Friday, November 16, 2012

Golan Heights

This week we had the great pleasure of spending two beautiful days in the Golan Heights
 
Max learning how to blow the shofar from Keinan Shimon, one of the finest shofar builders in the whole world
 

Zach taking a try
 

Shimon is one of only three shofar builders in all of Israel, and has been making them for almost 40 years and has perfected this secretive ancient art
 
 
Shaul blowing one of the beautiful shofars that are for sale in the gallery

Group in front of the Ayit Waterfalls in the Yehudiya Nature Reserve

Max and Josh atop an old Israeli tank that was used during the Yom Kippur War
 
 
Bayla poses in front of a Russian, Israeli and an American tank
 
 
Next stop Katzrin, an ancient Jewish village located in the central Golan Heights


Josh in front of three beautiful doors in the ancient city
 

An old olive oil press was found at the site
 
Ken and Shaul demonstrating how olives were crushed to make olive oil
 
 
Max and Josh using an ancient tool to flatten the ground for building
 

When the six day war ended, an archeological survey set out to discover the hidden past of the Golan.  During the survey, the Bedouin Village of Katzrin was found....with an entrance way to an ancient synagogue
 
Kenny and the boys davening Mincha
 

Dave praying

Peek-a-boo!
  
Day 2 found us in the Banias, an archeological site and nature reserve, containing beautiful springs and a majestic waterfall.

 

Josh doing an impersonation of the Greek G-d Pan, which the area was once known as (Panias).  Panias was first settled in the Hellenistic period following Alexander the Great's conquest of the east.
  
A very happy group in front of the beautiful waterfall
 
 
Brooklyn in the house...
 
 
A great day for a hike
 
 
Bayla B.
 
 
Dave in front of an old flour mill that worked by water power



Before heading back to Kibbutz, we stopped at a farm to check out some pretty cool animals

Zach hand feeding an ibex

Yes.....that's a buffalo in Israel

We even got to ride go-carts at the farm

Dave chasing Zach around the track



Thank you Shaul for two amazing days in the Golan Heights!!!
 
 


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