Celebrating from the mountaintop
Wow. What an amazing 10 days. No comments yet. You can be the first!
Tuesday morning we woke up early and headed to the Knesset (Israeli parliament), where we took a tour and listened to a lecture given specifically for us by a member of the Knesset. That was the lowlight of my trip. Nothing in particular happened to ruin that experience, just that the speaker was dry and the tour was dull. The fact that the Knesset was the least interesting place I visited in a week-and-a-half speaks volumes about my trip and the incredible time that I had, and I’m thrilled that I got to see it.
In the afternoon, we went south to the Negev and spent the night in a Bedouin tent and learned about Bedouin hospitality. The dinner of chicken, rice, corn on the cob and pitas and hummus was hands down our best meal there.
Wednesday, before our midnight flight back to New York City, we rode camels, hiked Mount Masada and swam in the Dead Sea.
It was fun to float in the Dead Sea, but I thought it was overrated. It was dirty and over-commercialized with resorts and factories.
Masada, however, was one of the highlights of the trip. Just like I had no idea people still lived in the Old City of Jerusalem, I was unaware that there was an ancient Jewish village at the top of Masada. The history was awesome to learn, that after Jerusalem was conquered by the Romans in 70 C.E., a handful Jews fled there to avoid slavery.
What’s more, seven people on our trip who had never celebrated their b'nai mitzvah (one guy and six girls) went through the ceremony at the top of Masada. It was incredible to share in that experience with them, and to see the joy in their faces after their accomplishment.
Now that the trip is over, I’m looking forward to reflecting on my time away and coming to terms with what I’ve learned and how I’ve grown. I’m not sure if my period of reflection will take a few days, a few months or even a few years, but I’m certain that Israel helped me grow both Jewishly and non-Jewishly. One thing, however, I know for sure: My first trip to Israel will not be my last.
Bar mitzvah boy Andrew White celebrates on top of Mount Masada.
10 Feb, 2011 >