Penn Hillel/Jewish Renaissance Project Travels

Suspending Our Cynicism in Tzfat

2012-01-05T15:21:00.000-05:00

“If I must ask you one thing,” our tour guide Muki said upon our entrance to Tzfat, “it is that you temporarily suspend your cynicism.” With those words, our group began our ascend up the colorful alleys of the ancient birthplace of Jewish mysticism, or Kaballah.
In the beginning of our tour, two things struck me about this northern Israeli city: the incredible sense of faith displayed by its inhabitants, and its dangerously close proximity to Lebanon (about 8 km). During the Lebanon war in 2006, mortar shells landed within inches of several Kaballah temples that we visited. Instead of scaring Jewish scholars away from their places of worship and discovery, these incidents only fueled their passion and ignited their faith.

To understand this heroism, we visited an Israeli glass blower and artist. During the Lebanon war, she explained to us the fear she felt while engaging in functions of everyday life, such as sending her kids to school. Seeking solace from her community’s ongoing hardship, she worked a few hours every night until a new painting was complete. Pointing to a framed picture behind her, she showed us a blooming tree rooted deeply in the soil. Not only was the tree, symbolizing the people of Israel, not going anywhere- it was also flourishing and bore the fruit of the country.

This experience, a true testament of the strength and resilience of the Jewish people, truly moved me. It is interactions like these that forge deep connections between Jewish students and the land of Israel. I’m looking forward to continue having engaging encounters like this one, and can’t wait for our next day of activities in Israel!

Guy Viner

Penn '14

Shopping in Machane Yehudah

2012-01-04T18:29:00.000-05:00

Today we went to Machaneh Yehuda, a market in Jerusalem to explore and shop a bit for food and Judaica. It was an amazing place, and there were many choices for food and gifts. A lot of people bought falafel, fresh fruit (mostly pomegranates and strawberries), dried fruit, and halva (they had a ton of different kinds). While walking around, it was fun to practice some newly learned Hebrew that we've picked up from our new Israeli friends.

Also, it was meaningful to be walking around with our Israeli soldier friends, who were still in uniform after our moving visit to the national military cemetery this morning. For example, I was walking with Tali, one of the soldiers whom we are so lucky to have with us on the trip, and someone in the market came up to her and commented "paratroopers are the best!" (though he said it in Hebrew). He had seen the emblem on her uniform that indicates her division, and it was really cool to see an unexpected expression of camaraderie and support for her in the market. He had also been in the paratrooper's division when he was in the IDF.

Sophomore

Penn '14

Claire Shimberg
Penn '14

A Video Reflection on our time in the Old City

2012-01-04T18:09:00.000-05:00

Reflections on Jerusalem so - and our first photos!

2012-01-03T13:31:00.017-05:00

We have had an awesome first 24 hours in Israel.When we landed, we met the six Israeli soldiers who will be traveling with us for the entire trip and headed to Jerusalem together. Our first stop last night was Mt. Scopus where we looked out over the city of Jerusalem and said the shehechiyanu, a traditional Jewish prayer to commemorate special occasions.

Everyone has managed their jetlag impressively well-- we allwoke up this morning in time to enjoy a traditional Israeli breakfast of saladsand eggs. We spent the day in the Old City of Jerusalem-- including a visit tothe Kotel (Western Wall), the Kotel Tunnels, and Herodian Temples.

Greta Deerson

Staff, Penn Hillel

We began our exploration of Jerusalem today, touring the streets and various food stalls of the Old City. Our visit was both spiritually and historically oriented, so we were able to enjoy the holy sites and learn about the people who have revered them for centuries. One of the coolest experiences was witnessing the variety of reactions that visitors to the Western Wall had – some cried or danced, while others stood indifferent before the great edifice. I’m looking forward to observing more Judaism in action over the next ten days.

Shana Mansbach
Penn ‘14

After experiencing the thrill and wonder of praying at the Kotel and touring the tunnels underground, it was finally time for the lunch of a lifetime (or at least the best lunch yet of a two-day trip) – Israeli schawarma, just steps into the Jewish Quarter. While the schawarma (as well as the tapuzim,or sugary orange drink) was certainly enjoyable, one of the most memorable parts of the day was joining two yeshiva students who were sitting at a patio, singing a short Israeli song. As they sang the traditional tov l’hodot, my brother and I casually joined them and sang along for maybe five minutes. But the joy of finding two students your own age and simply connecting withthem through song highlights the unique opportunity that birthright provides and the special occasions that seem like they can only happen in Israel. Later we found out that one student, who lives in Boston, has an aunt who teaches at UVA. Even in Israel, we’re more connected to the US than we might have thought.

Zach Terner
UVA ‘14

In photo, Hayley Sacks (Penn '13) and Guy Viner (Penn '14)

Arrived safely!!!

2012-01-02T10:14:00.002-05:00

The Penn Hillel winter Taglit-Birthright Israel trip has arrived to Israel safely and the group is making its way to Jerusalem! Everyone's very excited to begin this journey...more to follow!

2011-06-28T10:44:00.032-04:00

Rwanda Facing Change Trip

Here are some thoughts & reflections from the students, as well as a variety of the pictures we took!

Check out the story about our trip in the Penn Gazette

at http://www.upenn.edu/

gazette/0911/feature1_2.html

Genocide Memorial

Max Cohen

Nonetheless, I was utterly floored. It took me several moments to overcome a sense of imminent claustrophobia and my initial impulse to simply flee the bones. I instead continued into the depths of the mass grave. No glass display case separated my friends and me from the bones, nor was there any space between the passageway and the shelves. We were so close and unobstructed from the skulls that we could have simply reached out and touched them. This only intensified the sensation that the hollow cavities that once housed the victims' eyes seemed to be glaring at me, demanding justification for my existence. I felt immersed in horror.

Uncertain what to do next as I emerged from the mass grave, I settled on attempting to somehow be present with all the emotions and thoughts that, like pistons, were pumping the connection between my heart and my mind. I sat on the single stair next to the grave, in a form of meditation. I either reached that meditative state of mindfulness (or mindlessness), or else I fell asleep.

In the reflections of that meditation, the subsequent interfaith memorial service our group held, and the few days since we visited Nyamata, the most sense I can make of that experience was that it peeled back a layer between me and reality. If encountering genocide is, as Primo Levi expresses in his "The Periodic Table", a kind of anti-Sinai experience, I'm not so sure whether I welcome the morbid revelation of this side of human nature.

It's Not About the Safari

Elisheva Goldberg

It is not often that I wake up at 5 in the morning. (Or that I awake again at 5:05 and then for a third and final time at 5:10.) But today was a day that does not often occur. It was one of those days that you remember because it's blazed into your mind. And it'll stay there -- because you want it to.

Our entire group was outside, watching one of the most beautiful sunrises on this great earth, by 5:30. Shades of orange melding with the pink and yellow of a new day ushered us to the jeeps we would be riding in for the majority of the coming 10 hours. Watching Rwanda wake up was inspiring. Humna, sitting next to me, said that sights like the one unfolding outside our window reaffirmed her belief in God. As the sun rose, clouds bathed the valleys and gently caressed the hills. All seemed shrouded in a magical mist, prophesying adventure.

We spent the day on Safari. I'd read stories, seen National Geographic episodes, and even heard from people who had been, what an "African Safari" was like. But to see such powerful, majestic creatures before your own eyes takes the power of those stories, episodes and hearsay evidence and leaves them in the dust. Everyone's favorite animal might have been the baboons -- they were curious, entertaining creatures that walked with their tails in the air and reminded us uncannily of ourselves. But all of the other animals, from the imposing buffalo that we thought was on its way to charging our car to the stoic, oddly shaped giraffes standing in their field eating acacia (we learned they had been imported in a group of four and now number more than sixty), to the zebra and the hippos and the impala (beautiful African antelope with little white feet), made the ride through the Akagera National Park a peek into the rich natural life and beauty of both Rwanda and the broader African continent.

As phenomenal as the Safari itself was, the highlight of my day was really the remaining seven hours spent in the car with members of our group. Despite the deep red dust and the sticky heat, we joked and talked and sang about religion and life, love and college, reality and law. The sense camaraderie (the Kavana, or intention, for the day) ran deep. We've had eleven full days together -- and we've meshed. Become one. Joined together. Become cohesive. Molded ourselves into new selves that include one another. The community that we've built - through our service, our discussions, our common love for the students here - has all brought this group of very different people together in ways that none of us foresaw. Our "Thorns and Roses" session tonight was filled with laughter. But our last day is tomorrow. We will do our service project in the morning, go to lunch as usual, have one final discussion, attend dinner -- and then pack. It is hard to leave a place where so much has happened in so little time. But it is also wonderful to leave such a place. We are now more than we were when we came.

They say that people are more than the sum of their parts, more than the totality of their experience. I think that this place has been one of experience, but also one which will take us beyond experience and animate us with a sense of self and of purpose that goes beyond the mere "story" of our time in Rwanda. There are elements of this story that cannot be told. There are aspects of it that are emotional, irrational, spiritual. None of these things lend themselves easily to words. But if I can tell you that I can't tell you, perhaps that is enough for you to trust me when I respond with the simple word "amazing" when you are looking for when you ask me how my trip was.

Mazel Tov to Sam Wishman on her Bat Mitzvah at the Western Wall!

2011-06-23T14:03:00.000-04:00

A conversation with the people of Tel Aviv

2011-06-23T14:01:00.001-04:00

Walking down Rothschild Boulevard, a wide promenade lined with palm trees and the sandy concrete facades of Bahaus architecture, we set out to meet the people of Tel Aviv.

Charged with asking questions of locals, our first encounter was with an older Russian man who left a Moscow he hated to arrive in a city he didn't like much better. While we couldn't understand his words, that didn't stop him from sharing his discontent.

The next stranger we spoke with wasn't much happier than our Russian friend, although he was less animated about his grievances. He moved to Tel Aviv from a small town when he was old enough to enjoy city life, but now the allure had faded. "The nightlife, it isn't real," he said, looking beyond the smoke of his cigarette. "It's a fiction." The atmosphere of Israel at least-- being able to sit on a bench and talk to people like us, for example-- still pleased him. He recently quit his job in copy writing and is taking time to "search himself."

Our final meeting was with a young Muslim man from Russia who worked at a snack stand. As we approached, he invited us to sit with him and eat his food. He seemed to shimmy as he smiled, in spite of the fact that he worked 15 hour days all week and didn't feel welcome in the Jewish state. The social stigma against religious inter-marriage he found in Israel was foreign to his experience in Russia and with the marriages in his own family. The best thing about Israel? He searched to find an answer: the weather.

Other members of our Birthright group met a chemical engineer, an El Al flight attendant, a physicist, an economist, the director of an English academy, and the CEO of an internet startup, among others.

As a cosmopolitan metropolis in the ancient holy land, Tel Aviv is home to a diverse and vibrant people.

-Sam Wishman (C'10)

Reflections from Josh Levy (C'11)

2011-06-21T14:43:00.002-04:00

It began quite early, 39 strangers well mostly strangers, no one knew more than two or three others. This is a unique trip in many ways in that a number of universities are represented including but not limited to penn, Delaware, brown, and tufts, university of melbourne, and union. There was even more variety on the flight. It was on the El Al aircraft that we gained our first exposure to brash Israeli behavior. About six birthright groups, people running up and down the isles, flight attendants screaming at passengers, and passengers yelling even louder for the fasten seat belt sign to turn off. And who could forget the man that demanded an upgrade first class because he felt as though he should have been informed that the flight would be filled with college students. His request was denied. The chutzpah! The plane arrived to the clapping of hands and we disembarked.

Our first day commenced with welcome games to learn each others names, before a quick hike to see Atlit. It was here that I first appreciated the miracle that is Israel. The ruins represented thousands thousands of years of our shared history. Our ancestors all lived here together before being thrown into the diaspora. And while it is in the diaspora that all of us remain, it was together that we returned to Israel, the place of our forefathers, the source of our heritage, the fountain that nourished our shared religion.

