It has been an incredible week here in Israel! We had a fantastic Shabbat with programming run by our very own teens! After shabbat, we had a meaningful Tisha B’av program where we considered the importance of wellness and gratitude both in our personal lives as well as in relationships with others.

Sunday began with a water hike in Magrasei where we cooled off from the hot day and splashed around. We then hopped into some Jeeps for a wild tour of the Golan Heights. Next, we went to Mount Ben Tal, where we learned about the 6 day war and current borders of Israel. The day closed with dinner at a Druze village where we shared in Druze culture and cuisine.

After a restful Shabbat in the Galilee, we started our week off strong by going to Tzfat. Here, we explored the mystical side of Judaism by learning about the history of Kabbala and its roots in Tzfat. We had the pleasure of hearing from a local kabalistic artist about his journey into meditation and kabalistic art. We finished the day with a refreshing water rafting trip to cool off!

On Tuesday, we began the day with a beautiful view of the Baha’i gardens on Mount Caramel and exploring Haifa, Israel’s port city. We then traveled to Zichron Yaakov—one of the first new communities established in the Land of Israel by Jewish immigrants from Europe in the 1880s and funded by Baron Edmond James de Rothschild. After, we went to Atlit Detention Camp where we learned about the challenges faced by Jews fleeing post-Holocasut Europe when they arrived on the shores of Israel during the British Mandate Era. We ended the day hitting the beaches of Haifa for a surfing lesson and delicious barbecue dinner on the Mediteranean Coast.

We want to give a special shout out to the participants who planned and ran excellent shabbat programming this week: Rebecca, Jess, Sophie, Hannah, Geoffrey, Katy, Melinda, Aly!

This week we are staying next to Haifa in Kibbutz Eilon. More updates soon!