i love israel!!!

Wow, it's been a while since I've written... At this point, I am completely done with classes-took the AP Stats and AP Economics, all of my finals including Jewish History and Hebrew! It's exciting to have all 4000 years of Jewish History behind me.... for now... I was most interested in the recent history, learning about the War for Independence, the Sinai Campaign, The 6-Day War, the Yom-Kippur War, the Lebanon War, and the most recent Intifadas. It is especially intriguing to talk to each of our Jewish History teachers and hear their different opinions.

On Wednesday, we left Tzuba for the Golan Heights! We stopped first at a lookout point on the Green Line where we could see the dirt road where the division wall is being built. As we drove North, we passed finished areas of the fence. After, we drove to our youth hostel, Tel Chai, set in the beautiful mountains near Syria. We watched a movie at night called the Syrian Bride about the Druze in the Golan and Syria and the trouble they have with recognization of Israel.

On Thursday, we went to a lookout where we could once again see Syria. We saw the UN buildings off in the distance. The land was very flat, divided off into farmland, with mountains in the distance. We learned about the 1967 War and the taking of the Golan Heights as well as some of the problems that it poses today. After this, we had 3 choices for afternoon adventures... I went on the Jillaboon hike, the most difficult... It was incredible, actually I didn't even know Israel could be soooo beautiful! First of all, it was blazing hot and we were in the sun for most of the day. We began at a ruined Syrian village from before 1967 and walked on some steep trail through the hills. Eventually, we got to a stream where we walked in it-i felt like we were traversing jungle terrain in the water! At some places we were stomach deep in water, on slippery rocks, and with vines and branches all over our heads!! It was amazing though, and eventually we ended at a beautiful waterfall where we swam and sat on the rocks right under the waterfall. When we returned to the hostel, we had a program about modern Israel. Each of our 6 Jewish History teaches took on the perspective of a different person in Israel and told us their story, having to do mostly with the Arab-Israeli conflict. It was really the first modern issues talk that we have had and everyone benefited from it!

Today, we first went to yet another lookout, this time into Lebanon! Then we drove to the Na'ot Teva factory where a lot of people bought shoes... then we were off to a Druze Village. There we ate amazing food-pita, zatar pita, olives, rice, etc... it was really really good. We ate sitting around a big platter with all of the food on it. A young woman told us about the Druze after and answered some of my questions (I just did a paper on the Druze for Jewish History). It was very interesting to see the house and how it was decorated with photographs and with items very much from the Arabic culture.

Altogether, it was an amazing trip... and there are no more classes to think about. Tomorrow is Shabbat and then we are off on Sunday for 5 days in the Negev Desert!

It has been a very busy week! Last week, we celebrated Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, here on Kibbutz Tzuba. In the evening, we went to the Kibbutz Ceremony, which was of course all in Hebrew. We remembered victims of the Holocaust and also heroes like Oscar Schindler. The next morning, the day of Yom HaShoah, we walked to an overlook(didn't quite get there), to hear the sirens. In Israel, sirens are set  off 3 times in the year. When this happens, for two minutes, everyone stops, cars, people and everyone is silent for 2 min in remembrance.

Today, is Yom HaZicaron, Memorial Day, which is for the memory of those killed while serving the the Israeli Army, and those killed in terrorist attacks. It is probably the saddest day in Israel. Last night, we went to the Wailing Wall for the big ceremony that happens there. The  President of Israel and Secretary of State both talked and the military was present. The area was filled with people. We sang HaTikvah and said the Mourner's Kaddish. This morning, we went to the Kibbutz Ceremony at the Tzuba Cemetery. There have been two soldiers from Tzuba killed while fighting, so the ceremony focused mainly on them. It was very moving to see all of the Kibbutz members together, mourning the loss of the two boys whom most of them knew. Members of the army were there to place flowered wreaths on their graves, and one father and one brother spoke about their relatives. By the end, many people were crying and it was a very heavy atmosphere. It felt like Memorial Day at home when I am standing next to a war veteran-it is only him/her that knows the pain of losing someone. Yet in Israel, everyone has been through the army and everyone has had a friend killed, fighting for Israel, so everyone feels the pain.  This was the third time that the sirens went off.

 And tonight, Yom Ha'atzm'ut begins, Israeli Independence Day! These are the two most Israeli holidays, the saddest and most joyous, back to back. There are Israeli flags everywhere!!