June 21-23, 2013


AFUWOFI COHORT 1
      ISRAEL BLOG 06      

Dear parents and friends,

 

MIFFFFFFFFFGASH with Israelisssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (and more) 
 
Enjoy

 

Please send us your comments, 

Shabbat Shalom

Hadar, Jeffrey and Amnon

  

Froggy's Picture of the Day
 

  

 

Below are the few pictures,and written blogs. To see (many) more pictures or to view past written blogs, please visit our blog webpage: AFUWOFI 2013 Israel Mission  



      

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     

 

 

The Israeli-Lebanese-Syrian Border...It Too is Very Complicated by Evan Carlson 

 

While the sun was shining brightly and the sky ocean blue, an eerie feeling was in the desert today. The northern border between Israel and Lebanon, while beautiful, has an extensive history of bloodshed. What remains of Beufort stood in the distance as a reminder of the eighteen years Israeli occupation from 1982-2000. The people of the nearby settlements live as the narrators of the past violence.

 

Today, the border is calm. Yet, 70,000 rockets settle hidden beneath the citizens of Lebanon. Hezbollah is too distracted for now to resume strikes on Israel. Deep seeded conflict between the Sunni and Shiite Muslims has erupted into civil war within Syria which could possibly spread to Lebanon.

 

According to Colonel Kobe Merom, our guide for the exploration of the northern borders,  the young people of Lebanon no longer share the ideals of Hezbollah and are turning in a new direction, that may bode well for Israel's security, And yet,

 

Later that afternoon we stood right on the border with Syria.  The Syrian border was similarly stewn with signs of past conflicts but with the twist of having a civil war currently occurring and having U.N. soldiers captured as part of the conflict.   But, at least for today, it was quiet as if only water, not blood, covered these lands. It seemed unreal that current war-zones could be so peaceful, so calm, so quiet. Yet, it was. For me, this scene was incredibly bizarre.

 

 



Shabbat Shalom! Neve Eytan Edition by Hannah Kraus

Tonight is the start of Shabbat, and the students of AFUWOFI are spending Shabbat with their host families in Beit Shean and emek ha-may-yanot, the Valley of Springs. Eden and I are staying with Stav Sela who lives on Kibbutz Neve Ur in the valley. To start our Shabbat off, she took us on a tour of her kibbutz. We saw cows, raspberry bushes, goats and even got to jump on hay stacks. Later, we had a delicious Shabbat dinner with Stav's family and some of her family friends from the kibbutz. Her mom made chicken, rice, schnitzel, salad, and so many more yummy Israeli foods. We also had chocolate cake and Romanian rice pudding for dessert along with delectable herbal tea made from Stav's Louisa bush in her garden.

 

After dinner a couple of her friends came over and we had fondue. We made our own chocolate fondue with Israeli cow chocolate and cut up fresh fruit. Also Eden and I introduced chocolate covered chips to Stav and her friends. It was a wonderful experience to spend quality time with family and friends in beautiful Israel.

 

Interview with Stav and two of her friends:

 

Q: What do you usually do on Friday nights?

A: We have Shabbat dinner with our families (the most important meal of the week) and sometimes visit our grandparents. After we usually hang out with friends for the night.

 

Q: What do you like to eat for Shabbat dinner?

A: Chicken, potatoes with silan (sauce made from dates), roasted vegetables and cake.



Shabbat Shalom! Maoz Hayyim Edition by Tyler Crossland

 

Shabbat Shalom! Today was a very adventurous day for us as the the Americans spent Shabbat with their Israeli counterparts. My day started off with an Israeli breakfast, salad and toast with butter and various jams. Then, Yonatan (my Israeli counterpart) and I had to decide what to do with our day. Our day featured no dull moments as we rode bikes around his kibbutz, Maoz Hayyim. We visited the local shops, played basketball, went swimming, and talked with many of his friends that also live on the kibbutz.

 

It was very cool to visit the shops, especially the grocery store, seeing all of the Israeli items with the unique designs and the Hebrew without vowels that kept me guessing about what the item really was. Going swimming seemed the very appropiate as there was an outdoor pool in the kibbutz and the fact that the day checked out at 93 degrees Fahrenheit. An additional element of fun came it when we picked up a few water games with the locals. It turns out that playing bketball is one of Yonatan's favorite hobbies so we went up to the indoor court on his kibbutz and he showed me how well he played by beating me by an unmentionable amount of points, but was still a very fun competitive experience.

 

Overall, the days was full of Israeli food and fun. I was lucky enough to even try his Mom's homemade snitzel, which was fantastic! Yonatan and I got to know each other very well today and I got to experience my first Shabbat in Israel, which is almost surreal. After a long day, the excitement was not over as there was still a night walk adventure planned.