The highlight of the day was undoubtably rafting. In groups of six we paddled down the stream reveling in the sunshine while being cooled by the pure water of the Jordan river. Who could forget the antics of a couple of individuals who will not be named. Between them they tried to steal a dog and avoided a splash fight with friendly Israelis!

Our first night we met the youth of the kibbutz including Americans who joined the IDF and others who had been living on the kibbutz their entire lives. They took us around the kibbutz and told us about their lives first hand. They introduced us to the hero of the kibbutz, an extremely fat dog who is a hero of the kibbutz because in the past year he had gone searching for food, but instead some hiding lebonese soldiers, and his barking alerted the israeli army to their locations.

Our first Shabbat together was a time for rest and reflection. It gave us a chance to consider how much had happened in less than twenty four hours and how much we can achieve in nine more days. The Shabbat included a delicious meal, prayer, and singing. We we bonded in learning the words to the song "The whole world is a narrow bridge, gesher Tzar meod." And in some ways this song exemplifies our trip. We are only being given a brief taste in Israel, a very narrow window of time to enjoy the country, but while that bridge might be narrow, it is a bridge nonetheless, bridging the land of uncle sam to the land of milk and honey.

We've arrived!!!

2011-06-17T15:14:00.002-04:00

We all arrived safely to Israel this morning and hit the ground running. Rafting in the Jordan River and preparing for Shabbat took up most of our day! Shabbat will be the perfect antidote to our jetlag, and we'll be ready to begin our touring on Sunday. Stay tuned for more updates.

Get excited

2011-06-07T14:28:00.000-04:00

We leave for Israel in 9 days...can't wait to meet everyone!

See what the students wrote

2011-06-03T11:28:00.002-04:00

If you scroll down below all of the pictures, you can see some of the thoughts and reflections of students who went on the trip.

Penn outside a national

2011-06-03T10:41:00.000-04:00

Sunrise in the village

2011-06-03T10:39:00.000-04:00

Ben gets a haircut

2011-06-03T10:38:00.001-04:00

Enjoying some local cuisine - fresh goat meat

2011-06-03T10:38:00.000-04:00

Market day in town

2011-06-03T10:37:00.000-04:00

Waiting for amandazi - Rwandan doughnuts

2011-06-03T10:36:00.000-04:00

Taking a break to teach english to the workers

2011-06-03T10:35:00.000-04:00

Group Photo

2011-06-03T10:34:00.000-04:00

Surrounded by kids on the way to the small town outside of the youth village

2011-06-03T10:33:00.001-04:00

Surrounded by kids in the town outside of the youth village

2011-06-03T10:33:00.000-04:00

Mixing Cement

2011-06-03T10:32:00.000-04:00

Double Rainbow

2011-06-03T10:31:00.002-04:00

Discussions about the meaning and purspose of service

2011-06-03T10:31:00.001-04:00

Rural Town on the way to the Youth Village

2011-06-03T10:31:00.000-04:00

On the way to the Youth Village

2011-06-03T10:30:00.000-04:00

First Morning

2011-06-03T10:29:00.001-04:00

On the Bus

2011-06-03T10:29:00.000-04:00

Genocide Memorial

2011-05-31T04:22:00.000-04:00

Max Cohen

As I descended the steep wooden staircase from the Nyamata church's
ground level into the mass grave, reality gave me a slap in the face.
I stopped in my tracks, standing over the threshold of the dark, musty
passageway at the bottom of the stairs, because I saw that the passage
was flanked by shelves from floor to ceiling that held nothing other
than the skulls and bones of thousands of victims.

Upon reflection, I realize that I didn't totally lack preparation for
such an unnerving sight. I knew we were going to a mass grave. Under
the church, I had just been shown the coffin of a woman who had been
raped twenty times before being killed slowly over an agonizing
two-day period. And the doubted faith in humanity that several of my
companions so regretfully expressed later that day was something I
felt I had more than internalized over a semester in a Holocaust
literature class.

Nonetheless, I was utterly floored. It took me several moments to
overcome a sense of imminent claustrophobia and my initial impulse to
simply flee the bones. I instead continued into the depths of the mass
grave. No glass display case separated my friends and me from the
bones, nor was there any space between the passageway and the shelves.
We were so close and unobstructed from the skulls that we could have
simply reached out and touched them. This only intensified the
sensation that the hollow cavities that once housed the victims' eyes
seemed to be glaring at me, demanding justification for my existence.
I felt immersed in horror.

Uncertain what to do next as I emerged from the mass grave, I settled
on attempting to somehow be present with all the emotions and thoughts
that, like pistons, were pumping the connection between my heart and
my mind. I sat on the single stair next to the grave, in a form of
meditation. I either reached that meditative state of mindfulness (or
mindlessness), or else I fell asleep.

In the reflections of that meditation, the subsequent interfaith
memorial service our group held, and the few days since we visited
Nyamata, the most sense I can make of that experience was that it
peeled back a layer between me and reality. If encountering genocide
is, as Primo Levi expresses in his "The Periodic Table", a kind of
anti-Sinai experience, I'm not so sure whether I welcome the morbid
revelation of this side of human nature.

It's Not About the Safari

2011-05-29T16:15:00.000-04:00

From Elisheva Goldberg

It is not often that I wake up at 5 in the morning. (Or that I awake again at 5:05 and then for a third and final time at 5:10.) But today was a day that does not often occur. It was one of those days that you remember because it's blazed into your mind. And it'll stay there -- because you want it to.

Our entire group was outside, watching one of the most beautiful sunrises on this great earth, by 5:30. Shades of orange melding with the pink and yellow of a new day ushered us to the jeeps we would be riding in for the majority of the coming 10 hours. Watching Rwanda wake up was inspiring. Humna, sitting next to me, said that sights like the one unfolding outside our window reaffirmed her belief in God. As the sun rose, clouds bathed the valleys and gently caressed the hills. All seemed shrouded in a magical mist, prophesying adventure.

We spent the day on Safari. I'd read stories, seen National Geographic episodes, and even heard from people who had been, what an "African Safari" was like. But to see such powerful, majestic creatures before your own eyes takes the power of those stories, episodes and hearsay evidence and leaves them in the dust. Everyone's favorite animal might have been the baboons -- they were curious, entertaining creatures that walked with their tails in the air and reminded us uncannily of ourselves. But all of the other animals, from the imposing buffalo that we thought was on its way to charging our car to the stoic, oddly shaped giraffes standing in their field eating acacia (we learned they had been imported in a group of four and now number more than sixty), to the zebra and the hippos and the impala (beautiful African antelope with little white feet), made the ride through the Akagera National Park a peek into the rich natural life and beauty of both Rwanda and the broader African continent.

As phenomenal as the Safari itself was, the highlight of my day was really the remaining seven hours spent in the car with members of our group. Despite the deep red dust and the sticky heat, we joked and talked and sang about religion and life, love and college, reality and law. The sense camaraderie (the Kavana, or intention, for the day) ran deep. We've had eleven full days together -- and we've meshed. Become one. Joined together. Become cohesive. Molded ourselves into new selves that include one another. The community that we've built - through our service, our discussions, our common love for the students here - has all brought this group of very different people together in ways that none of us foresaw. Our "Thorns and Roses" session tonight was filled with laughter. But our last day is tomorrow. We will do our service project in the morning, go to lunch as usual, have one final discussion, attend dinner -- and then pack. It is hard to leave a place where so much has happened in so little time. But it is also wonderful to leave such a place. We are now more than we were when we came. They say that people are more than the sum of their parts, more than the totality of their experience. I think that this place has been one of experience, but also one which will take us beyond experience and animate us with a sense of self and of purpose that goes beyond the mere "story" of our time in Rwanda. There are elements of this story that cannot be told. There are aspects of it that are emotional, irrational, spiritual. None of these things lend themselves easily to words. But if I can tell you that I can't tell you, perhaps that is enough for you to trust me when I respond with the simple word "amazing" when you are looking for when you ask me how my trip was.

Birthdays

2011-05-29T16:14:00.002-04:00

Saturday, May 28, 2011
Birthdays
This blog post was written on 5/27, but the internet was down and I couldn't post it...

"We are all born on days when too many people died in terrible ways, but you still have to call it a birthday." --Andrea Gibson

Yesterday we drove to Nyamata and visited a genocide memorial at Nyamata Church. In August 1994 thousands of Tutsis sought asylum in the church and thousands lost their lives there. We walked through doors scared by grenades and entered a cavernous room filled with rows and rows of pews covered with the clothing of the victims. The ceiling was pocked with bullet holes and the windows had been shattered. The entire church has been preserved as well as possible, leaving a hauntingly authentic feel. Behind the church were two mass graves, one which we were able to enter. The dark underground room had shelves with coffins as well as hundreds of skulls and other bones. After visiting the grave we held a small interfaith memorial service for the victims of the genocide. Our trip coincides with the 100 worst days of the genocide, and it reminded me of a line of poetry by the spoken word artist Andrea Gibson, "we are all born on days when too many people died in terrible ways, but you still have to call it a birthday." Today we began our day celebrating Humna's birthday and ended the day by celebrating all of the students birthdays for the month. One key concept behind the village is acknowledging the past, present, and futures of each child. By juxtaposing Rwanda's tremendous loss with the birthdays of her future leaders, I have been reminded to be hopeful, to celebrate life, and to keep looking forward.

All the stars,
Lisa Doi

In the Swing of Things

2011-05-25T16:29:00.004-04:00

Brian Powers and Zack Rosen

How could it be, as early as our fifth day, that the lines between strangers and friends are becoming so blurry? Many of the young adults in the village have let down their guard, and we our nervousness, so that I am as likely to be referred to by the village residents as Justin Bieber as by my real name (the welcomed nickname unfortunately has more to do with a similar haircut than the dashing good looks). Today we taught English to some of the construction workers with whom we've been working, teaching words like jump and socks as well as the more delicate subject of distinguishing man from woman. The group also entertained a meaningful conversation about selfishness and service, and what the true motivations for performing service are. Perspectives clashed but emerged more challenged and informed. After the discussion, separate dialogues continued about the topic as we grabbed our shovels and got back to work. Powerful.

We have adopted Rwanda's rapidly developing mentality. Each successive day we gradually believe more and more in the potential for change for ourselves, for the orphans, and for Rwanda. Upon returning to the U.S., we look forward to the opportunity to raise awareness and ignite change in the mindset of students about the positive effect that each can have in as little as twelve days, let alone their entire lives.

As dirty clothes mount and sunburns turn a sinister maroon, we have never been more comfortable nor more hungry for more interaction with the orphans, teachers, house mothers, laborers, and residents of the surrounding village than we are now on this star-enblazened night.

More Updates!

2011-05-25T09:50:00.003-04:00

We apologize for the lack of blogging...internet access has been very hard to come by throughout our trip.

Over the past few days we have toured around the north and spent significant time in Jerusalem. In Jerusaelm, we toured around the old city, celebrated Shabbat, and explored Yad Vashem (the Holocaust memorial museum) and Mt. Herzl. Going to the Kotel with our group of 8 soldiers who have been with us for several days was extremely moving and emotional.

Last night we slept in a bedouin tent and this morning we climbed Masada and then floated in the dead sea! Yesterday we also had a very special guided tour of Ben Gurion's grave from Sharona Kramer, our Penn Hillel staff. Sharona worked as the Ben Gurion Museum before coming to Penn, so she had a lot of knowledge to share!

The trip has flown by and we can't believe it is coming to a close tomorrow. We've seen many ancient sites along the way, and tomorrow we'll end with a visit to Tel Aviv, taking in the modern aspects of Israel.

Tikkun Olam

2011-05-24T17:25:00.002-04:00

John Plaisted and Lisa Doi

Two of the main principles of Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village are tikkun halev (repair the heart) and tikkun olam (repair the world). In their first year, students focus on tikkun halev by forming families and healing themselves. After their first year they move on to tikkun olam. Senior 4 (second year) students leave the village every Tuesday afternoon to go to the local clinic, school, or do social work in the community. As we were being divided into groups three students were given the opportunity to do a very different kind of social work.

