Friday morning at 6am and 60 international students are all getting onto a bus so that we can hike a few kilometers in the middle of the Negev Desert. Are we crazy? Maybe, but we are certainly fun. On the bus ride to our first desert stop, the Lower Wadi Zafit, many of us slept while the rest of us rocked out in the early morning sun and our rasta drivers excellent music choices. When we arrived, shortly after 9am, we split into two groups. Taking breaks every half hour or so to drink form our 3liters of water, we hiked a fairly popular trail that allowed us to see some of the most amazing views in the world. What was very exciting was that it also allowed us to learn about ourselves. Who's afraid of heights, who has small bladders...lol.
After finally finishing our hike at 1pm, we took a break for lunch and then headed to Aran. This small factory town in southern Israel is very simple, but the youth hostel we spent the weekend in was very comfortable. Fridaynight we had services, followed by an activity where we had to argue what is the core aspect of Shabbat. Is it community? Spirituality? Fulfilling Gods commandments? Family? Connecting with our past? Giving the enviorment a break? Well, we all made excellant points. This was followed with a delicious Friday night meal, but the evening would only be concluded after a few more hours of fun and games like Taboo and Shesh-Besh (Backgammon).
Saturday morning I went with two friends to a very small synagauge a 5 minute walk from our youth hostel and the services were amazing. It wasn't the Chazzan's (cantor's) voice, it wasn't the rabbis speach, or the physical synaguage. It was the fact that for the first time thus far we were experiencing an undiluted aspect of Israeli culture. There was no english, no Americanism, it was simply Israeli. After the services a Lubavitcher Chassid in the shul invited my friends and I for a small Kiddush of wine, crackers and Chummus. We felt obliged to attended and discovered just how persuasive Rabbis can be when they want you to take a shot at 10.30am. It was past 12 somewhere...maybe. The three of us went back to the Youth Hostel where we continued our prelunch snack with some cake, cookies and company provided by Aran, a new addition to the Madrich team.
Lunch, more taboo, Jeopordy and a stroll around the neighborhood led to the end of Shabbat and we headed back to Yerushalayim. Upon our return it started to rain. Suh-weeeeeeet!!! And now, on a beautiful Sunday morning, I'm going to head out the library. I have a busy day ahead of me.
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