Toronto Take Over

*FROM 12/25-12/28*

Ok, so I wrote a long entry in my journal for these past few days but I do not have the energy to write them all up. So I am going to summarize.

After my last post we had havadalah. Which came complete with a lot of tears. Then we had time to get ready for banquet. At 7:30 banquet started in the Belmont with all the staff. We ate dinner and then had the ceremony thanking teachers. Yael and I were the “MCs” so we opened up and did the general studies thank yous. Then other students did Hebrew, upper staff, madrachim and JHist. we also watched the short version of slide show. After Banquet we had time to go change for after party. Which was in the Tzuba Pub (we weren’t aware there was such a thing). We had talent show and then watched the long slide show. Everyone loved it! I was so happy! Then the madrachim surprised us with a video they made for us about their “super powers”. It was so cute! Then we had a dance party. After that I went back to my room to finish letters and relax. Eventually my roommates and I went to bed at 4.

We woke up at 8, went to breakfast, cleaned our rooms, and packed up the bus. Then we met up with out Jewish history teachers at Mt. herzl. I found it really interesting and special that no matter what rank you are, all soldiers are buried the same way and in the same place. After we toured the cemetery we went to the old city for lunch. Then we went to the Kotel. When we went back in aug. I didn’t feel any connection to the wall, but I guess there is something about learning all of Jewish history that creates a connection. After the kotel we went to a look out and had our final few moments with our teachers. Then we went to Ben Yehuda for final shopping and dinner. After that we got on the bus and drove to the airport. Despite the snow on the East coast our plane took off on time. I luckily found myself with 2 seats and was able to sleep for a great amount of the flight. However, we never landed in NYC. We landed in Toronto b/c JFK was closed. We were all in a panic. The kids who had connecting flights has no idea what was going to happen and none of our phones really worked. By the time we got off the plane, went through customs, and got our bags, about half of our group had found a new way to get home. So Judy (who was our staff member) had to deal with making sure they got to the right place, the rest of us got to the hotel, and had to work with the staff in NY. Somehow it all got figured out but we then had to say bye to half our group. The rest of us went to a hotel in downtown Toronto; where we would be resting and relaxing for the rest of the day until we could go back to the airport. While we were at the hotel, a few more kids were able to get flights home and one by one we were dropping like flies. It wasn’t safe to shower, or nap b/c if you did you would miss saying bye to someone (I would know first hand). At 8:30 we met in the lobby with the rest of our flight and got buses back to the airport. We went through the entire check in process again and eventually got on the plane.

I am not really sure what time our flight took off b/c we all fell asleep the second we got on the plane. Because we had lost half our group, there were a ton of seats for us to spread out in. We landed at 4:15 in new york, but had to sit on the plane for another hour and half. It then took 2 hours to get our bags from baggage claim. Once we all had our bags, the 17 surviving kids (all northern east coast kids and one CA girl) walked out to the parents….finally! As much as we loved each other, all of us just wanted to get out of the airport as fast as we could b/c we had been traveling for so long. Mom and I took my bags to the car and went on our way to winter kallah. It only took 48 hours to get back the U.S.

Remember when we still had 4 months left?

Ok so I am posting this early b/c we have banquet and after party all night, so I will not have the time for writing and posting. That being said, I won’t be able to post tomorrow so my post on my last day and half and the flight home will be up after I get home and after winter kallah, once I have regained energy. This morning, I went to my first and last Saturday morning breakfast. I felt like I had to b/c I would never get the chance again. After breakfast, I wrote some letters to people and then went to services. For the torah service, Noah decided that each Jewish History class would get an aliyah and whoever wanted to could read a line of the portion. So, when my class was called up, I decided to read some torah. I was able to read it (with some help here and there from Rachel R. and Noah). After services, we had our last real meal in the Hadar (we aren’t counting breakfast tomorrow as a meal). I am not sure what I am going to do without my apple salad on Shabbat! Then we went back to our rooms to pack, write letters, relax, and in my case find a way to play slide show tonight. Eventually I was able to accomplish all of it, or will be able to in the next few hours (I still have letters to write). After this we are having havdalah and then banquet followed by after party. Then we have our last day in Jerusalem and head off to the airport and back to the exile. I don’t want it to end; 4 months went by way to quickly!

p.s. Merry Christmas!