At the beginning of May, one group of students started helping a sick woman in the community by cultivating her garden and making improvements to her house. They soon found out that the land on which she and her family live was no longer hers. Many years ago, she and her first husband left this home to go to the Congo. There, they had a daughter, but unfortunately her husband passed away. She remarried and had three more children and brought her new family back to Rwanda. Upon her return, she fell ill and had to spend time in the hospital in Kigali. While she was away, her second husband raped her first daughter who was only nine years old. She returned home, and he was sent to prison for less than a year. Her condition declined, and she has been bedridden for the past 14 months. Her husband returned home and began selling off her possessions and land without her knowledge. Upon hearing this story, the ASYV students knew they must act. In the past two weeks, they have been trying to restore the land to the mother and to get her medical treatment at the local hospital.

We arrived this afternoon with a group of 20 ASYV students to try and find a solution to this problem. The students were able to engage the husband in an open discussion about his actions and their consequences for the family. They were worried not only about the mother, but also about the future of the children (although the eldest daughter currently lives with other relatives). As the discussion progressed, representatives from the village came, including the head of the village, the head of the village women, a district representative, and many other neighbors and friends. Everyone was able to voice their opinion about both the issue and the solution. At the end of the discussion, a current action plan of repossessing the land and finding the husband a job, which will mandate that half of the money go towards the woman's hospitalization and treatment and that the other half go towards taking care of the children.

As Penn's founder Benjamin Franklin said, "The great Aim and End of all Learning... is service [to society]." What we witnessed today embodies this mentality. Through ASYV, a group of students have been empowered to become agents of change in their community. Even a group of students who have experienced so much hardship in their lives have been turned into leaders. This type of civic education is an example of how anyone can make a difference--whether in Rwanda or West Philadelphia. Teaching future leaders how to engage in society and exercise their voice is a universal lesson. We all have the capacity to heal our hearts and repair the world.

Check out our trip on ESPN.com

2011-05-22T16:42:00.001-04:00

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/31171/penn-players-begin-their-journey-to-africa

Editor's Note: In this space, Penn teammates Dau Jok and Zack Rosenwill provide a series of blog updates on their trip to Africa and Dau's work to start up the Dut Jok Youth Foundation. For more on the tragic yet inspiring reasons behind Dau's mission, read Dana O'Neil's story here.

RUBONA, Rwanda -- Hey everybody! This is Dau Jok, men's basketball player at the University of Pennsylvania, giving it to you exactly as I see it from Africa. Along with my role model and teammate Zack Rosen (he will chirp in and share with ya'll also) and 12 other Penn students, we are here in Rwanda to provide our help and resources to people in need. After our service is done in Rwanda, most of the group will return to the United States while I will continue my journey back to my old stomping grounds of South Sudan, where I will blog further.

Courtesy of Penn AthleticsJok just completed his freshman year at Penn, where he appeared in 12 games for the Quakers.

The goal of the trip is to create a forum for interfaith and inter-ethnic service learning that will bring together Penn students to explore the dynamics of cultural and ethnic violence and strategies for their elimination. The mission of this program is to create a greater sense of community and understanding between students from different religious and ethnic groups in order to foster future leaders who will help build a more just, tolerant and peaceful society. We will spend most our time here at theAgahozo Shalom Youth Village and the surrounding community of Rubona. It is our duty to connect, teach and learn from the people here.

This trip was made possible by Penn Hillel at the University of Pennsylvania under the direction of Rabbi Michael Uram. He, along with Rachel Kaplan, have been great in preparing us and taking care of the logistics of the trip. The gentlemen (at least I think we are) are clearly outnumbered on this trip. The young women are Humna Bhoiani, Lisa Doi, Elisheva Goldberg, Kayla Kapito, Sindhuri (Sindhu) Nandhakumar, Erica Sachse, Claire Shimberg, and Guminrat (Nimu) Sindhu. The young men are Max Cohen, Benjamin Notkin, John Plaisted, Brian Powers, Zack Rosen, and me, Dau Jok.

The members of the group were picked after a round of interviews with Rabbi Mike. We are pretty diverse in terms of race and religion and are officially known as Facing Change Fellows.

On May 29, I will depart from the group before their safari. The destination of my trip is Southern Sudan, where I hope to meet a lot of people in the NGO sector, as well as high power individuals. I will also assess the state of things because I would like to implement the Dut Jok Youth Foundation. The goal of the foundation is to harness the potential of Southern Sudanese youth by funneling resources and providing opportunities through education and sports to offset the post-war disenfranchisement of the current generation. After months and months of meetings, heartaches, headaches, phone calls, emails, excitement, frustrations and encouragement, we are finally going to see the plan in action. We managed to ship soccer balls, basketballs, some basketball nets and pumps over to the region before our arrival.

I would like to thank Dr. Hariet with Upenn CURF, Cheryl Shipman with CURF, Daina and Dr Karlene at Makuu, Rev. Howard, Coach Allen, Kathryn Davis Foundation, fellow students, Bruce Koeppl, Longar, Dau, Upenn Team, and everyone who has helped progress the idea into what it is today. We have a lot of work ahead but I believe we are on the right path. I would also like to thank Mark Crandle of Hoops4Hope, Steve Bauman of Starfinder, SudanSunrise, Greg Larson of Valentino Deng Achak Foundation, and ABO. These individuals/organization were very helpful in my adventure of research and learning about non-profits. They were great resources and most gave me a ton of confidence to pursue the mission.

Finally, a special thank you to coach Dan Leibovitz, Dana O'Neil and Brett Edgerton for making this blog possible. The goal is to give everyone an inside look at a pair of college basketball players and students who are trying to make a lasting difference in the lives of others.

Thank you all!

Peace and Love from Africa,
Dau and Zack

Check out our trip on espn.com

2011-05-22T16:38:00.001-04:00

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/31171/penn-players-begin-their-journey-to-africa

Editor's Note: In this space, Penn teammates Dau Jok and Zack Rosen will provide a series of blog updates on their trip to Africa and Dau's work to start up the Dut Jok Youth Foundation. For more on the tragic yet inspiring reasons behind Dau's mission, read Dana O'Neil's story here.

RUBONA, Rwanda -- Hey everybody! This is Dau Jok, men's basketball player at the University of Pennsylvania, giving it to you exactly as I see it from Africa. Along with my role model and teammate Zack Rosen (he will chirp in and share with ya'll also) and 12 other Penn students, we are here in Rwanda to provide our help and resources to people in need. After our service is done in Rwanda, most of the group will return to the United States while I will continue my journey back to my old stomping grounds of South Sudan, where I will blog further.

Courtesy of Penn AthleticsJok just completed his freshman year at Penn, where he appeared in 12 games for the Quakers.

The Discomfort of Travel

2011-05-22T16:09:00.002-04:00

Sindhuri Nandhakumar

Even though it's only our third day at the village, every day here seems to be filled with numerous highlights, vastly different to the mundane routine of: "library --> fall asleep in library--> wake up and try not to fall asleep while in library" that was the norm in our lives just three weeks ago. The biggest highlight of the day for me (and I imagine for a lot of the others on the trip too) was the hike to a lake that is called Lake Mugasera which is six kilometers away. What made it even more special is that we have an amazing view of the lake from our guesthouse, nestled between a couple of Rwanda's many hills, making the anticipation over the past few days even greater.

We walked out of the guesthouse with Narcis (I hope I'm doing justice to his name) who is the security guard at Agahozo Shalom and also our tour guide for the day. We walked to Rubona, the closest village (which is also where we ran to yesterday during Muchaka Muchaka) and then turned onto a dirt path. Our experience on the way to the lake and back was vastly different to what we have experienced on a daily basis in the village thus far. Children living in the huts on the way to the lake would come out and stare at us and wave, and say things like "How are you?" "Good day" and "Howdy," and would shake our hands, and a group of more than ten of them followed us all the way to the lake (which took us a good two hours to get to). Some of them tugged at our belongings, like water bottles and others just followed us silently.vThe discomfort I felt during the walk to the lake has been the most intense that I have felt in a really long time. As a Sri Lankan, brown skinned girl, I had never before been in a situation like this. While I have experienced many occasions where I felt very conscious of my relative skin color, this experience was so different. In Sri Lanka, I was the one who gaped at tourists who stuck out from a mile away; I was the gaper, never the 'gapee.'

While all the dynamics of our interactions with other people has been predetermined to some extent (like a student teacher relationship, or a sibling relationship), the 'obviousness' of that was striking today. We as a group spoke very little Kinyarwanda that would have initiated a meaningful conversation with these kids, and they spoke very little English. We were a spectacle on both sides, and our interaction was conditioned by centuries of history and the present and the future we envision and expect, and to make that interaction more than a "stare and be stared at" experience seemed extremely hard.

While most of us have romantic notions of travel, and want to 'belong' in a a new culture and immerse ourselves in a new experience, the sheer difficulty of that becomes apparent in situations such as these. It becomes obvious how important our physical self is in forming these crucial first impressions, even if that impression is not very representative of us. At Thorns and Roses tonight, this was a recurring theme. At the youth village, we interact with the kids and are beginning to form very meaningful relationships with some of them, and there is a lot of dignity in our relationship. We talk at breakfast if we feel chatty, if not, we respect each other's need for a quieter conversation. That was very absent during the hike, and a tough question that has arisen out of this for me is how do you change that, and how do you learn to not leave a footprint the size of Big Foot when you travel to faraway lands expecting a life changing experience.

Muchaka Muchaka

2011-05-21T15:57:00.000-04:00

Elisheva Goldberg here, blogging from Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village.

We woke up this morning at 5:35am. Yes. You read that right. 5:35am. For you all reading this it was 11:35pm -- and we were running. Well...jogging. Well...sometimes walking kinda fast. Allow me to explain.

Every Saturday all of the students in the village come together early in the morning and do what is called "Muchaka Muchaka". It's a paramilitary exercise in fun. We ran from the village gate to Rubona, the neighboring village in four(-ish) lines chanting, singing, and clapping.

Now, I was not terribly excited about the notion of getting up at such an ungodly hour and running down a red dirt road with hundreds of Rwandan teenagers who were probably as exhausted as I was at that moment. Or almost as exhausted as I was, since for us, like for you, it was actually 11:35pm.

And then we started chanting, clapping, and running. And it was great. Running and singing in call and response, all the while while sort of chit-chatting as we went. There was a moment - at the very end - when the road becomes a hill and you can't see the entrance to the village when you finally start to sweat. But for the most part it's just sort of refreshing. On the way back we discussed bringing Muchaka Muchaka to Penn. It would be great, running down Locust Walk, up Walnut, past Amy G's house, all the way up to 40th street -- it could be great. Imagine it.

ESPN Will be Doing a Story About Our Trip

2011-05-18T08:57:00.001-04:00

This message is from Dau Jok - a rising sophomore on the Penn basketball team.

I am excited and honor to go on this life changing trip/visit that is sure to bring a lifetime worth of memories. My coach has connected me with ESPN. Zack Rosen (I do not know if he knows yet..playa doesn't pick up phone) and I will be blogging about the trip on ESPN.com and I will finish the job while in Southern Sudan. I wanted to ask you guys if y'all mind being named on the blog? Does anyone mind being included in photos shared on the blog? Or perhaps a couple people might write stories on the blog a couple times. Please let me know!
Thanks,
DJ

We're in Israel!

2011-05-17T09:28:00.004-04:00

Hello! Our group of 40 Penn students arrived safely in Israel on Monday and headed straight for the north. Everyone is happy, health, and a little jetlagged! The group hiked in Mt. Meron this morning and is spending the afternoon in Tsfat, the place where Jewish mysticism gained much recognition in the 16th century.

In addition to all the touring around, we are enjoying amazing weather and many of us have tasted our first schawarma!

