Israel in 10 days -ish

12/31/17 - 1/13/18

I woke up, had a big breakfast and loaded the car. Eliza's best friend Alex had flown in the night before so that he and Eliza could drive up to their school, Carleton College. On the way there they planned to drop me at the Indianapolis airport so I could catch a cheap flight to NYC. From there I would meet my Birthright group and fly to Israel.

When final goodbyes were said to Mom and Dad we took off quickly in the overstuffed car. As a final reminder of our childhood we were running late, as usual. Love you guys, thanks for all the support! The ride was mostly uneventful except for a slight windshield snafu. Luckily, even with limited visibility, we got there in time and after a tearful goodbye I waved to Eliza from the other side of security and walked to my gate.

Everything happened so fast. I had been anticipating this moment for months now, the start of the final major adventure in my gap year. Suddenly I was sitting at the gate waiting to go and meet a bunch of new people and travel to a foreign land. I was nervous but also unbelievably excited. I was so ready to be done being alone.

I got to JFK airport about eight hours before my Birthright flight. Birthright is a program that takes about 40 Jewish teens and young adults, ages 18 to 27, to Israel for a free 10 day tour of the country. My group of 18 to 22 year olds was supposed to meet outside of the Jewish El Al airline check-in desk at 7:50 pm, four hours before our flight. When I got there, super early around 3 pm, I saw Jews everywhere. Amidst them was a small group of people my age talking excitedly and waiting around. After taking 20 minutes to build up some confidence, I cautiously approached them and found out they too were Birthright participants, as I had guessed. Success! Except they were from a different group. When we realized that, I defeatedly left and wedged myself between the glass partition overlooking the escalators and a wooden desk three feet from it, to wait. As I sat there reading I saw a couple other groups but didn't want to risk approaching them and face rejection again.

By 6:00 pm I was hungry and, thinking I wouldn't have a chance to get food once I joined the group, I set off to find the diner someone had mentioned. It was a pretty shabby food stop with soaring prices but I figured it would be worth it. I got some mac-and-cheese and instantly regretted it when I received a container of penne noodles with nacho sauce dumped on them and crumbled blue cheese. I forced half of the $15 meal down, then gave up. At the diner there was a girl sitting and reading alone. I figured no one would be waiting outside the gate alone like that unless they were in a similar situation to me. I wanted to go talk to her and ask, because I felt she was on my trip, but I didn't want to put myself out there again. I never mustered the courage to go talk to her but I think that was okay because Marina ended up becoming my best friend on the trip.

I finally met up with the group and we all got in line to check our bags. We were warned that we would be questioned by I’m still not sure exactly who, that everything would be fine, and we just shouldn’t lie, under any circumstance. I didn’t realize you have to pass a Jew detector test to even be allowed into security. Some Israeli agent started questioning my Jewish past, if I knew anyone in Israel, if I spoke Hebrew and my Hebrew teachers’ names. Of course, as soon as he started firing question after question, before I had a chance to answer, I forgot everything about myself. So, I had to just lie about absolutely everything. I must have passed with flying colors because I was given priority for some reason and got to skip past the security line. The three people I ended up becoming close friends with on the trip all failed the Jew detector and had to go to a secondary interrogation and baggage search by the gate.

On the flight I was seated between two girls who were traveling to Israel to study abroad. They spent much of the trip gushing about how amazing Birthright is and how much I would love it. Then they realized they go to the same college back in the States so the rest of the trip was spent excitedly talking over me about their school. At one point I had to pee and found the only available bathroom at the way back of the plane. I should mention that this was a massive flight with like five bathrooms/flight attendant stations spread along the length of it. I had to wiggle through a group of Jewish men clustered at the rear right in front of the toilet. Unlike any other flight I’ve been on, people on this plane spent a good amount of time wandering around and chatting instead of staying seated until they had to use the bathroom. As I came out of the cramped room I realized I would have to fight my way back through the ever growing crowd of men. Suddenly, one of them grabbed my arm and said “We are about to do a Minyan (Jewish prayer service)! You are going to be trapped back here until we finish! You need to leave now!” He pulled on my arm and started shoving people aside and shouting “Move! Out of the way! Let him through! MOVE!!!” As I was dragged through the crowd I meekly got out some Sorrys and Excuse mes that no one paid any attention to. When I emerged and breathed fresh air again I thanked my savior who nodded before dissolving back into the sea of black top hats and sidelocks.