Packing Day, Last Shabbat and Last Program

Today was extremely long! We woke up at 7:30 and at 8:30 all met in the Belmont so that we could participate in the David Project. Which is an Israeli advocacy program. For 5 hours we discussed the background knowledge and how to defend Israel. We also learned the “ARM” method. In said method, you take the offensive rather than the defensive stance. It was pretty interesting but extremely long! I was so happy when it was over and I got to eat my apple salad! After lunch, we met in the Zula and got our EIE clothing and the mezuzahs we made a few weeks ago. After we got everything back, and we filled out our EIE surveys, we had several hours to pack up all our stuff. It was so upsetting putting all of our stuff in bags. And our room is still a mess of stuff! At 6:30 we had our last Friday night service. We danced and sung and of course had a regular service. It was extremely sad. After that we had dinner and then oneg. But oneg was our last group program. We did the same sort of thing we did for our first Poland program. Aka we sat in a circle and each person passes the rope to someone they wanted to give a wish or “gift” to and then the person said what they gained from the person that passed it do them. The main difference from when we did this for Poland and tonight was that for Poland we each picked a name and talked to a specific person. Tonight, we choose who we passed the rope to and the madrachim were not in the room at all. Everything was all on us. After well over 2 hours of a group heart to heart, I went back to my room to finish slide shows. And mission accomplished, they are done! And now, I am about to embark on my last night in my room…

A relaxing bike ride

This morning we woke up and went on a hike. We focused a little on Israel and water sources. We hiked to a really pretty waterfall. After that we went to the Northern most kibbutz in Israel. From the kibbutz you look right into Lebanon. We listened to the most interesting man speak. He made aliyah when he was 21, joined the army and fought in every major battle since he joined the army. After his 3 mandatory years he moved to this kibbutz and has been defending it since. During the 2nd Lebanon war, he and the other men of the kibbutz saved the kibbutz from destruction while they were being bombed for 36 days straight by the Hezbollah. He told us all about living so close to the boarder and about his interactions over his 70 years of life with the Lebanese. He was so interesting to listen to and really has so much to tell people. After that we made our way to a nature reserve. We ate lunch that we had brought with us and then went on a 8.5 km bike ride around the reserve. It was so pretty and peaceful and a really nice way to end our Security tiyul/ last experience as a group. Then we got back on the bus and started the 3 hour ride back to Tzuba. When we got back, we had time to relax, then dinner, and then had the first of our last 3 programs. We talked about what he have gained from the experience and how it ahs effected us. After our group heart to heart we paid for our EIE clothing (we put the final orders for it in this morning and we already have them! That would never happen in the U.S.). Then I typed up my blogs from the last few days and prepared to pack tomorrow and write letters to my friends (we are writing to people and the counselors are giving them back to us when we leave so we have something special).