We leave on Sunday!

2011-05-13T17:34:00.001-04:00

We are so excited to go to Israel this Sunday!

2011-05-09T11:03:00.000-04:00

We're leaving Soon - May 18th

2011-05-08T21:53:00.001-04:00

This is a first post just to get us started. So excited to be leaving for Rwanda in a few days.

Organic Farming ASB 2011 Trip Photos!

2011-03-13T03:49:00.000-04:00

Sharing Shabbat: A Fitting End to a Satisfying Week

2011-03-13T03:29:00.000-04:00

By Naomi Yager

21 different people with different needs, experiences, and desires completed one week of organic farming and created a wonderful Shabbat experience. That is pretty amazing!

We divided up our Shabbat experience into 4 committees: cooking, education, beautification and ritual. Each was responsible for their given aspect of Shabbat, which organized the process and allowed everyone to have a hand in the aspect they felt most connected to. I was part of the cooking committee, and although it was hectic, it was a great experience and it all came together well! It was my first experience really observing Shabbat in the traditional sense, and to be honest, I did not uphold all of the laws. However, preparing all of the food for Shabbat ahead of time was a new experience, and it really got the creative juices flowing in terms of having to cook for over twenty people and make foods that could be eaten cold (lighting a flame is forbidden on Shabbat).

The education committee led us in the blessings over the wine and challah (fresh baked!) and the ritual handwashing, and provided explanations for the basis of the traditions. We had a lovely Shabbat service led by Becky and Shev and created by the ritual committee. Jonathan from the farm joined us for the service and dinner, which was a great addition to our community! The beautification committee did a great job sprucing up our humble abode- the first time since we moved in that the shower was free of sand and dirt! It was also the first time we had tables in the living room so that we could all sit and relax during meals together, rather than eating with our plates on our laps.

After the great conversation and delicious meal, we had a Quaker style meeting in the evening. This was my first experience with this tradition, and it was awesome! We all sat in a circle in the living room, and focused our thoughts inward. If anyone was moved to speak, they were encouraged to stand and share their thoughts. The great part about it was that it was not a conversation; people shared what they wanted to share, and the rest of the group could digest it in their own time.

Fast-forward: Shabbat day

The day came together so well! I have to admit, I was a little nervous about being bored, but I didn’t have time to do all of the things I wanted to do! My favorite part was when Leah (Mil’s wife who we met at the San Diego Jewish Academy) came to share her knowledge of Traditional Chinese Medicine with us. She gave us a brief background and shared her experience, added some anecdotes, and then allowed us to bemoan our ailments and she would give us suggestions or work on whatever areas she could. Noah got a little acupuncture around a recent scar, Joel got some foot reflexology, and Sika got her stiff shoulder massaged. She was very honest and down to Earth in her practice, and presented her skills as something that worked for her but did not force it on anyone. She also brought some resources that I really want to check out when we get back- Paul Pitchford is apparently a great author to read in terms of healing foods, which fits in perfectly with our trip! I hope I have time to look into it when we get back to the grind of Penn!

Now it’s Saturday night, and I can’t believe that we are heading back to Penn tomorrow. Our experiences here have been enlightening, life-changing, and almost surreal. I know that I will never have the same experience again, but it was really inspired me to want to do something to alter my lifestyle to better myself and improve the relationship I have with food and the food system. I am really interested in looking into becoming part of a CSA, and my personal goal is to try to eat more seasonally. Of course, this will require me to not only take the time to cook for myself, but also to learn what and how to cook, which may be the even larger challenge. I think I just need a personal chef that I can apprentice and learn from: be prepared, mom and dad!

Companions

2011-03-11T01:30:00.000-05:00

By Elisheva Goldberg

This morning Tierra Miguel shone bright and clear. After our day of glory in San Diego we were back on our normal work schedule here at the Farm and we were ready for it. This morning Jonathan, the main farmer here, gave us a lesson on “companion planting.” We learned about which plants that look like weeds are actually helpful and useful to the plants placed intentionally by the farmers. We got to taste the wild mustard greens, some edible wildflowers, and a bit of the bok choy and red choy that were planted with other plants in the same bed (because of their symbiotic relationships). One of the best things about organic farming is that the worst thing we worry about is soil or maybe a little tiny bug on something you pick up from the field and put to your mouth – there is no worry of herbicides and pesticides and chemicals that can harm you.

After the short run-down we hit the weeds surrounding some dandelion greens with a vengeance, making sure to avoid the mustard greens, wildflowers, clovers and other things we’d been advised created a better – not worse – growing environment for the plants. We took a break for an incredible lunch of teriyaki tofu, hand-picked arugula salad, and some roasted sweet potatoes. The real excitement came after lunch when we headed back out for a few more lessons, some seeding, and some building. We stood in front of Farmer Jonathan as he explained the details of crop rotation at Tierra Miguel. Each plant has a list of plants that grow well, or even better with it, and a list of plants it “doesn’t get along with.” (Plants, we have found, are much like small children who just need to be raised properly – with sunlight, not too many bad influences, and friends who they like…) Each time a crop is planted it is planted with both the past and future crops in mind when it comes to things like nutrient retention, water absorption, or nitrogen fixation. We also learned a bit about what goes into the economic side of an organic operation. After the lesson (incredibly informative) we broke up into two groups, one of which got some seeds together and made a mixture of compost, peat moss, and water, lightly packed it in small trays and lovingly placed 2 seeds in each compartment before covering them with a bit more of the mixture and stashing the whole thing in the green house. We made upwards of 20 of these beds. Some day in late August many will enjoy a delicious “Stripped German” heritage variety tomato and will have us to thank. The other group got to handle power tools and build worm beds – compost bins for the farm. A fun time was had by all.

Off to Suburbia

2011-03-11T01:25:00.000-05:00

By Zack Kowalski and Elisheva Goldberg

After two days of work in the fields of the Tierra Miguel farm, Day 3 of our trip brought the group out of the valley and into suburbia. In the morning for Avodat Lev (Service of the Heart), we practiced yoga in our outdoor classroom, which, for those of you at home, is a 3-sided building with a roof that houses the farm’s produce and vegetable store. The stretching allowed us to refocus and look forward to the next phase of our trip. We spent the day at the San Diego Jewish Academy, which is the only K-12 Jewish Day School in the county, working in the garden under the direction of Mill and Lea, the head farmer and the head farmer’s wife. After a brief introduction about the garden and a taste test of lemon, mint, radish, snap peas and a broccoli-flavored delicious green. Because the school is looking to become more sustainable, our job was to terrace an underutilized slope at the front of the school. We hoed and shoveled, making sure that the slope of the hillside was even and the irrigation system would be able to support future growth. Groups that come in subsequent weeks here at Tierra Miguel will be able to finish our work and plant all sorts of wonderful vegetation on the school’s hillside.

After school got out we loaded into the vans and soon found ourselves in the home of Ann and Richard Jaffe who graciously hosted the whole group in their beautiful home only a hop skip and a jump from the beach. We spent our pre-dinner hours playing Frisbee and Volleyball, jumping around in the cold water of the Pacific Ocean, and watching the sun set over the Western sky. We had Mexican food prepared for us in the SDJA (San Diego Jewish Academy) kitchen (!) and, since it was Sam's birthday, we had ice cream to which we added chocolate chips, fresh mint from the school’s garden, and a few coffee beans and blended it together to create a sweet culinary masterpiece. We ended the day with a discussion about what we want our Shabbat experience to look like, loaded the vans, and got home late. What an amazing day.

Trip Photos!

2011-03-09T01:34:00.000-05:00

Catch Me

2011-03-09T01:09:00.000-05:00

By Sam Shain

I wear thin, rubber soled summer-sneakers because sometimes, I want to know what roots feel like.

I find myself on farms, growing jealous of the okra & cornstalks, envious of forests for their permeating sense of permanence, of root systems and community, of never being left behind, never falling out of love, or falling apart, or falling;

Not falling like shooting star, but falling like child, like not remembering how to right myself, like forgetting how joints and muscles work, my whole body squeezed into the raindrops that ski down my cheekbone slopes, fallen.

I am still baby, still child, still rock me to sleep; still sing me a lullaby, remind me that you love me still: I’ve fallen too many times.

Sewing myself back together has turned my body into a quilt; crazy, unmatching, awkward with messy uneven stitches and flannel patches where elbows should be, they’ve caught me too many times.

I’ve been weeded out of other people’s gardens, too many times; uprooted, falling;

Falling asleep and falling back awake, disoriented, memory-less

So I find myself strapping on sneakers with barely there soles and I search for roots that might remind me of my own, lost, but not abandoned, like Peter Pan’s shadow.

I can grow like weed, like fertilizer bloodstream, like sunflower grasping sunray- moonbeam elixir, like cloud comforters can save me

Moon as nightlight

Sleeping like baby

So far to fall,

I am 1/3 daffodil, plant me and let me grow up

And out like artichoke leaf armor; there’s a heart in there somewhere.

This is all I know:

1. You can’t recycle a sunset

2. You must have honey in your veins, how you move so sweetly

3. stretching is just your way of touching the sky

4. Hugging you is like canning dew

5. you are my fields, left holy and unfallow, where wildflowers grow

6. I am a wildflower. Help me grow roots here. I’ve fallen too many times. I have thin, rubber-soled sneakers where my heels should be. I’ve fallen too many times.

7. But in the faling, I’ve found you, Sunflower Queen with golden petal crown, spine pushing up, roots down and out, stronger that imagined, but falling nonetheless.

8. I’ve fallen too many times. Catch me, Lord.

Happy Farming

2011-03-09T01:07:00.000-05:00

By Molly Dee

The atmosphere here at the Tierra Miguel Farm is drastically different from the atmosphere at Penn. Since we arrived, our leaders, Stem and Lauren, have asked us about our feelings and intentions towards farming, food, and the trip as a whole probably over a hundred times. As you can imagine, this is a huge juxtaposition to the Penn environment where we are focused and often stressed. At school, my professors don’t ask me about how I feel about what I happen to be learning, my friends don’t ask about my positive energy, and my employers don’t ask me to set an intention for my day. I must admit that at first, I was a little uncomfortable with all the touchy-feelyness going on here; however, as the days have passed, I have come to realize that talking about my feelings, intentions, and energy is extremely therapeutic and refreshing. Not only am I feeling relaxed and content, I have an intense sense of clarity. Back at school, it is truly difficult to find the time to really be aware of my feelings, desires, and internal energy. Here, I feel like I am encouraged to explore and discover things about myself. I can honestly say I haven’t felt this good in a while. The sunshine, fresh air, and amazing food has been good for my body, and all of the hippy dippy meditation and self reflection has truly been good for my mind.

Day 1. Breakfast.

2011-03-07T22:22:00.000-05:00

By Sam Lieberman

So after a long day of traveling and orientation yesterday, we woke up for our first real day on the Tierra Miguel Farm. I would have to thank the time zones for making waking up at 6:45 AM a little easier. If you had asked me two days ago to wake up at 6:45, I probably would have laughed in your face and told you that it was preposterous. Regardless, we got up and shared morning tea together before Avodat Lev at 7:30. Avodat Lev means “service of the heart” and for us meant a little morning activity before diving into breakfast. We meditated, filled a space, and mirrored our partners all while braving the misty morning rain.

We came inside shoes wet and stomachs empty to an abundant and delicious breakfast spread. The smell of ginger and citrus wafted through the kitchen enticing and exciting our senses. The table was overwhelmed with food, and we overwhelmed with options. Thanks to our leader Lauren, we helped ourselves to scrambled eggs loaded with scallions, oatmeal packed with raisins, clementine zest, and maple syrup, and a spread of cereals, yogurts, breads, and fruit. We washed it all down with a warming tea made from honey, lemons, and ginger.

After fueling up for our first day on the farm, we went outside to meet Erin, the Director of Operations for a tour of the farm. Later, while most of the group stayed outside to go on a hike through the forest Sam, Shev, and I went inside to work on the next delicious meal: lunch.

