When we last wrote, we had just heard about the ground forces entering Gaza. This became a very personal experience for us, as our madrich (counselor) had to leave our group to join his army unit on Saturday night.
Sunday morning, we left Jerusalem and headed to the North, with a stop at Givat Haviva for a different perspective on the Israeli/Palestinian issues than we had experienced in the previous week. Our day ended with our arrival at Kibbutz Hannaton (just in time for dinner!). Following dinner, we had a lengthy and emotional sharing experience with each person in the program commenting on the current news and discussing reactions to being in Israel at this particular time.
This morning, we headed to Mt. Arbel, where we rode donkeys. When we reached the top of the mountain, we had a magnificent view of the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee). From there, we had a rather strenuous hike down the mountain. Our next stop was Tzfat, where we were delighted to welcome Rabbi Barkan to our group! Our activities in Tzfat included hearing a kabbalist artist talk about his experience with Kabbalah and how it influences his artwork. After a bit of time shopping, we participated in singing and dancing with some spirited residents of Tzfat.
Tonight, we are back at Hannaton watching a movie, The Syrian Bride, which will prepare students for our Druze experience tomorrow.
We are excited to send congratulations and best wishes on the birth of Ms. Gitlin's baby!
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