Upon touchdown everyone clapped, not sure why. The airport was a mostly uneventful hassle. As I walked down the ramp from the plane I kept hearing someone calling out behind me for Jared. Finally, I turned to see why Jared wasn’t responding and saw Marina waving at me to wait up. Can’t ever let her live that one down, but honestly I would never have the courage to call someone’s name I wasn’t positive about, so kudos to her. We were all tucked onto the floor in a corner and received the “Welcome to Israel, here are the rules” talk. Halfway through someone around the corner started popping balloons with echoey bangs. As explanation for the thunderous sounds our speaker offered a “Welcome to the Middle East,” we all chuckled hesitantly. We were then told that kids celebrate their birthdays in the airport and we were just hearing the cleanup. This was even more surprising than the apparent gunshots. I ate my avocado sandwich dinner with Marina, Isaac and Kory as we awkwardly juggled polite introductions. Then we boarded the bus and sped off into Israel.

The trip was a rapid blur of activities and places and lots of socializing. As I’m only writing this post months afterwards, unlike the vastly over detailed account of the airport I laid out right after the trip, it will be thankfully short and summarized. I had the most amazing time and it was so incredible to meet so many different people from all over the US and Israel. I ended up sticking with the original gang: Isaac, the Connecticut (I think) acting major, Kory, the California frat boy (honestly no clue what he studies), and Marina, the Texan ex-fashion major (maybe she does environmental stuff now?). As you can tell we were super close. Actually though. Our bus left us at a kibbutz in the North of the country. We probably did some ice breakers and hung out. The next morning we drove to a viewpoint overlooking the Sea of Galilee and a town. Then to an ancient synagogue with a large Greek mosaic on the floor which was a cool example of really old assimilation. Next we headed to Safed, the Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism) center of the world, had lunch, did a brief tour of the city and then off the famous cemetery. There must have been something after that but I can’t for the life of me remember it. So after that we headed back to the kibbutz. That night we likely did more icebreakers and then we stood around chatting and getting to know each other. During our airport introduction they told us we would all feel a connection to Israel and that we should look out for which moment made us feel it. I never really discovered that connection on the Birthright trip, but the moment that came closest was in Safed, so I want to share the story of how I discovered Kabbalah. Kory, Marina, Isaac and I had an overpriced tourist shawarma lunch and realized we still had an hour before we had to meet back with the group. There were a couple roads branching from the plaza we were in so we chose the flooded, muddy, dirt one and went exploring. Afterwards those guys told me we weren’t supposed to leave the boundaries set by our tour guide Ehud (best tour guide ever!), but I swear I never heard him say that. It was rumored that you could find all kinds of yamakas in Safed so we set off to find them, I wanted a dinosaur one. The road split and Marina mentioned wanting a view so we headed up the hill Safed is built on. After being blessed by a beggar (we think it was a blessing) we decided we needed the best view we could find. We kept working our way uphill on ever narrowing staircases. Finally, we reached a park that sat atop the summit. The view was stunning but while everyone was taking great photos with their good quality phone cameras (I had given up on my awful android one) I walked over to an odd circle of stones in the ground. They formed the walls of a grate-covered chute that dropped down into darkness. It was an odd thing to see descending into the hillside but even weirder was the strange, mystical, fairy music emerging from it. Everyone crowded around and we dropped a small stone to see how deep it was, the music paused, confused, then kept up. Isaac stuck his head down into the opening for a while until his eyes adjusted and told us about the man sitting down there playing a steel drum. If you don’t know what that is, (I didn’t) it’s basically this amazing instrument that looks like an upside down metal bowl but everywhere you hit it rings with a different note. We became determined to get inside. We circled the summit spiraling down until we found a dark archway opening into the rock. We followed the pitch black stone tunnel groping our way into the mountain. Suddenly, we came out into a big dome. In the middle a spotlight descended from the opening we had seen above. Sitting crosslegged on the floor in the light was the hermit-like musician, he gave us a nod, then continued caressing the wild tune from his drum. As we sat and listened we started to be able to see the entirety of the underground dome. From the walls emerged glowing white Hebrew letters that brightened as our eyes adjusted to the darkness. Eventually, we had to emerge squinting into the light to make it back to the rendezvous point on time. We spent the rest of the day stunned, saying “There’s no way that actually happened.” Although none of us super understood what Kabbalah is supposed to be (it is a very complex Jewish concept) we are convinced that Kabbalah is what we encountered in that cave. Our motto for the trip became “Always follow the dirt road”.