Alternative Spring Break - Organic Farming in San Diego!

2011-03-04T11:06:00.000-05:00

On Sunday, 18 students will head to San Diego for a week of Organic Farming with the Jewish Farm School. Check back often for post and pictures directly from the students.

2011-01-09T18:28:00.000-05:00

To Bus 912:

Welcome back home! After our unexpected overnight in Toronto, we hope you all got to your final destinations safely and uneventfully. And that you're all caught up on sleep. :)

It's been less than 72 hours since we've returned from our trip, but we are already looking forward to seeing you guys on campus (we can't believe that classes begin this week). In the meantime, we thought it would be fun to recap our trip in numbers...

So, we, Bus 912, Penn Hillel...

Went on 3 nature walks (er, hikes)
Learned 51 Hebrew and English names
Met 11 awesome Israelis (can't forget Raz, Meytal, and Eli)
Rode 39 camels
Ate over 30 pounds of hummus
Celebrated 5 Bat Mitzvahs!
Heard about 6 jokes all with a guy named Jose
Couldn't really ever count to #48
Sang over 50 songs in the bus on the drive down south
Bought at least 25 IDF t-shirts
Said "Yalla Ballagan" approximately 100 times
Met 1 totally awwwwwesome guy in Tzfat

... and made tons of new (Facebook) friends, took thousands of photos, and made countless memories!

Thank you all for an amazing trip,
Emily and Rabbi Joel

P.S. When's the reunion?

Here are updated photos:

Making Memories at Mount Herzl

2011-01-03T16:20:00.000-05:00

By Noah Rosenstein

I’ve been trying to get on to this blog for the entire trip and we only have two days left, so you can tell how insanely busy it’s been. I’m going to try to share as many thoughts as possible, but regrettably I can’t remember exactly all the thoughts and feelings I’ve had throughout this incredible trip. It’s like each new day brings so many new experiences that the old ones sort of already become distant memories, so I’ll start by working backwards a little bit, starting with today and coming back later to catch up on some of the earlier episodes.

Today was the last of our five amazing days with the Israelis, and there could not have been a more meaningful way to spend it than visiting Mount Herzl. I naturally was comparing this experience to when I visited Arlington Cemetery, and the first thing I thought was that this cemetery was far more beautiful. Rather than rows of depressing gray gravestones, each soldier is memorialized with body-length tombs of uniform size, individual gardens stretching from end to end, and multiple places for families to engrave prayers or quotes or otherwise honor their loved ones. It gave each tomb a level of personality that I really appreciated.

As with many of my experiences on this trip, I wasn’t sure how much emotion seeing this cemetery would elicit. At first I felt the way I expected, somber and slightly awe-struck but not moved in any major way. That was until Raz shared a story about an old friend of his, a buddy from the army reserves. In one moment they were joking around about who would get called back first; the next, Raz was doing a double-take after seeing his friend’s picture in the newspaper as a recently killed soldier. He told us this story while standing above his friend’s grave. While he had a definite hint of emotion in his voice, he was also remarkably composed, a testament not just to his strength but also to the feeling of normalcy that Israelis have developed to things like this. It was impossible for me not to tear up. Next to the grave of Raz’s friend was that of an American named Michael Levin. His grave was decked out with paraphernalia for Philadelphia sports, even a rally towel from a Phillies World Series game sitting at the feet. As a Philly sports fanatic, this really hit home hard. I have that same rally towel hanging in my apartment. This guy was me a very short time ago. Now he is lying in a grave in Israel, having given his life for a country in which he wasn’t even born. It’s taken me 15 minutes to write this sentence trying to describe how this made me feel; I can’t do it. All I can say is that it was another step on a journey that is redefining how I think about being a Jew.

Our very next stop in the tour of the cemetery was a memorial service led by our Israeli army friends. After five days of laughing and learning and smiling together, we saw them in a much different light, an unsurprisingly solemn one. Most were choked up, some teared up, one cried, as they took turns reciting prayers or poems about Israel. I am admittedly a bit of a crier myself, but generally more of the sappy, can’t-believe-I’m-crying-at-this-romantic-comedy type. But I generally feel pretty uncomfortable crying in front of my peers. Today was one of the first times I cried out of utter sadness. I didn’t try to fight it, and having my friends around me actually made it easier. So did Raz’s insistence that we not be sad, because it was a beautiful thing these departed had done, and that we should honor their deaths, not lament it. At the end of our little memorial ceremony we sang Hatikvah, a song I have chanted hundreds of times. But doing it there was not just an obligatory end-of-service ritual. It could not have been a more perfect moment to sing the Israeli national anthem. It was so special I could feel it on my skin.

Anyway, enough of the emotional expose. Afterwards we came back to the hotel to say our final goodbyes to the soldiers and discuss our experiences meeting each other. The Israelis mentioned that we didn’t really fit the American stereotype they expected. They appreciated our intellectual curiosity and the sincere personal connections we all formed. We all felt the exact same way, knowing we could have easily stayed very separate, intimidated, disconnected, whatever. My friend Jason Keene made the point that it was really great that we all really got as close as we did in just five days, because he had been talking to some Israelis from a different Birthright group at our hotel who said that they really didn’t feel connected to their American counterparts. We all felt it was really a relationship we would always remember and cherish. So we took our final photos and had our last hugs and bid them adieu. But it’s certainly not goodbye forever.

New Photos!

2011-01-01T16:53:00.000-05:00

The Spirit of the Negev

2011-01-01T04:36:00.000-05:00

By Sam Ware

In the last two days we’ve moved south into our next part of our trip with our new Israeli friends – IDF soldiers who will travel with us for the next five days. Our trip so far has dealt mainly with the sights and sounds of Israel, but now with the soldiers we are fortunate to experience the country from the Israeli perspective. The soldiers hail from around Israel and are positioned throughout the country in K-9, intelligence, naval surveillance and public relations units. Already we’ve had amazing times with our guests from bus jam sessions, camel rides in the Negev and floating in the Dead Sea, but the most exciting part of meeting these Israelis is hearing their personal stories. No historic spot or tour guide can replace hearing the first-hand accounts of Israel from the people who know it best. For many of us, talking and meeting Israelis our own age could possibly be the highlight of the trip.

After meeting the Israelis we traveled south to Negev desert and the Bedouin Tents. While the tents are certainly no 5-star Sheraton they can offer their own unique amenities because right after arriving we went on camel rides and experienced a traditional (and amazing!) Bedouin meal. We then experienced an extremely moving activity where the group left the camp and entered the desert to symbolize the story of Jacob wrestling with the angel and receiving the name Israel. The fading lights of the Bedouin tent and the surrounding beauty of the Negev allowed us to visualize the biblical story of Jacob. We then discussed the meaning and significance of our English and Hebrew names, which to me was the most moving and spiritual part of the trip so far. Hearing the stories and symbolism behind our names helped each us to learn about each other and connect us to the biblical significance of Jacob’s story.

Unfortunately the beautiful weather we’ve had in Israel finally broke with much needed rain. Because of the rain we could not watch the sunrise on Massada the next day, but did eventually make it to the mountain. We then floated in the dead (and cold) Sea and finally made it to the highlight of our trip – Jerusalem! A few hours ago I had my first Shabbat in the city, making this a very special New Year’s! Having this opportunity to blog from the holy city reminds me how lucky we were to first leave NYC before the snow and to experience my first Shabbat mere feet from the Western Wall. No longer will it be “Next time in Jerusalem” since I’m finally here!

Happy New Year’s and Shabbat Shalom from Israel! And Dad, I promise to shovel when I get back to New York.

Day 3 Update

2010-12-29T11:03:00.000-05:00

By Abigail Jablansky

Following yesterday’s “nature walk” (an Israeli idiom for “hike”), we were anxious to see what this morning’s hike would bring. As we drove up the winding, narrow road to Mt. Meron, Israel’s second-highest peak, we could see the Kinneret and the other side of the Hula Valley that we saw yesterday from Mt. Bental. The views were amazing from atop Mt. Meron—we could see from Mt. Hermon to Lebanon all the way to Haifa. Although the weather was colder and windier than yesterday, the hike was another really nice chance to see the unparalleled panoramic views of the north.

We drove to Tsfat, the blue city of Kabbalah built into the northern hills. I was really looking forward to it because I remembered liking the mystical symbolism and colorful artwork that decorated the city from my previous trip to Israel. As we walked up a commercial street, it was interesting to watch the different types of people who live in the city, from the very religious to the completely secular to the intensely spiritual. The spirituality and mysticism that Tsfat is known for seeped out from every blue-colored crack and juncture in the sidewalk and emanated from every blue window and door in the city. Raz spoke to us about the history and basics of Kabbalah, which sparked interesting discussions about Jewish spirituality, faith, and superstition, as well as how they are expressed in synagogue architecture. We then went inside an Ashkenazic synagogue and a Sephardic synagogue, which were beautiful and elaborately decorated. Both had a raised bimah in the middle of the sanctuary, similar signs on the walls (“no talking during praying and Torah reading!”), and intricate decorations, but the symbols, images, and overall atmosphere were different. After Raz explained the meanings of some common symbols of Tsfat, such as the color blue and the chamsa, we paid a visit (and some shekels) to a “mysical art gallery”. Having never been to a mysical art gallery before, I didn’t know what to expect, especially after Raz reminded us before entering not to judge people based on their appearance or beliefs. We sat on pillows on the floor and listened as Avraham, the gallery owner and artist, explained how he, an American from outside Detroit, ended up as a Kabbalah artist in Tsfat. He spoke with an intense conviction about his spiritual journey from being disinterested in Judaism to studying Kabbalah for 15 years and expressing those beliefs in his artwork. Although the multi-layered connections to Kabbalah in his artwork were fascinating, it was difficult to relate to him because he spoke with such pure faith, spirituality, and happiness that I (and probably most of us) don’t have. The tension between believing in the spiritual and mystical and doing rituals and experiencing Judaism in a “traditional” way was both strong and confusing because both coexist in Tsfat, yet the former is a strange, abstract way of looking at Judaism while the other is a more familiar, concrete approach. If I could understand and accept the mysticism and purity of faith that people in Tsfat seem to have, I could see myself living in this quaint community of blue cobblestone streets and blue cobblestone houses!

Before going back to the hotel, we made a surprise stop for a wine tasting at a kibbutz specializing in wines and liquors. As my first official wine tasting, it was a fun experience (and the flavored liqueurs were really good!) and a great way to end a day of natural, spiritual, and architectural beauty. Although I am sad to leave the North, I am looking forward to seeing the rest of the country and to meeting our Israeli friends!

Updated Photos

2010-12-28T10:53:00.001-05:00

We'll try to update our photo album on a daily basis... here are some new ones from Day 2.

Click the photo to access the album

Jewish Memory Banks

2010-12-28T10:37:00.000-05:00

By Andrew Roberts

I can’t believe we are really here. It’s incredible. It’s hard to believe how much we have seen and learned in just two days. Is this even real?

Yes, it's Israel.

Tomorrow is the deadline to have everyone’s first name memorized so some people are cramming for the big test. Today’s Jeep ride through the Golan Heights did not help studying: the name tags that everyone is required to wear were ineligible on the bumpy terrain.

Our discussion on memories was successful. We all shared important Jewish memories. I have a feeling that our Jewish memory banks are about to receive a huge deposit!

Finding the Home in Homeland

2010-12-28T10:29:00.000-05:00

By Lizzie Sivitz

Shalom! Lizzie Sivitz reporting here from beautiful Bus 912. Israel is filled with spirit. From Raz, the hilarious and straight forward tour guide to the woman selling nose rings in the gift shop- everyone is brimming with chutzpah. Speaking of nose rings, up on Mount Bental I bought a Jewish star nose-ring, hopefully this will make my parents happy. My rebellious nose piercing will now be respectful and Jewish. I had always heard that Israelis are very straight forward, loud, and boisterous. At least the Israelis I’ve encountered have all been super friendly. Like most Jews I know back home, they have a love of laughing and poking fun. They are also willing to put up with my repetition of the 10 useful Hebrew words I know.