Israel's Security

*FROM 12/22*

This morning we had to wake up earlier than we were now used to thanks to the exam schedule (aka 7:45). After breakfast, we got on the bus and drove up into the Mountains. At our first stop we talked about the 6-day war and it’s effect on the Golan. We also talked about Eli Cohen, who pretended to be a Syrian businessman but was really an Egyptian turned spy for the IDF. He helped the IDF find the Syrian bunkers by telling them [the Syrians] to plant eucalyptus trees around the bunkers for protection. These trees were actually a sign for the Israelis so that they would be able to easily find the bunkers; especially b/c the tree wasn’t native to Israel so it was easy to point out. Sadly, the Syrians eventually found out what he was doing and killed him. However, he was a major reason we were successful during the 6-day war. Then, we got on the bus and had an early fast food lunch. After lunch we went to Ben Tal, which was an Israeli Outpost during the Yom Kippur war. We heard a story about Tzveka Gringgold, who was between troops when the war broke out but went out and formed a 3 tank troop anyway. The 2 tanks that he was not in were both hit and were unable to be of fighting use, but that did not stop him from using them to his advantage. He still radioed the other two tanks so that the Syrians would think they were still working. He and his tank also drove from hilltop to hilltop making it seem as if there were multiple tanks shooting. They were able to hold of the Syrians by themselves for 36 hours! Then we walked through a bunker so that we could see what they were like back then and are like today for the soldiers than have to live in them. Next, we got on the bus and drove to a nearby kibbutz where we saw a movie on Oz 77, a tank troop that fought in the Yom Kippur War. When we got of the bus at the kibbutz, we saw something none of us were expecting to see….SNOW! As we drove down the mountain we drove next to both the Syrian and Lebanese boarders. After that we went to the Naot show factory and outlet. I tried on a few pairs of shows but ended up deciding I wouldn’t actually wear them. So, since I wanted to have something to remember the day I bought a small 10 shekel leather heart shaped Naot key chain. Then we got back on the bus and went back to the hostel. When we got back we had a hour to relax and then had dinner. After dinner we had our final class discussions. We talked a lot about how we are going to continue to have Judaism and Israel in our lives back in America. It is so sad to think I won’t be spending 3+ hours a day with my Jewish History class. We have really become such a family and I have gained so much knowledge over the past 4 months that I wouldn’t have without them. In short, the next 4 days are going to be extremely hard. Before EIE I had no idea what to expect and it really just hit me that I have been in a foreign country for 4 months. I feel like I am going to wake up one morning and it is all going to have been a dream.

Done with first semester of junior year and off to the North!

*FROM 12/21*

This morning I woke up, finished studying for Econ., and then actually took my AP Microeconomics exam. Well actually, I just went to the classroom and hung out for a while b/c Kerry was late. Eventually, he came and we were able to start our test. The test wasn’t very econy or at least I didn’t have to use very many economics terms so I am not sure how it went. After I finished my test I went with my roommates to lunch and then finished packing for our trip up North. At 2, we got on the bus and headed up North. After a while we stopped smack dab in the middle of the Carmel forest. We got of the bus and spent a few minutes looking at and learning about the destruction caused by the fire. Then we got back on the bus and headed towards a Druze village. Well actually we went to 2 villages. The first one we had some time to shop in and the 2nd one was where the actual learning took place. We went to a traditional Druze home and learned as much as we are allowed to know about their culture and religion. Then we had a traditional Druze dinner. It was very filling and good. After dinner, we got back on the bus and continued traveling up North. When we got to the hostel, we got our rooms (they decided to make things easy and we were roomed with our roomies from Tzuba). My room was proactive and made sure we got our key first (we did). Then we had time to relax.

Almost done with a semester

So today was a little less boring than yesterday b/c I actually had to study for math and it was the first exam period (1:30). I woke up, studied for a bit on my own, and then went to the Belmont b/c Steve came in early to help us with final review (it was also to make-up for the fact that we missed a few class periods). I reviewed for about an hour with him and then went to lunch and relaxed for a bit. Steve also decided that we could start our test a half hour early so that we would have extra time. The exam for the most part wasn’t too bad but there were definitely some tough questions. After the test, I started packing up my stuff. Which wasn’t my original plan. I was just going to pack for the security tiyul and then relax! But somehow it escalated and I just started packing up all my sutff. It is extremely bitter sweet (especially b/c I got my final e-mail for winter kallah this afternoon). I am excited to go home and see everyone, but I don’t want to leave my EIE family.
(btw speaking of packing for the security tiyul, I won’t have my computer until Thursday night b/c we are leaving tomorrow for 2 days up north). After packing, rotting my brain with mtv (b/c it is the only thing ever on), dinner, and announcements, I studied for my last final! Tomorrow before we leave for the tiyul, I take my Econ. exam. I am kind of nervous but hopefully I will do well. Then I relaxed and talked to some people from home. But now I am going to sleep and in less than 12 hours will be done with first semester of junior year!