Breakfast at the kibbutz was incredible. Honestly, for an Israeli it was probably sub-par, but for us the salad bar and pastries and fresh breads and humus and ravioli and sauces and dips and spreads were a delectable feast. I peer pressured the others at my table into trying the rose flavored jello that everyone, except me, thought tasted like soap, I loved it! We drove to a short hike for another, more impressive, overlook that showed off the whole Sea of Galilee area. Then another drive and overlook from which we could see into Syria at an abandoned Israeli bunker in the Golan Heights. We learned a brief history of the Syrian war and then explored the bunkers underground passageways, tunnels and rooms. We stopped at a mall to eat (the lunch spots were always uber touristy) and Ehud helped me order some delicious humus. Next was a wine tasting at a place that made wine from a bunch of different fruits and other plants, which we think is called hale. We all tried desperately to get drunk but the sample cups were just too small. Then we drove into Jerusalem where we were locked inside our hostel even though we had the whole famous city to explore. Instead of being free to wander Jerusalem we had a speaker who pressured us into signing up for the Jewish bone marrow transplant list and then off to bed. The next morning we had another very decent breakfast spread. I think I just love Middle Eastern food. I say Middle Eastern because there really isn’t anything Israeli, it’s just too young of a country, except maybe Bamba and the app Waze. We had a brief history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict which was surprisingly neutral. Then we met the eight soldiers that would be traveling with us for the rest of the trip. That was great because they were all super cool and it was really good to get to know them. Another wave of ice breakers and we were headed off again to Jerusalem’s old city. Another walking tour, another lunch in the touristy area (I got a lamb burger) and then some ruins and history from Ehud. We headed next door to the Western Wall. It was very cool to see something I’d heard so much about and a friendly rabbi wrapped tefillin for me and gave me a pamphlet of prayers to say.

Wrapping tefillin

Praying at the Western Wall

I stuck a note in the wall. During the walk back to the bus Isaac, Kory and I were able to snag one of the soldiers and he taught us ALL the Hebrew curse words, which I promptly forgot. Then a long drive to our hotel in the desert. We were all preparing for an early bedtime so we could wake up the next day for a sunrise hike up the historic Masada, but then it got canceled because of crazy weather. So instead of sleeping we cracked open some passion fruit hale and jammed a good thirty people into one room to play a massive round of never-have-I-ever.

The next morning we were all glum due to the cancelation of Masada as well as the planned swim in the Dead Sea. Instead we went to a big crater in the desert. There was a small but cool museum on the crater’s rim and we watched a movie about an Israeli astronaut. When the movie ended curtains behind the screen opened to reveal a majestic view of the crater. Except it was super foggy so all we saw was white. When we headed back outside to see the overlook, we were met with awesome crazy strong winds. The overlook was just a cliff edge so the leaders decided it wasn’t the best place to be with gusts that were literally blowing people over. We labored our way back to the bus for a stunning drive through the desert and then another mall lunch. We asked the Israeli’s for food spot recommendations and ended up eating at McDonald’s with them, although I will say it was much better than the States. We headed to our hotel, celebrated Shabbat with a very reform service and then played through some activities prepared for us by the soldiers. Highlights of the night included the pro-Palestinian rap my group wrote and learning how to make quality yamakas out of napkins.