What I want to talk about in this blog post is something that we discussed as a group briefly earlier- the concept of Israel as our home. We are always told that Israel is where it all began, and at each pesach we say “next year in Jerusalem!” The existence of birthright and Aliyah establishes Israel as a home to any Jew anywhere in the world. There are many aspects of Israel that have been very familiar to me, or things that I appreciate. I.E., a huge breakfast spread including all you can eat rugalach. Raz showed us today a Syrian masque that stands today despite the fact that it is surrounded by ruins. There is a Jewish law that outlaws any destruction of places of worship of any kind. This spirit of democracy, tolerance, and acceptance is something extremely important to me. I don’t know if this is because of my Jewish identity and values or my American values.

There are aspects of Israel that are extremely foreign to me though. One of the biggest being guns. Seeing soldiers all carrying guns in a seemingly peaceful area is something that is really strange for me. The idea that peace could be breached at any moment is also something I’m not used to. I’ve probably seen like 3 guns in my entire life, but our wonderful guard and medic, Metall, (mem, tet, lamed) carries one everywhere she goes. It makes me feel safe, and I appreciate it, but it is weird to see a rifle so frequently. I guess Americans are lucky that most of the wars we’ve fought in have been overseas. The safety I feel in the insulated America is something I have taken for granted. As we stood on the top of Mt. Bental, we could see Syria. It is weird to have a hostile nation only a stones throw away.

However, the kindness and relaxed attitude of the Israelis puts me at ease. And the view from my hotel room of the Sea of Galilee framed by hills covered in houses, is so serene, that the idea of war seem impossible. If the purpose of Birthright is to inspire us to make Aliyah, they’re doing a good job so far…

Photos from Day 1!

2010-12-27T15:08:00.000-05:00

Click the photo to see more

It was a dark and stormy morning...

2010-12-27T14:55:00.000-05:00

By Josh Oppenheimer

After successfully checking-in our luggage and sweeping through security, we chilled out outside gate A7 anxiously waiting to see whether our flight would be delayed, or worse, cancelled due to the impeding snow storm. Some caught up on sleep, while others played cards and read their Cosmo. Fortunately, our flight would be the last to leave New York and we quickly jetted over to Toronto. With a short lay over, giving some enough time to get their first legal beverage (as your son or daughter has probably been bragging, drinking age in Canada is 18), we got settled in for our trip across the pond and half way across the world. Most found the 11 hour flight manageable, with the immense selection of movies to choose from and the chance to catch a few hours of sleep here and there. At noon Tel Aviv time, we land, breezed past customs, got our luggage, played a name game, and headed to our bus where we met with our Tour Educator Raz, Medic Meytan, and Driver Eli. Then, it was off to the races. Raz must have sensed our grogginess, so we stopped at a strip mall where most of us tried our first, authentic Israeli falafel and coffee. With our bellies full and caffeine flowing through our veins, we headed to our first stop: the ancient Roman aqueducts on the Mediterranean by Caesarea. After another ice breaker (we were pushed to learn everybody’s name by Wednesday), we had the chance to take pictures on the beach with an Israeli cowboy on a horse silhouetted against the setting sun, a stunning welcome to the Holy Land. It was then back on the bus for an hour ride to our hotel in Tiberias. We kept ourselves occupied by playing Who Wants to Be a Millionaire on Andrew’s iPhone – so much for separating ourselves from technology and connecting with our roots.

Final updated photo album and final thoughts

2010-06-13T14:26:00.000-04:00

For your viewing pleasure - our completed photo album! Thank you very much to all those who wrote for this blog and to those who read it while we were having adventures all across Israel. This trip changed each and every person in some way, and it was truly an honor to be a part of everyone's experience. Each person in the group arrived at JFK open to what this 10 day trip had to offer and I can safely say that everyone remained open the entire time -- open to new friendships, new ideas, and learning, both facts and about ourselves. In closing the trip, I challenged each person to continue to stay open to ways that this trip will have an impact in the future, even after we have left Israel.

Stay tuned - just as the trip was meaningful to all, experience has shown me that more changes, questions, and ideas are still to come from each participant. Maybe some will even be willing to blog about this in the future! We'll keep you posted.

-Debbie Yunker

Closing Thoughts from the "No Whining" Department

2010-06-10T13:46:00.000-04:00

To all,

Well...it's been a pleasure. Being a recent Penn grad, I am proud of how passionate everyone acted during these ten days. It seems to me that one thing Penn kids always seem to struggle with is apathy. This trip had no apathy. I hope that everyone returns to the dinner table rife with stories, experiences, feelings, and most importantly pride.

I shared these two lessons with the group as our trip ended, and I briefly wanted to share it with y'all:

1) Israel is alive. This place is as exciting as it has been in the past 4,000 years. I would argue that what happens tomorrow is more important than anything in the past. For parents etc. that haven't had the chance to get to Israel, I echo what I guarantee your children will say: come. For those who have come, come back.

2) Do something. Penn students certainly are predisposed to study everything. It's all about careful analysis and decision making. This country was built and still stands on a principal of action. The single most salient characteristic of our Jewish brothers and sisters over here is the ability to act!

I'm not quite sure what exactly happened over here in Israel, but something important occurred. This transformation may have been like a flash flood from the Negev or the percolation of the instant coffee maker that made our trip possible every morning, but there is no doubt that this was a week and a half of change. I implore everyone to pick your kids' minds for everything, especially the little things.

Once again, your kids are awesome, and it's been a blast.

Peace,

Eli Robinson
Not a Counselor

Updated photo album! Birthright - Summer 2010

2010-06-10T01:10:00.000-04:00

Questions for Consideration

2010-06-08T11:30:00.000-04:00

Birthright has inspired some thought provoking conversations among our group. Here are some questions we have been pondering:

What are the core components of our Jewish identity? If you had to recreate Judaism on the moon and had limited resources, what 5 traditions, texts, icons etc. would you bring? What role does Israel play in our Judaism?

If we have, at least for now, decided to live a Jewish life in America, what is the importance of the state of Israel? What do we personally think about Zionism and making Aliyah? What are the stakes for keeping a Jewish state? On Masada, the Jews chose to kill themselves rather than see their religious freedom taken away. Today, Israeli soldiers sacrifice their lives to protect their religious freedom and the Jewish state that makes that possible. This sacrifice is necessitated by the daily threat that Israel faces. In America, however, we don't face the same immediate threat and thus think differently about these question. Should we?

How do Orthodox right wingers justify their adamant desires for Israel to be more militant to protect Israeli land, while refusing to serve in the military?

How does one define holiness, and from what do we derive holiness in a location? Is it innate in a land or place from its history, from the collective memory of a people, or from one's own spiritual connection?

How does one reconcile the contradictions in the Bible? There are innumerable explicit contradictions (for example, when G-d is described as merciful and forgiving and in the same portion smites the Jewish people with [seemingly] inexplicable severity); even more difficult is trying to make sense of a more philosophical tension. On the one hand, the Bible seems a static, completely antiquated text. It has a finite ending, which leaves an ever-increasing gap between the Torah and today. Theoretically, the history of the Jewish people will proceed for thousands of years. We are a people in continual growth and flux, and yet, we continue to read the same exact text year after year. On the other hand, the Torah is an active, very alive text that always brings new meaning to our lives. The same portion might elicit very different interpretations when reading at 13 years old and 40 years old. How do we make sense of this tension as we use the Torah as our guide?

We've been realizing a fundamental difference in outlooks: In a hostage/kidnapping situation, 70% of Israelis will turn over hundreds of prisoners, many of whom are terrorists who have planned past attacks, in order to get back one Israeli soldier (even if he may not be alive). At least based on our group, Americans are opposed to this type of "deal." What lies beneath this fundamental difference? Is it politics, culture, religion, or perhaps something else?

- David Fine

Julie's Blog

2010-06-07T15:50:00.001-04:00

Each day we get to experience so many different things, and there's always something that appeals to everyone. My favorite part about today was that aside from seeing amazing and beautiful sites I was able to learn about Hadassah. This organization is not new to me, I know many people involved, specifically my Mom-mom, who was the president of her chapter and is still very active today. In the past I never really thought about what the Hadassah organization is or does. I knew they raised money, but did not know for what cause. Basically, I thought went on little trips together and didn't think much more about it. Going to the Hadassah Hospital today was extremely eye-opening. This organization, one that has always been present in my life yet never meant anything to me, helps so many people. And learning about this organization with the Israeli soldiers made the entire experience real, as opposed to things that happen to other people in other places.

I realized today that allowing myself to ignore certain things that are in front of me will cause me to miss out on so many great aspects of my life. I'm excited to take what I've learned so far on this trip back home and to apply my new views and lessons to my life.

-Julie Waters

Rachel's 2nd Blog

2010-06-07T15:20:00.000-04:00

Today was amazing. We left our Jerusalem hotel and drove to Mt. Herzl. Mt. Herzl was quite an experience. I think it helped us sort out some of our thoughts about Israel, especially after our conversations with the soldiers in our group these past few days. Many of the soldiers had personal connections to individuals that were buried there, and it was definitely emotional for everyone. I think we were all especially touched by the young American born Israeli soldier from Philadelphia who died in the Lebanon war. He volunteered to go and fight, even though he was on vacation visiting his family in America. There was Phillies paraphernalia all over the grave, which was tough for us.

Next, we toured Hadassah hospital, which I loved since I want to be a doctor (of kittens or humans, I am not sure yet). I think when some people think of Israel, they imagine the Middle East, and picture the third world. So wrong. Israel is at the forefront of technological innovation, and they were quick to point out all the little technological feats they have accomplished. I knew Israel was the first on the ground in Haiti in January, and they are certainly proud of it (with good reason!)

After Hadassah, we drove up north. Along the way, we rode bikes through a nature reserve. Could they pack any more into our days? Probably not! We were able to see some strange relative of the Meercat and we had a pretty funny tour guide who kept calling the ducks "loud little buggers."

We then drove up to our Kibbutz, which from what I can infer, is basically a commune....with a pub. Anyway, our rooms are clean and the food was decent. Some of my relatives actually showed up and told me all about our extended family in Israel. They brought me enough food to feed a country for a day, which I'm sure our group will have no trouble devouring.

It has been a good day - I am excited for Tsfat tomorrow!

-Rachel Cohen

June 7: Mt Herzl

2010-06-07T14:26:00.000-04:00

Today was a particularly meaningful day for me. We visited Mount Herzl, a Jewish memorial cemetery. At first, we visited the graves of Theodor Herzl and Yitzchak Rabin-- great Jewish leaders that we all can look up to. However, the collective soldiers' graves affected me the most. We also looked at graves of soldiers from the 1948 War of Independence. As we've learned from our soldier friends from the trip, these soldiers are the heart and soul of Israel. The army is not an intimidating unit, but rather a collective group of my peers. It's frightening and shocking.

I was shocked not by the number of Israeli graves from the '48 war, but by the ages of the fallen soldiers. A 20 year old soldier's grave shocked me to the core. I could not imagine anyone my age fighting such an intense war, and yet here was a fallen solider- someone who had lived through the Holocaust and was truly fighting for his/her freedom. The grave of a 16 year old soldier saddened me further- this child should have been learning history in his 11th grade social studies class and not fighting this war that would become of it. Seeing our Israeli friends discussing their friends who have died in battle brought on another wave of emotions that these wars are just so painful.

Mount Herzl was beautiful, completely contrasting the memories of death that it held. It's scary to now be able to put a face on the Israeli army-- 8 faces, to be exact. I hope with all of my heart that the IDF won't always need to send so many soldiers into battle. It's downright scary to think that it could be any one of us fighting in those fields.

