The Summer Begins!

Posted in 2012 on 11. Jul, 2012

All the participants had a great first Shabbat experience in Israel! They spent their time at Kibbutz Ketura, a kibbutz founded by Young Judaeans who made aliyah. YJ Machon 1, YJ Machon 2, and YJ Discovery all got to hang out and have a YJ pool party and bbq together. After celebrating Shabbat, the groups separated on Sunday.

Machon 2:

YJ Machon 2 participants took part in a Desert Arts lecture where they got to see the beauty of the desert. Afterwards, they went to Eilat where they volunteered in a soup kitchen and were able to give back to the community. In the evening they had free time on the Eilat boardwalk which was a real treat.

Machon 1:

The Machon 1 participants woke up SUPER early and climbed Masada! They were very lucky as it was a clear day and they got to see the beautiful sunrise. As the sun was coming up, they listened to music and reflected on the history of Masada. To hike down the mountain, they walked the Snake Path and left Masada to go to Ein Bokek, a nature preserve. They went on a water hike which ended in a refreshing pool. After the hike they made their way to Dead Sea, which was an interesting experience for all of them. In the evening, they had a lesson on the stars and the night sky at Mitzpe Ramon (the Ramon Crater).

I Speak Israel:

The ISI participants started their journey in Israel at Sde Boker. In the morning they went to Ein Ovdat where they went on a very scenic hike. One of our participants happens to be an amateur photographer, so she got some amazing shots of the group as they bonded at the end of the hike!  Afterwards they had some pool time, followed by their first ISI lecture on Israel advocacy. They also went to the tomb of David Ben Gurion, Israel’s first Prime Minister, to learn about Sde Boker and Ben Gurion himself. The participants were surprised to hear that he started every morning by standing on his head for 10 minutes, and were even more surprised when we taught them all how to stand on theirs!

 

 

 

YJ Discovery

 

The YJ Discovery participants left Ketura and made their way to Eilat. On the way down they stopped in the desert for some group bonding and learned first hand just how hot it can be in Israel in the summer! Luckily they went snorkling in the Red Sea, which as some of the most beautiful underwater scenery on the planet. They are really looking forward to hiking Masada and learning about the Bedouin culture

 

 

 


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    Founded in 1909, Young Judaea is the oldest Zionist youth movement in the United States. It seeks to build Jewish identity and Zionist commitment in American Jewish youth and young adults.