Golan Heights Tiyul

This past week we went to the Golan Heights for a Tiyul and learned about how the Golan Heights factored into the six day war. During the six day war, the Syrians tried to overtake the Golan Heights in the most concentrated tank battle of all time. This battle is one that the Israeli's miraculously one, by shooting their last 40 capsules, hitting 40 tanks, and scaring the entire rest of the tanks away when the Israeli tanks had no more ammunition to fight. This story is one of true heroism and shows how even against all odds the Jewish people somehow find a way to prevail. The Golan Heights is a very beautiful place, and a place of strategic importance for the Israeli's as it overlooks Syria and gives the Israeli's higher ground on the Syrians if they ever try to cross through to Golan Heights and fight the Israeli's. I really liked this Tiyul because we got to see the tanks that were still there from the battle and we were able to see an opposing country right in front of us. It made me feel satisfaction that the people of my home land fought so fearlessly and so valiantly to be able to stop the Syrians from taking over the Golan Heights and taking over the country that we love so dearly.

Purim in Tel Aviv Tiyul

Yesterday we went to Tel Aviv for a Purim celebration. This was very fun. The whole city was in costumes and celebrating the holiday of Purim. In Israel, Purim is not only the celebration of defeating Haman, as Mordechai and Esther prevailed in stopping Haman from murdering all of the Jewish people, but it is a celebration of how the Jewish people have overcome the threat of extinction time and time again over the years, and the celebration of the fact that Israel and the Jewish people. While in Tel Aviv, there were many interesting things to see. For one, There were people parading around the whole city in costumes for 3 days. We were only in Tel Aviv for one day, but the fact that for an entire weekend they were celebrating, shows the significance of this holiday to the Jewish people, and the fact that it has much more relevance to the Israeli people than Halloween does to the American people. This holiday was one that I had always considered to be for kids, but yesterday I realized how much more this holiday truly was, and was able to see how much each and every Israeli appreciated it. If i ever consider to move to Israel someday, I know I would go all out for Purim.

Bedouin Tents Tiyul

A couple of weeks ago we went to a Bedouin village to learn about the Bedouin people and about the way that they live their life different from ours. This experience was one that was very interesting and one that was surprising to say the least. Going into this experience, I was convinced that these people lived so much different than we do, and that it would be very hard to be a Bedouin, but I was mistaken. While visiting the Bedouin village, to much of my dismay, the people were very normal. There were many differences that distinguished differences between our cultures, but they were not off the wall as I had expected. A elder Bedouin man came to our tent and gave to us a speech on his life. He explained that he like us had a car, and his kids went to school and did everything a normal kid would do, but he lived his life following the Bedouin way which meant that he built his own house with sheep skin as the surrounding, and was a farmer as his job raising cattle and sheep which are worth a lot of money. These people made lots of money but did not spend it the way that most people would, and that was something that made me stop and think for a second. It made me realize how our society is so based on wants, and that by living as the Bedouin's do, which is for the most part comfortably, we could stop ourselves from wasting as much as we do. This experience was something that was really neat, and living as a Bedouin for the night was very fun.

Yad Vashem Tiyul

Today we went to Yad Vashem, the holocaust museum in Jerusalem. This was an experience that can not be put into words, and something that will impact the choices I make for the rest of my life. As we walked through the Museum and looked at all of the terrible things that happened to the Jews of western Europe during the World War 2 Era, I found myself having to hold my breath due to the inhuman nature of the things that the guide told us about. The hardest part of the museum to walk through was definitely walking through the children's memorial and hearing the ages of all the kids who perished in the holocaust. It was hard to hear the ages of kids that ranged from a babies age, to the age of my little siblings, to the age of my brother in high school, and finally my age. This experience is another experience that helps me be fortunate for all that I have in life, and most importantly the fact that I am able to live a full Jewish life.