-Dara Heimowitz

Rachel's Overview Blog

2010-06-06T15:36:00.000-04:00

We have been in Israel for almost a week and we have packed in more activities than I thought possible. Although the Negev was a little hot, I have enjoyed everything thus far. I came to Israel when I was eight but missed out on all the cool stuff - the Dead Sea stung, I wasn't able to enter Yad Vashem, and my family left me on the bus sleeping while we rode camels. :P I have now done all of those things! I was very moved by Yad Vashem. I, like many of the other people on the trip, have visited concentration camps in Europe, but this put a whole new perspective on things. I loved the Dead Sea and it didn't sting too bad - it also left our skin baby soft for a few days. I did feel a bit sorry for the camels, as they had scars from abuse on their legs and sides, but it is certainly an experience to ride on a camel's back.

We have spent the past few days in Jerusalem, which is BEAUTIFUL. We visited the Old City and went trinket shopping. We stuck our prayers in the Western Wall and toured the tunnels from thousands of years ago. It is definitely amazing to be in a city that is such an important part of history.

I am looking forward to our drive up north and our time in Tel Aviv!

-Rachel Cohen

June 6th: Western Wall

2010-06-06T11:44:00.000-04:00

This morning, we went to the Western Wall, which is an extremely holy place in Judaism. As we approached, Etai played us a very powerful recording of Israeli soldiers singing Hatikva and Shehecheyanu when seeing the Western Wall for the first time. Our first view of the Western Wall was breath-taking.

After spending some time praying in front of the Western Wall, we had the incredible experience of traveling along the tunnels underneath the Western Wall. I found it fascinating that we were stepping on the same stones that people have been walking along for the last 2,000 years. It was truly surreal to see the part in the tunnels that is the closest to the former Temple.

Today was a very busy day filled with a lot of activities and site-seeing. All of the historical claims to Jerusalem were fascinating to learn about and really thought-provoking. To me, however, the Western Wall was the highlight of the day.

Hi Mom, Dad, and everybody else in my family who is reading this blog.

Daniel Rockower

Updated photo album! Birthright - Summer 2010

2010-06-06T11:03:00.000-04:00

June 4th: Jerusalem

2010-06-04T10:05:00.000-04:00

Shabbat Shalom (hey)!

So, we just finished our first full day in Jerusalem, WOW, what a city! We began the day at Yad Vashem after our first full night's sleep in a REAL bed (although some people woke up at 4 AM to watch the Lakers dominate the Celtics)! Yad Vashem is Israel's Holocaust memorial and museum, a tribute to the six million Jews that perished during the Holocaust as well as a center of Holocaust education. The whole experience was very powerful and we look forward to all sharing our feelings together tonight during Shabbat. We also heard from Devorah Weinstein, a Holocaust survivor whose story, as a five year-old survivor, was very moving.

After Yad Vashem, as our tour guide said, we "moved from death to life" as we headed to Jerusalem's biggest "shook" (marketplace), Machne Yehuda! We tried foods from all over the Middle East and then had an hour or so to explore on our own!

We've started bonding with our Israeli soldiers, who happen to be sababa (real cool)!

Now, we're back in the hotel preparing for Shabbat and a (much needed) day of rest!

Peace from the Middle East!

PS Shout outs to our lovely parents: Wendy and Danny Weinreb, Michael and Andrea Karsch, Larry and Kathy Roth, and Lori and Scott Sale

Our Itinerary

2010-06-03T16:38:00.000-04:00

For anyone curious what our plans are for the past week. You can also use this to match up photos to activities if we don't get a chance to caption all of our photos.

Taglit-Birthright Israel: Young Judaea – YJ-22-15
June 1 - 11, 2010
Tentative Itinerary
Staff: Debbie Yunker and Eli Robinson
Israeli Tour Educator: Itay Kapsuto

Tuesday, June 1st – Welcome to Israel!
· 12:25 – Arrival at Ben Gurion Airport - flight LY #002
· 14:30 – Travel south
· 17:00 – Opening ceremony and ice breakers in Sde Boker
· 18:30 – Check-in & dinner
· 21:00 – Visit the grave of David Ben-Gurion (Israel’s First Prime
Minister) - The vision for the Negev Desert
Accommodations: Sde Boker

Wednesday , June 2nd – The South
· 08:30 – Karakash hike
· 12:30 – Lunch on own in Dimona
· 14:00 – Visit Ayalim (a Student village in the south) and volunteer with
them
· 18:00 – Experience Bedouin culture and hospitality – ride camels while
watching the sunset!
· 19:30 – Celebrate and take part in a Haflah (Bedouin ethnic
dinner celebration)
· 21:00 – Bonfire and group program
Accommodations: Nokdim- Bedouin tent

Thursday , June 3rd – The connection between Masada and Jerusalem
· 05:00 – Climb Masada, King Herod’s ancient fortress and palace, at
sunrise
· 08:30 – Refreshing breakfast
· 10:00 – Float in the Dead Sea, the lowest point in the world and one of
the saltiest bodies of water
· 12:00 – Lunch at Chamey Ein Gedi
· 14:00 – Drive to Jerusalem
· 15:30 – Welcome to Jerusalem – Mt. Olive
· 16:30 – Check in hotel
· 19:00 – Dinner
· 20:30 - Israeli music with Michal Ben Dori
Accommodations: Shalom hotel

Friday June 4th – Jerusalem
· 9:00 – Witness the testimony of a Holocaust survivor
· 10:00 – Visit Yad Vashem, Israel’s memorial-museum to the Holocaust
· 13:30 – Tour the famous Machne Yehuda outdoor market - lunch on
own
· 14:30 – Tasting tour at Machne Yehuda market - different food and
cultures in Israeli society
· 16:30 – Preparation for Shabbat
· 19:30 – Kabbalat Shabbat (prayer services)
· 20:30- Shabbat dinner
· 22:00 – Oneg Shabbat (Joy of Shabbat)
Accommodations: Shalom hotel

Shabbat, June 5th – Shabbat in Jerusalem
· 09:00 – Wake up at your leisure - it’s Shabbat in Israel! Optional
breakfast
· 10:00 – T’filot and Kiddush (optional morning prayers) – enjoy the
calm, rejuvenating nature of Shabbat
· 12:00 – Lunch
· 13:30 – Rest time
· 15:30 – Group program
· 18:30 – Seuda shlisheet and songs
· 20:30 – Havdalah service
· 21:00 – Depart to Ben Yehuda street for free evening
Accommodations: Shalom hotel

Sunday , June 6th – Jerusalem then and now
· 08:00 – Kotel (Western Wall) tunnels
· 10:00 – Time at the Kotel
· 11:00 – Explore the Old City by foot
· 12:00 – Lunch on own at Jewish quarter
· 14:00 – Social tour- Maagelei Tzedek- a social justice organization
· 16:30 – Goldman Promenade – the defense wall
· 19:00 – Dinner
· 20:30 – Israel update - Learn about current socio-political issues with
our Israel update specialist
Accommodations: Shalom hotel

Monday, June 7th – The community of the Jewish people
· 08:30 - Investigate Mount Herzl, the national cemetery for Israeli
leaders and fallen soldiers
· 10:30 - Tour Hadassah Hospital, a melting pot for both Jews and
Arabs, and learn about their medical developments and research
· 12:00 – Goodbye with the soldiers
· 13:00 – Lunch on own - Mevaseret Tzion
· 17:00 - Green project at Hachula Valley and bike tour
· 19:30 – Dinner
Accommodations: Kibbutz Machanaym

Tuesday, June 8th – The north
· 09:00 - The Old City of Tzfat
· 12:00 – Lunch in Tzfat
· 14:00 – Magrase water hike
· 17:30 – Golan Winery
· 19:30 – Dinner
· 21:00 – Israeli movie- The Syrian Bride
Accommodations: Kibbutz Machanaym

Wednesday June 9th – From the quiet north to the center of Israel
· 09:00 – Misgav Am Lookout , the second Lebanon war
· 10:00 – Kayaking
· 12:30 – Lunch on own
· 14:00 – Drive to Tel Aviv – Jaffa, in the heart of central Israel
· 17:00 – Beach in Tel Aviv
· 19:00 – Dinner
· 21:30 – Enjoy the thrilling night-life of Tel Aviv, “The City That
Never Sleeps”
Accommodations: Marina Tel Aviv

Thursday, June 10th – Last day in Israel
· 09:00 – Visit Rabin Square, where the late Prime Minister
Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated
· 10:00 – Independence Hall
· 12:00 – Lunch on own. Shopping on Shenkin Street, one of the
most popular avenues in Tel Aviv – Lunch on own
· 16:00 – Tour Jaffa
· 17:30 – Group summery in Jaffa
· 19:00 – Dinner and farewell
· 20:30 – Drive to airport
· 21:30 – Airport Check In
Friday, June 11th – Flight back to Newark International Airport
· 00:20 – Departure LY #027
· 05:30 – Arrive to Newark International Airport

Birthright - Summer 2010

2010-06-03T16:15:00.000-04:00

June 3

2010-06-03T15:18:00.000-04:00

Yesterday morning we hiked in the Negev. While in the desert, we laid back and listened to the silence because we learned gd is not in the fire, the wind or the mountains, but rather the silence. After we went to David Ben-Gurion and we saw Marva soldiers practicing their induction ceremony. Marva soldiers come to Israel and do basic training for 3 months.

Today we met the soldiers. Ilanit says shalom! We've been learning some Israeli slang in order to better fit in. Maayan says sababa and loves hummus. Love ya mom and dad, miss you!

Love you mom and dad- Jenna

Before meeting the Israelis, we hiked mount masada at sunrise. It was painful waking up at 4 a.m., but completely worth it once we got to the top. The view was absolutely beautiful. Afterwards, we had breakfast and went on another short hike to an oasis which we swam in. Then, we headed to the Dead sea, where we all floated for the very first time ever! Now we're at the Shalom hotel in Jerusalem with the Israeli soldiers and getting ready to go to Yad Vashem tomorrow.

More soon!

Love,

Becki

We're here!

2010-06-01T15:59:00.000-04:00

After a 3 hour delay on our flight out of JFK, we arrived in Israel Tuesday around 3 PM local time. Everyone agrees that a short delay is a small price to pay for a FREE trip to Israel, and the whole group is in good spirits. Scott Weinreb is excited to share his impressions of our first day in Israel:

Our tour guide Itai started off the tour of the desert with a very interesting interpretation. He explained that, as our ancestors did 4000 years ago, we have begun our own exodus in the desert, searching to find our own personal experience in the land of Israel. I'm very excited to start my personal journey with a trip to Ben Gurion's grave and the heart of the Negev desert tomorrow. That's all for now (Hi Mom and Dad)

Check out two photos from today! More soon...

Leaving for Israel on Monday, May 31!

2010-05-25T14:21:00.000-04:00

We can't believe the day is almost here. Looking forward to seeing everyone at the airport on Monday.

Trip to San Diego!

2010-03-12T01:46:00.001-05:00

This morning, some of us woke up at 6:15 (over an hour earlier than usual) to go for a little hike to an avocado grove where we picked avocados and watched the sunrise. It was beautiful! After breakfast, we traveled about an hour away towards San Diego to the San Diego Jewish Academy. It was an incredibly beautiful and new Jewish school for grades K through 12. We worked in "Lavana's Garden" there where we weeded, built new raised beds, and planted new seeds. It was a long day in the sun, and as a treat after our long days work, we went to Baskin Robbins. We got the chance to spend some time at the beach to watch the sunset, and were then hosted by the generous Ann Jaffe, a major benefactor to the San Diego Jewish Academy, at her home for a wonderful Mexican-inspired dinner. Today was by far one of the most tiring and exciting days of the trip so far.

Today we also took a few group photos...enjoy!

Wednesday! (and click on the previous post to see an updated photo album!)