The next day we had some morning Jewish programming and lots of hangout time. We went out into Eilat and walked down the tourist beach strip. Isaac, Kory and I swam in the Red Sea, or at least Kory and I swam. Isaac made it out to the line of buoys we were headed for then decided he couldn’t make it back so Kory and I had to carry him in. Thanks dad for tying to teach me a lifeguard hold, it kind of worked. After waiting for Isaac to recover on the beach, we decided to walk east until we made it to Jordan. We got surprisingly close. More hangout time at the hotel followed by a Havdallah ceremony on a lawn. One of the Israelis lead some of us to an unusual Mexican place but I liked the Israeli spin on burritos. You ask for a single, double, triple, etc. and they make a tortilla sized according to your request. Afterwards, there was even more time to hang before we got ready for our ‘night out’. We kind of dressed up then went bar hopping, played some pool, and hit up a dance club. I discovered an Israeli liquor, Arac, that is anis based, so it tastes like licorice. The night out was really nice because it brought together a lot of the group that hadn’t really spent much time together previously, in heated political debates.

The next morning we did an early desert hike. One of the soldiers had given me a keffiyeh as a gift, which was cultural appropriation to the max, but it was fabulous for the unyielding sun. I started to realize how excited I was to be staying in the desert for a month afterwards, there is a strange entrancing beauty about the desolation there. After the gorgeous hike we went for a short snorkel in the Red Sea. At the end we swam through a group of jelly fish, which they hadn’t thought to mention were totally harmless, so we all were terrified as we tried to dodge through without touching any. A long bus ride back north lead us to the fake Bedouin experience. We dropped our luggage in a dusty tent, spread out mattresses and grimy sleeping bags, and then headed out for a camel ride. There were so many things wrong with the line of angry camels forced to carry tourists in a loop all day. After that interesting experience, we got a talk by a Bedouin elder about Bedouin hospitality and culture and we were served traditional coffee. This was followed by a pretty delicious pita meal, seated on pillows around a tray on a low stand, with lots of things to scoop and dip. We made a fire by our tent and spent the night chatting and joking around. In the morning we all woke up filled with dust and honestly grateful to pack our gear and head out. For all the negativity I’ve shared about it though, it was nice to get a change in setting and be out in the desert for a bit. It was a very cool place to walk around and explore at night. I really respect the Bedouin and their real culture is pretty amazing but the touristy version was just kind of sad. We had a long drive to Jerusalem the next day. Once there we toured a cemetery and learned a lot about famous Israelis. We visited a non-profit that worked to teach street kids how to make sellable art products. After a talk we perused the gift shop then met in a room and sat in a circle. It was time to say goodbye to the Israelis who were such an integral part of our Birthright experience. After a lot of exchanging contacts and hugging, we drove them to the train station, took a final photo and left them. It wasn’t as bad for me because I planned to see some of them again soon. That night Isaac, Marina, Kory and I ended up exploring the hostel and singing in the echoey stairwell. It was a blast and a wonderful one of our last nights. We all just clicked so well and had such a good time together the whole trip.

The next morning we toured the Holocaust museum. It was extremely powerful and I highly recommend it to anyone visiting Jerusalem. Afterwards, we headed to a market where the four of us haggled with every single pastry vendor and ended up eating assorted sweets for lunch. Next, was a drive to Tel Aviv where we received a graffiti tour of a neighborhood. It was pretty cool to see all the art and at the end our tour guide let us decorate a wall with her spray cans. We headed to the hostel, hung out a bit and prepared for our second and last night out. The first half of it was spent walking super far to a gay bar, finding it was totally dead and walking all the way back. Since we weren’t in a good area for clubs or bars we eventually found a place that would let in such a large group and took over their cramped upstairs room. I made friends with the bar tender and received way too many drinks on the house. The highlight of the night was definitely when I went to the bathroom and the audio from some cooking show was playing as the background music.

