to eat barbecue and roast marshmallows by the bonfire. After we were full of good food and great vibes, we headed back to the hotel. On the bus back we learned that Amit, one of the soldiers, is a guitarist who graced us with his musical skills by performing Beatles songs for the bus. Soon after, the guitar started to be passed around the bus and we learned that many members of our Mayanot family can really rock out on a guitar. All in all, it was a full and incredible day, much like everyday we’ve been here in Israel, and sure to be like the days to come. 

By Diana Berlin

Shalom! I woke up yesterday ready for a new adventure on my Mayanot Birthright experience. The first stop was hiking. It was beautiful to say the least. Beyond the spectacular scenery and waterfall, I discovered something more. A new friend on the trip gave me insight to a deeper meaning on the hike. As we climbed up and down on the Jilabun Waterfall this symbolized many aspects of life. In our lives, we are graced with many beauties but must face obstacles that we must overcome like climbing a mountain. After the climb, we were very hungry. We went straight to the Katzrin market where our guide, Kuti, recommended DELICIOUS shawarma. It was my first time eating this and Boy oh Boy was it wonderful!!!

After refueling at the market, we went to an olive oil factory. Not only did this place offer a plethora of fabulous olive oils, soaps, lotions, and lip balms, but the owner’s message was unexpected and incredibly inspirational. He spoke of Judaism as a special family on many levels and welcomed us to his olive factory with excitement. After the factory, we went to the border of Israel. From our view, we were able to see where Israel meets Syria. Along the rest of Israel, the sight was breathtaking. Kuti, our guide and a former solder, shared his experience next to the border and we even had the opportunity to walk in the bunker as well. Following this, we went out to dinner and had a great time at a bar overlooking the water. It was an especially wonderful day and I can’t wait for what else Mayanot has to offer.

By Avi & Tracy

Wow our first day’s over! Can you believe it we are finally in Israel!!  We had no time to waist as we went straight from an 11 hour flight to the wonderful coastal city of Caesarea with magnificent views, we then went on a tour of the ancient city of Caesarea.  After a tour of the Ramat Hanadiv’s springs and gardens we headed to the beautiful view of King Solomon Hotel rooms overlooking the Kineret (Sea of Galili). Tons of new people to meet, tons of new places await. The first day has only left great expectations for the rest of the trip and we really can’t wait. Our names are Avi and Tracy and it’s our second time here in Israel but first with people of our age, our peers and a chance to experience Israel the first time as adults. 

We can’t wait for more spiritual and cultural experiences to be had at the religious sites and the crazy nights on the town that await. This day has been extremely long so until next time Mayanot 68.

By Dan Penias & Lindsay Zallis

Dan Penias:

Sitting in the airport my leg couldn’t stop shaking from the excitement that awaited me for the next 10 days. Just the thoughts of hiking up Massada, floating in the Dead Sea, and standing in front of the Kotel made me so excited to go back to Israel and experience Israel with friends instead of family. This trip is going to be amazing, and I can’t wait to land at Ben Gurion airport.

Lindsay Zallis:

Ever since I had received the email saying I was accepted on Birthright, I had been counting down the days for this trip to begin. As soon as I arrived at JFK and was greeted by a line of other Birthright kids I knew that this trip was going to be the best trip ever. I was a little nervous about the long flight because the longest trip I ever took by flight was 2 hours and the longest car ride I had been in was 6 hours. On the El Al flight time flew by quickly with all the great movies, food, and new friends I met.  When we arrive in Israel the things I am most excited to do are to visit the Western Wall, tour Yad Vashem, and float in the Dead Sea. Most of all I am excited to meet new friends.

By Jonathan Myles Laurier Cannon

As I sat at my Seder this Passover the words “next year in Jerusalem” rang out in my ears because for me I wouldn’t have to wait a year, I knew then that I would finally be back home, after so many years of waiting, so many years saying “next year”. This year is finally that year. I keep counting down the days waiting for next weekend where I’ll be all packed up and getting on the most important plane ride of my life.

I’ve checked the Mayanot website almost daily, getting my rental cellphone, finding out how my parents can give me money, what I need to pack, where I’m going etc… and the process is definitely made easier when you have a Jewish Mother making sure you have more than everything you need… they should have a dedicated section on the website just for Mum’s so they know exactly what to nag about. 
All joking aside though, as I read the itinerary over and over I keep wondering which place I’m most excited to see, and I don’t have one. But I think the place that will be the most meaningful will be Jerusalem as Psalm 137 says “If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand wither”. And I’m sure after the 10 days I certainly won’t. 

With all this being said I want to take the time to thank Taglit Birthright for this incredible opportunity. They have created an amazing program that I am profoundly grateful for. I also would like to thank Rabbi Chaim Lipskier for telling me about the Mayanot trip and for joining us on such a memorable event. See you all in Israel.