2010-03-11T01:16:00.001-05:00

This morning, most of us started off working in the carrot fields after breakfast. Many of us also spent all day yesterday weeding in the strawberry fields (yes, we had trouble refraining from singing the song!). Here are some photos of the huge weeds we pulled so that the strawberry plants have a better chance of surviving:

Others of us learned how to transfer seedlings into larger cells in the greenhouses. It was our first morning of sunny weather - some of us ended the day with quite rosy faces! For lunch, we had a medley of leftovers made into completely new meals! The group combined potatoes and avocados for a yummy dish, made a kale salad with peanut sauce, and turned the dal into a soup with sweet potato and cinnamon. Then, a group of us enjoyed music by Stem, Jo, Heather, and Alison in the yurt just before sit spots (a time when we each go to a spot on the farm to sit alone and reflect for about 20 minutes). After sit spots, the group reconvened by the rhubarb, oregano, and sage to clear out the dry tumbleweed and other wood-y weeds. Dinner consisted of delicious bread (made by Shoshana!), veggie chili, a delicious salad with homemade avocado dressing, and a special surprise dessert of carmelized bananas, melted chocolate, and nuts.

Here are tonight's successful chefs and an image of the delicious bananas:

After dinner, we discussed the tradition of shmita, which is when farmers do not plant on their land every 7th year and instead it is only harvested, by both farmers and anyone else who has access to the land. I found the significance of the 7th year to be a sort of Shabbat that the land is able to observe. As I was thinking about this, I realized that there is further symbolism in the number of days that "rest" allocated for the land and for individuals who observe Shabbat. Shabbat is 1 day each week, 52 weeks of the year, and for 7 years every cycle that includes the Shmita. This means that humans who observe Shabbat have 364 days of rest. The land, with one entire year to rest, thus has 365 days to rest. I found it fascinating that the land and human beings are allotted almost an identical portion of time to rest over a period of seven different years, but in very different intervals of time.
-Lora Rosenblum

At the end of our discussion we began to discuss our plans for Shabbat on Saturday. Thus far we have decided that many of us who have never experienced Shabbat might try it for the first time. We thought of having certain activities such as a hike to the avocado grove, music in the yurt, and/or some discussions available to those who want to participate, but fully optional. In our planning we also considered leading a Friday night service as well as a Havdalah service and a special meal. This trip has really made a lot of us, including myself, realize that we may need more time for reflection in our lives and that it could potentially be beneficial to us. Overall the discussion and planning were very deep and reflective both on Jewish law and our lives as college students.

~Stephanie Cohen

PS - Our "photo of the day" (we know, we haven't had one yet!) is of Adam Amdur, who today was very much looking the part of a Penn farmer. No, we didn't photoshop him into this photo...the scenery here is actually this breathtaking!

Check out our photo album

2010-03-09T01:55:00.003-05:00

We'll have an ongoing photo album of our trip. Check it out!

Alternative Spring Break at Tierra Miguel Farm - March 7-14, 2010

2010-03-09T00:56:00.000-05:00

We had an early morning, waking up at 7:00 to start morning activity at 7:30. During work block this morning we met Mil and his wife, Leah, the farmers at Tierra Miguel, and they gave us a tour. We saw and learned about the different crops and Mil's personal ideals about farming that differ from other farmers. His major ideals were based upon natural practices, such as using compost and cover crops to naturally nourish and revive the soil, as opposed the chemicals and pesticides used by other farmers. Mil is trying to find even more natural methods, rather than turning over the soil, called "no till" farming and recently got a grant to start this. During the second work block half of our group built a Mongolian yurt, while the other half weeded the strawberry plants. We've been enjoying all vegetarian home-cooked meals and dinner tonight (which was completely vegan, and almost entirely gluten-free) was cooked by a few members in our group. It was in Klil's words, "Delish".

Here are a few photos of our dinner tonight: Tempeh, amazing vegan bread with bananas and nuts, rice, broccoli, and peanut sauce.

After dinner, we had a group discussion led by Eytan and Jo about the story of creation and how it relates to sustainability. While I have both heard and read the creation story before, I really enjoyed reading the story again through a different lens. As usual with the Torah, there were many questions that went unanswered during the discussion. Some of the questions raised were: who is the narrator? what does God mean when he says that "it was good"? While these questions couldn't be answered, the fact that they were brought up stimulated a lot of critical thinking and discussion on the topic. It was a great way to end the day.
Love always and forever,
Ben Wasserman

During weeding the strawberry rows today we learned from Ole, a worker on the farm, about the proper methods of picking the weeds. He and Mill also taught us about the Stinging Nettle plant/weed that can cause hives, but also has medicinal purposes in healing arthritis. While it was a bit difficult at first, especially avoiding the Nettle, we soon got the hang of it and weeded about 3-4 rows of strawberries. The sun peeked out today, but we're hoping for more tomorrow!
Peace, love, and farming 'til I die,
Stephanie Cohen

Day One: Travel, Travel, Travel

2010-03-07T23:46:00.000-05:00

First day at Tierra Miguel, very exciting! After a long (and early) flight from Philly, with a too short layover in Vegas, we finally made it to San Diego!

The farm is great. While we haven't met the farmers yet, we did meet our leaders Jo and Eytan and Stem from the Jewish Farm School. Together we made and enjoyed our first meal (all vegetarian) in California (bean stew, rice, roasted beets...and cookies with bananas, oats, and other dried fruit).

After dinner and the obligatory discussion of logistics, we got to talking about what everyone is looking forward to on the trip, what everyone can bring to the table, and what we're all looking for from each other. Needless to say, the week is looking pretty positive so far!

Although it's only 9 PM, jet lag and travel are taking a toll and we're all headed off to sleep soon.

Tomorrow is our first day of farming and we have to be awake (and alert) by 7:30 AM!

Stay tuned for photos soon!

San Diego has less snow than Philadelphia!

2010-02-25T11:09:00.001-05:00

We leave in a little more than 1 week! Very exciting, given the start of Philly's 4th snowstorm of the year!

Farming!

2010-02-09T12:21:00.002-05:00

We leave for California in three weeks. We're getting ready!

Prepping for Israel

2010-02-09T12:21:00.000-05:00

We are getting ready to depart on Sunday and cannot wait to see everyone at the airport.

Tuesday in Israel

2009-05-26T10:56:00.000-04:00

Hello friends - sorry for the posting delay -internet has been a little hard to find in the desert. Over the past three days we've seen and done a lot. Here's a quick summary:

After Shabbat, on Sunday, we started to travel south. While en route we stopped to explore some ancient caves. The cool dark tunnels are unique to this area of Israel. Following that we spent the afternoon in Philadelphia's Partnership 2000 city of Netivot. Here we met our peers - the young adult residents of Netivot and explored the city. We really got to see the layout and importance of by exploring it through a prepared scavenger hunt. That evening we continued further south where we slept in the city of Arad.

On Monday, we awoke bright and early at 3:30am. This was to ensure us that we would be able to see the spectacular sunrise from atop Masada. While on top of the mountain we celebrated four B'nai Mizvot all facilitated by our staff. The ceremonies were incredibly meaningful to the entire group. We also explored the ancient ruins built by Herod and heard the sad yet heroic story of how the Jewish people fled from the Romans.

After the early morning and two long hikes, we spent some time floating in the Dead Sea. After a treat from Kibbutz Yotvata - the southern Kibbutz famous for its spectacular dairy products. We headed down to the southern city of Eilat. Here we spent some time on the boardwalk and enjoyed a great dance party.

Today (Tuesday) we enjoyed all that Eilat has to offer in the morning. We went a hike in the desert at Nahal Yoash, shopped and enjoyed the Eilat scene and even got to swim in the blue waters of the Red Sea. As we began our return trip north we paused near the Ramon Crater (the largest crater in Israel formed by erosion and techtonic forces) and rode some camels - a true Israeli treat! We also stopped by David Ben Gurion's grave. Here we learned about this passionate and visionary leader. The site allowed us to explore our own passion and vision for ourselves and our Jewish lives.

Tonight we will sleep on a Kibbutz outside of Jerusalem. Tomorrow, our final day, we will go to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial, and see Mt. Herzl, where Israeli leaders and soldiers are burried. After a closing ceremony we'll head to the airport to catch our early morning flight.
What a whirlwind but so memorable and enjoyable. We look forward to seeing you all when we land in New York!

2009-05-22T10:12:00.001-04:00

Shabbat Shalom!!
After two days of traveling we entered Jerusalem last evening, toured the city, and are now getting ready to celebrate Shabbat.

On Wednesday, we were still up north. We had the unique opportunity to spend the night camping out in tents along the shore of the Sea of Galilee. We went rafting down the Jordan River and went on an INCREDIBLE hike.

The next day, Thursday, we began to head south by way of Tel Aviv. On our way we stopped by the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya. Here we were greeted and had a political briefing by faculty member, Jonathan Fine. This was an exciting place to visit as many Penn students have studied there over the past years. This relatively new (and English speaking) Israeli university focuses on International Affairs and Counter terrorism.

Following that we visited Independence Hall and heard about the beginning of the State of Israel. We also went to Rabbin Square and learned about the life of Yitzhak Rabbin, the fifth Israeli Prime Minister who was assassinated in 1995. In the evening, we entered Jerusalem.

Today, we began our day on the Hall Promenade overlooking the breadth and beauty of the city. The entire group join held a Shechiyanu Ceremony as it was our first time viewing Jerusalem. A few stories were shared along with many minutes of dancing as the group celebrated. Following that we toured the Old City of Jerusalem (and had lunch there too). We learned about the historical and religious relevance of life in the Old City of Jerusalem.

After leaving the Old City the group had the opportunity to experience Shabbat preparations first hand by visiting Machena Yehuda - the famous Jerusalem shuk (market). Here we were able to sample fruits, vegetables, baked goods. The aroma's and flavors were overwhelming and everyone enjoyed the time to roam through this market.

We are now all in the hotel getting ready for an early dinner and a walk to the kotel (Western Hall). We will have the opportunity to have welcome Shabbat with thousands of Israelis. Tomorrow will be a calmer day with optional services in a local synagogue or yoga in the park and tomorrow evening we will visit the famous Ben Yehuda Street for shopping and a dance party. Everyone is so happy and in such great spirits. It is wonderful spending so much time outdoors and learning about our history. More to come on Sunday....Shabbat Shalom.

2009-05-19T14:39:00.000-04:00

A break in the heat!! The weather cooperated with us on a very full day. Our group has seen a lot and are now resting fabulous accommodations.

This morning we viewed the Bahai Gardens in Haifa. We toured the prison and city of Akko where both Muslims and Jews lived and were impacted during the Crusades. Following that we trekked up Mt. Meron where we saw ancient winery remnants. At the top we had our first group discussion focusing on our personal Jewish identity.

This afternoon the group went to Tsfat, the mystical Kaballistic city. We toured two synagogues, heard about the history of the mystical kaballists and the emergence of the Zohar.

Tonight we were treated to a schnitzel dinner and our enjoying such great accommodations. Staff have provided us with some authentic Israeli treats for the day to keep us fueled. Tomorrow is on to learning about the life in Northern Israel. Just a reminder more pictures can be seen here.

All landed and safe

2009-05-18T15:16:00.000-04:00

Today was a very long and exciting day for the group. They all landed safely this morning at 8:30am after an uneventful and long flight. After getting their luggage and getting everything ready, they were treated to a special welcome session.

Following that the group had their first taste of Israeli shopping. Lunch and a mall on the way to Haifa. A good opportunity to refuel and stretch everyone's legs for a little bit. Then it was off to the ancient port city of Caesarea located mid-way between Tel Aviv and Haifa, on the Israeli Mediterranean coast near the city of Hadera. Here everyone saw ruins, the coast, and heard stories of the early Roman rule.

After Caesarea the group traveled to the city of Haifa where they are spending the night. Tomorrow they will view the Bahai Gardens and see what the city has to offer. For now, everyone is looking forward to their first night in Israel and regrouping for tomorrow.

To see more photo updates, go to the group photo site here.

Prepping for Israel

2009-05-12T14:56:00.001-04:00

We are getting ready to depart on Sunday and cannot wait to see everyone at the airport.