By Daniel Balva
This morning we woke up with a lot in store for us. After eating breakfast, we were off to hike Mount Arbel, which to say the least was incredible. We hiked doewn a cliff, saw ancient temple ruins from hundreds of years ago, and fit through narrow passageways, which was quite the accomplishment for many of us.
After the hike, we drove to one of Israel’s holiest cities, Tzfat. Upon arriving, the boys split up from the girls and cleansed themselves in Tzfat’s mikvah, while the girls got to see firsthand the amazing work of the city’s best glassblowers. We then took a tour of two of the main temples in the city, and saw ancient books and torah scriptures. Knowing that our ancestors prayed in the very place where we were standing was mind blowing, and seeing these artifacts proved just that. The day didn’t stop there because there was still had plenty left for us to see!
We walked through a candle store and were lucky enough to see some of the candles being made on the spot. After making sure that we saw just about every type of candle possible, we were given free time to enjoy the city’s food and check out all of the shops. With options ranging from falafel to shawarma and pargeeyot (baby chicken), there was no question that lunch was a success. Not to mention, bargaining with all of the storeowners on a full stomach came in handy when purchasing souvenirs for friends and family members.
Once our free time concluded, we met with a well-known Kabbalah artist, and learned the ins and outs of the mystical study, while seeing how the artist tied the study into his artwork. He really got us thinking about the holiness of the city we were in, and made us realize just how fortunate we really are to be here in Israel.
We made our way back to the bus when the lecture ended, and were on our way to our next location, Natanya. Sitting here now, we’re all checked into our new hotel, getting ready for a night out in Tel-Aviv. It’s crazy to think that in just one day alone we scaled a mountain and saw sacred ancient ruins, cleansed ourselves in a mikvah (which I’m sure many parents will be pleased with), toured one of Israel’s holiest cities, and learned about the study of Kabbalah.
In one single day, we accomplished more than we could imagine, which leaves me excited to see just what tomorrow brings.
This morning we woke up with a lot in store for us. After eating breakfast, we were off to hike Mount Arbel, which to say the least was incredible. We hiked doewn a cliff, saw ancient temple ruins from hundreds of years ago, and fit through narrow passageways, which was quite the accomplishment for many of us.
After the hike, we drove to one of Israel’s holiest cities, Tzfat. Upon arriving, the boys split up from the girls and cleansed themselves in Tzfat’s mikvah, while the girls got to see firsthand the amazing work of the city’s best glassblowers. We then took a tour of two of the main temples in the city, and saw ancient books and torah scriptures. Knowing that our ancestors prayed in the very place where we were standing was mind blowing, and seeing these artifacts proved just that. The day didn’t stop there because there was still had plenty left for us to see!
We walked through a candle store and were lucky enough to see some of the candles being made on the spot. After making sure that we saw just about every type of candle possible, we were given free time to enjoy the city’s food and check out all of the shops. With options ranging from falafel to shawarma and pargeeyot (baby chicken), there was no question that lunch was a success. Not to mention, bargaining with all of the storeowners on a full stomach came in handy when purchasing souvenirs for friends and family members.
Once our free time concluded, we met with a well-known Kabbalah artist, and learned the ins and outs of the mystical study, while seeing how the artist tied the study into his artwork. He really got us thinking about the holiness of the city we were in, and made us realize just how fortunate we really are to be here in Israel.
We made our way back to the bus when the lecture ended, and were on our way to our next location, Natanya. Sitting here now, we’re all checked into our new hotel, getting ready for a night out in Tel-Aviv. It’s crazy to think that in just one day alone we scaled a mountain and saw sacred ancient ruins, cleansed ourselves in a mikvah (which I’m sure many parents will be pleased with), toured one of Israel’s holiest cities, and learned about the study of Kabbalah.
In one single day, we accomplished more than we could imagine, which leaves me excited to see just what tomorrow brings.
RSS Feed