The final day began with a visit to the “Startup Nation (Israel) Museum.” It was a very disappointing place and we received a lecture on why we should download the lecturer’s app. Afterwards, we all asked highly critical questions of the generic photo sharing application but ended up downloading it anyway and doubling its user base. It crashed every time I opened it and after a bunch of emails from the creator saying he had fixed it, I finally gave up and uninstalled it. We went to a historic square and had some Jewish/spiritual/cultural programming. This was followed by a cool flea market with yummy food and many souvenirs. Here I was talked into buying a loaf of delicious cheesy sweet bread by a vendor who mixed up the English words for 13 and 30 shekels. We walked around Jaffa, the old port city, and then had a sort of closing ceremony. We all shared a goodbye message and then headed off to dinner. The final meal was a delicious banquet with all the typical dishes and all the conversations we hopped to have before we all headed separate ways. Then it was goodbye and those not extending their trip headed to the airport. I went with them because one of the soldiers was going to pick me up there having kindly offered me a place to crash on her family’s kibbutz. It was tough saying goodbye to the gang at the airport but I hope to see them all again when we go see Isaac’s future Broadway performance.

Shir’s family was so welcoming and fed me all kinds of delicious food! The next morning she drove me to the train station for a ride north to some family friends. Moshiko’s family welcomed me warmly into their home. I was treated to an incredible dinner out and then homemade shakshuka in the morning. I got the recipe from Gul, Moshiko’s daughter, and I’m super excited to make it when I get home! Then we drove around and I got to see her school, which is on the beach, so basically coolest school ever. It was really nice to feel like I was back with family even though my visit was so short. Thanks you guys!

Next, I took another train to Modi’in. There I was picked up by Gili, who is a second cousin once removed, I think. I got to spend dinner with the whole extended family, it was a real treat. Then, after a great night sleep I was driven by his niece and her friend to Tel Aviv. On the way we stopped at a lookout and then a park known as a weekend recreational destination. There we tasted some scrumptious local foods and fresh squeezed pomegranate juice. The juice was incredible and the wildest drink I’ve ever tried. We explored a little and found a pagoda donated by the Thai government. From there we stopped to see some olive trees then continued on to the city. I was dropped off at the hotel of a friend from Birthright, Josh.

The few days I had spent in the homes of Israelis opened my eyes to subtle but noticeable cultural differences. Everywhere I went I was warmly greeted and welcomed into the family. When my parents introduce me to the kid of a visiting friend of their’s who happens to be my age, we usually exchange polite small talk and I feel obligated to entertain them. In Israel, however, it seems people went out of their way to make me feel at home and offer me a meaningful glance into their lives. It was assumed that they would show me around and take me to cool places because that is what you do for a guest. On top of it, everyone seemed so happy to see me and spend the little time we had together. It was a nice change of pace and made me think a lot about the customs I am used to at home.

Josh had somehow scored a luxurious rooftop suite. We decided to throw a party that night. First though, we rented bikes and headed down to the beach and the old Jaffa port. After some exploring and climbing around on sea walls we grabbed some dinner. I got a plate of small fish. It was probably the most conflicting dinner I’ve ever had. Every bite was a decision between chewing up the bones or taking the time to separate them from the meat. We headed back to the suite and sent out an invite to all the Birthright people and soldiers we knew in the area. Two ended up coming. We reminisced and had a blast! The next morning I would head out for my month stay on Kibbutz Lotan. I was nervous and excited but that last night I pushed those feelings away so I could enjoy the time I had. That is what Israel became for me, a chance to really live in the moment.