Ein Gedi and Masada

Friday, November 2, 2012

Ein Gedi and Masada

This week we visited Nahal David Stream, which is a nature reserve in the Judean Desert in Ein Gedi. Ein Gedi translates as "Spring of the Goat" and is considered one of the most beautiful places in all of Israel.

Crossing a bridge to get to the amazing swimming holes

Zach getting "natures" back massage

Some of our hiking was challenging....but well worth it!!

Our two Baylas

Just floating around

In the third century, Jews returned to Ein Gedi and built a small township at this location. It seems they were very wealthy as they built an impressive and beautiful Shul. Evidence has been found of workshops used to distill perfumes made from plant products such as balsam. The secret recipes for the perfumes have been lost in the ages.

Shaul teaching about the Old Synagogue and its spectacular mosaic floors

Group picture at Nahal Prazim

The beautiful colors on the walls are the result of water rushing through the canyons for millions of years

Nothing like a good hike!

Ken high-fiving Dave after a quick run through the desert

Day two of our tiyul brought us to the mountain top fortress of Masada built by King Herod. The thrilling story of this site reveals the courage of the Jewish defenders of Masada and their battle against the conquering Romans after they destroyed Yerushaliam and the Jews fled in the first century.

We chose to take the cable car up to the top to soak in the beautiful views of the Dead Sea.

Shaul showing us where the Romans set up camp and the exact location they breached the massive stone walls of the fortress. Ultimately, the 1,000 Jews living on top of the mountain chose suicide rather than become slaves of their Roman captures.

Max receiving a blessing from a Rabbi in the shul that was originally erected atop of Masada.

Zach and Josh prepare for the long and trecherous decent down the Snake Path

Down...Down...Down

The hike was challenging....but not for this group!!

We made it down

"okay...who wants to climb back up now???"