 

Around 9pm, the Americans and some of the Israelis met up for a night hike under a full moon. At first this comes off as just a hike, but there's just something about having a full moon that makes the hike special. The moon served as the sun of the night and gave us just enough light to enjoy a beautiful night in nature. The hike included many relaxing moments, along with a few heart-pumping ones. There was a time when we were all asked to stand a few feet from each other and be silent for five minutes. Then, there was another moment when we were asked to walk for five minutes without speaking. To me, it served as the more spiritual part of the hike and made it very enjoyable. We also played a game where we held hands and had to get a hoola hoop all the way around the circle as quickly as possible. This served as a way to connect us even more to each other. The heart-pumping moments were experienced when we were told a story about the farmer and the Shepard, which ended abruptly in the middle of the story with a scream that echoed through all of us. It was in fact a false alarm and all a part of the story, but nonetheless left us all shaking a little. The screaming motif continued when various students jumping out of bushes to scare others. This, as I say, was all a part of the experience, and it was an amazing time.

 

The hike under a full moon featured unbelievable views and walking on grounds that were once endangered. We walked on land that had a perfect view of the Jordan mountains. From the time Israel came into existence in 1948, until 1994, Jordan and Israel were in conflict, and this ruined many Jewish settlements in this area because of the constant bombs from these mountains. This caused the people in these settlements to stay in shelters for various periods of time. Thank goodness Israel and Jordan are no longer in conflict, and that we were able to enjoy this hike with unforgettable views and a strong feeling of togetherness and relaxation.

 

Looking at the day as a whole, I'd say it was wonderful time for all of us as we had quality time with our counterparts and each other. We spent time with our host families and learned how they celebrate Shabbat, which I know was interesting to all of us. It ended on a great note, wondering through Israeli nature. It truly was a fantastic Shabbat here in Israel.

 


  

Report on visit to Kibbutz Tirat Zvi by Gabriel Baznik
 

Today I visited the Kibbutz of Tirat Zvi with many Americans and Israelis, including my friend Maayan.  Located near Beit She'an, the climate is incredibly hot.  As a part of the experience, we learned about the history of the Orthodox kibbutz and how it has evolved since its conception in 1923.

 

            We learned many details of life on the kibbutz.  Among the first things built were enclosed rooms with natural "air conditioning "so that the inhabitants would have a way to combat the heat. Babies were kept cool by being layered in damp towels.  While not very comfortable, the pioneers both survived and thrived.

 

Virtually everything that can be owned by an individual in a more capitalist society was shared instead with the group as a whole.  There are a total of ten cars on the kibbutz, but no one owns any of them.  Clothing is treated in a similar manner, where everyone cleans whatever they were wearing, and takes clean clothes from the pile of clean laundry.  During the early history of Tirat Zvi, they also earned no salary.  Instead, everyone received what they needed to survive.

 

            We discussed how for a while, the young children were raised in their own childrens' buildings.  Children of similar ages were placed in one building (such as ages seven to eight years old).  Everyone on the kibbutz took turns taking care of the children at night.  This concept is contradictory to the typical American view, where the children for the vast majority of their childhood are taken care of by their own parents.  According to our guide, many children were raised without any psychological issues; however a few did have "horror stories" to tell of their nights spent in the childrens' homes.  Eventually, this system was changed in the 70's so that children were raised in their own homes.

 

            I was surprised to learn that the Kibbutz also had its own museum.  The older members of the kibbutz had donated objects that they had used when they were young.  Among them were an old typewriter, a challah cover, and many tools that I could not begin to imagine how they were used .  In addition, there was a radio so that whoever was taking care of the children could listen to all of their rooms at night from a central location.

 

            Another huge shock was the amount of fish that Tirat Zvi produces.  Due to its location, and relatively small supply of local water, fish farming was one of the last things that I would have thought that a kibbutz near Beit She'an would base its economy .  They dug many holes into the ground, and filled them with water and fish, and have since had a steady supply.  The kibbutz also grows many edible plants, such as dates, olives, and bananas.

 

            Even more amazing than the ability for kibbutzim to grow in this climate are the people themselves and their resiliency. Faced with rocket attacks from Jordan, and the knowledge that they are located close to the borders of both Jordan and Syria, the people of the kibbutzim and Beit She 'an still developed new communities.  In addition to the buildings used for storage, shelter, and other day-to-day uses, there are also many military outposts and watchtowers within the kibbutzim.  The stress that the locals faced and endured for decades shows the incredible durability of these people.

 

            While the generation of Maayan , my Israeli counterpart, does not have to worry about a military confrontation with their neighbors (especially with Jordan), the possibility of a rogue terrorist or an increase in tensions between Israel and Syria or Jordan adds a constant stress to the lives of the youth.  Yet they seem as carefree and happy as we Americans.  They know when to work, and when to play, and they enjoy their lives. 
         
  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

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