Nitzachon Heats Up in the Desert

Posted in Nitzachon on 12. Jul, 2011

Last Monday night, Nitzachon had the classic camp-out experience at the a Bedouin tent in the Negev Desert.  Not only did they hear stories about the Bedouin tribes of Israel, they also got to sample some of their delicious food and special tea.  At 3 AM, the group woke up in time to climb Masada before sunrise, truly a spectacular sight. After watching the sun come up over the Dead Sea and walking around the two thousand year-old fortress, the group went for a small water hike at Ein Gedi, a beautiful nature preserve. Everyone appreciated the opportunity to cool off after being in the sun.

From there, they drove to Eilat where they enjoyed a free night of shopping, shawarma, falafel, and for the less adventurous – pizza.  On Wednesday, the participants spent the morning snorkeling in Eilat and then drove to Kibbutz Ketura, a kibbutz founded by graduates of Young Judaea Year Course. There they learned about the kibbutz’s long history with YJ and the unique and special kibbutz lifestyle.  In the evening they had a bbq and a dance party.

During Shabbat, the participants got the opportunity to explore different styles of Jewish worship by visiting different synagogues in Jerusalem, from Conservative to Orthodox to Reform.  Afterwards they had a pe’ula (activity) about Jewish identity during which many of them shared their feelings about their own Jewish identities. They also prepared for their upcoming tour of Jerusalem.  More details to come!