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Josh's Corner

Jan. 4, 2013
This week, I was given some new cooking responsibilities at
work such as mashing potatoes, adding tomato paste to the meat sauce as well as
using the meat grinder. Later in the week we went to the Negev….. it was very hot
during the day however at night it was very cold. On the first day we saw
something so amazing, it was a museum dedicated to educating people about
planes used by the Israeli Air Force, between 1948 and the present. There was
so much interesting history such as the Bar Mitzvah plane that shot down 13
enemy planes during its time. We also got to see Israel’s newest plane, the
American made F15A fighter jet, it was massive. We then went to the Bedouin
tent, which was also very large. We settled in had coffee and dinner, then we
told stories and jokes. Afterwards we slept in sleeping bags on mats on the
floor. In the morning they made us fresh lafa bread and white cheese and then
we were on our way to our next endeavor. We went to this huge crater that was
supposedly caused by a meteorite, where we then dug for sand, which had
different colors in it due to different compositions. We collected sand in jars
and made beautiful sand art. We then went to the Dead Sea where it was
literally like zero gravity, and the water temperature was very nice too. There
was even a guy floating around reading a magazine. This two day tiyul was the
most fun we had all trip. I definitely had a blast and it was an amazing way to
end off a wonderful experience in Israel.
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Dec. 27, 2012
Last week after we said goodbye to Bayla, we went up
to the Ahula valley to the ‘’Lakes of Ahula” Nature Reserve. There we saw some
very nice trees, as well as amazing animals such as beautiful birds, including
cranes, ducks and swallows. While there, we also saw a river rat and some
domesticated animals, such as mules and water buffalo. Later that week, we
took a tour and saw the workings of the carrot factory on Shluchot. Starting
with delivery, going to trimming, washing, glazing and bagging. On the following Tuesday we ventured to a
valley along the Gilboa Mountains. It was extremely challenging, as we battled
a rocky terrain with plenty of slippery mud plus a declining hill. At the
midway point we stopped to reenact the suicide of King Saul. It is believed
that he died around that location. Once at the base of the mountain, which was
an 8-kilometer hike, we continued on to the Madua Springs, where we had lunch.
We then hiked back to Kibbutz Shluchot. I personally had a great time, as well
as a great week.
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Dec.21,2012
Last week we went to Latrun, which has a memorial
for tank soldiers who died fighting for the country of Israel, in all the
battles and wars between 1948 and the present. We also saw the different tanks
used during those times. Afterwards we went to Beit Guvrin, which was these
series of caves that the Jews hid in from the Greeks during the Hellenistic
period. On Friday we filled cans with olive oil for Chanukah, with the olives
we picked the week before. After the factory sent us the oil, we then filled
and labeled the cans by creating a human assembly line…. it was great fun.
Later that day we went to the Katz’s in Hashmonaim for Shabbos. We had great
time with their family and friends and lots of fun too. We thank you very much.
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Dec.13,2012
Last week we went to pick olives at the olive groves of
Kibbutz Shluchot. There we competed
with each other as to who would fill their buckets first. We also saw two
amazing machines, one grabbed the trees and shook them, and the other was a collection machine with a bucket the size of two bathtubs. After, we went to a
local olive oil factory where we learned how they make olive oil step by step.
On another day, we climbed up a hill called Tel Zarim, where we saw an
archaeological dig and some cool pottery that could be as much as two thousand
years old because many civilizations lived there. On Friday we went to Beit
She’an where we watched a half marathon and cheered on the runners…. especially
the ones from Shluchot. On Saturday night we had a Chanukkah party with the high
school kids because it was the first night of Chanukkah. There was plenty of
food, music and fun games to go around. We had a blast!
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Dec.7,2012
Last week we spent the day in lovely Tel Aviv, where we had
the privilege of going to the new modern wing of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. When inside, we saw the most wild and interesting pieces of art from up and coming artists from India. Also, we saw lots of modern native Israeli art such
as these oil paintings from an artist who predominately designed his art on window screens...that was just awesome!
We then had lunch at a park near the boardwalk, near the beach. It was very nice, because the sun was strong and
the waves crashed perfectly against the rocks. After, as we walked toward Yafo, we looked around in these little thrift shops where we saw cool stuff such as statues, wall signs, antiques, vintage toys, and even furniture. Saturday night
we went to the Kinneret where we circled the lake on a boat. Some of the high school kids from Kibbutz joined us as we danced to disco music and enjoyed the
beautiful view of Tiberius.
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Nov.30,2012
Last week we spent Shabbat in Jerusalem and it was a very
nice couple of days there. On Thursday, we visited Yad Vashem, a major facility commemorating the Holocaust. It had a feel of hatred and death throughout every step. I was in total awe of the hatred Hitler had toward so many groups of people, especially Jews. Their treatment was morbid and disgusting, no being on earth should ever deserve such treatment. We also visited the Valley of the Communities where we saw the names of some of the cities of our loved ones that were destroyed in Europe during the Holocaust. Once we got to the hotel we immediately saw an awesome view
of the Sharya’afo from our balconies and I was star struck from the beauty the Old City had at night. We went on Friday to the Mahane Yehuda market place, where the noise of customers bartering and vendors attracting customers filled the air with electricity. The smell through the air of spices, fresh and dried
fruits, fresh fish, fresh meat and desserts whipped through the air as well. The smell is unbelievable, it is one of those places where you got to be there to know what it’s about. On Friday night, we davened at the Kotel, followed by a catered dinner at the hotel. On Saturday we went to the Great Synagogue where there was some amazingly beautiful architecture, a beautiful choir and chazzan....you couldn’t have asked for better. The Shabbat in Jerusalem was amazing; I wish I could relive
it together with all of you!!!!!!!
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Nov.21, 2012
Last week we went to the Golan Heights for a two-day trip.
It was colder there than in Shluchot because it was further north. We went to
an ancient synagogue called Katzrim with Roman architecture which was mostly
destroyed. We were still able to daven mincha there. We also went to the Banias
which was an ancient sanctuary for the Greek G-d Pan. We went to one of the
worlds most renowned shofar makers, where we learned all the intricate
processes of making a shofar as well as the customs of specific nations. Lastly
we went to a farm where we saw all different types of deer and rams. While there we raced go-karts around a
track...... it was a great way to end the two day trip!! On Friday, back on
Kibbutz, Kenny took us on a hike up the Gilboa Mountain. It was a very
difficult hike as it was uphill with uneven rock surfaces. We all made it to
the top however while everyone took a break close to the top, I went ahead and
pushed myself to finish first.
.
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Nov.15 2012
Last week we went to two natural springs...The Sachne and
Hamat Gader. The Sachne had cold fresh water and we swam laps and stayed under
a waterfall. Hamat Gader is actually a hot spring, where the water was almost
108 degrees. There was also a zoo at Hamat Gader where we saw snakes, a petting
zoo, deer, monkeys, and very large alligators. There was a bird show where
exotic birds were doing very cool tricks. Back on kibbutz Kenny taught us
something called slack-lining. It is tight rope walking between two trees,
sounds easy right? Well it’s not. Kenny and I also pickled olives... I hope
they come out tasty. Jobs have been in affect for the past three weeks and we
are all very hard at work and doing great. For me, that would be kitchen work,
which I love very much. We then had our first annual kibbutz egg cook off.
David and myself made some pretty mean eggs for the group... but in the end we
were all winners!
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Nov.8, 2012
Last week when we arrived in Ein Gedi, I had never seen such
a beautiful place before…. It was almost like a little oasis in the desert,
which I found to be very ironic yet at the same time so interesting!!!! The
water was super rejuvenating and the waterfall was like nature’s back and
shoulder remedy. My good friend and fellow participant Max laughed so much when
under the waterfall it was like he was being tickled by a million feathers, he
was having the time his life. On the
other hand Masada was very different… very hot and dry, and challenging to
walk. The history was breathtaking as the Jews were forced to commit a mass
suicide rather than become Roman slaves. The architecture there was amazing as
we saw Roman pillars and King Herod’s temple. We also saw the remains of the
Roman encampments around Masada which was awesome to see from up high.
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Nov.1, 2012
When we arrived at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel
Aviv, I felt the energy of being in a place, a holy place for the very first
time.
Kibbutz life is very interesting. Seeing the different
animals, flowers, olives, dates and trying different types of foods has been a
really nice experience for me.
In Jerusalem, we visited two different museums. One about
the once standing holy Beit Hamikdash, and the other a museum about the
different generations over the history of Judaism. While I was looking closely
at the glass columns with the engraved names, I came across the Names of Great
Gemara Rabbi’s, which was very cool. When we finally arrived at the Kotel, I
kissed it and began to pray there. It was like all of a sudden electricity ran
down my spine....like there was something missing before.

Kulanu Ba'aretz 2012 - 2013

Friday, November 2, 2012

Ein Gedi and Masada

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