Trip to the North

To kick off our vacation last week, we joined a group of about 30 Pardes students on a trip up the the Northern parts of Israel for 3 days. The trip was organized through MASA (a nonprofit organization here in Israel) to provide us an opportunity to volunteer in areas of the country that were affected by the war this summer. We spent a portion of each day cleaning out bomb shelters in Kirat Shemona, a city at the very north of the country - in between Haifa and the Galilee - where many of the ketushya rockets hit. Unfortunately, we were a bit frustated as most of the shelters were actually not that dirty and we felt that we could have provided more help if we had had the opportunity to do other types of work. In addition, we weren't really equipped with great cleaning supplies, so there was little for us to really do. Nonetheless, we swept, mopped and whipped down beds.

I can say that even spending a couple of hours in these shelters was an experience - they are a bit scary and it was difficult for me to imagine entire families staying there for a long period of time. The shelters we visisted were located admist neighborhoods, some of them connected directly to apartment complexes. During the war, we were not clear if the people in Kirat Shemona had enough warning that they could stay in their homes until a siren warned them to get to the shelters or if they were practically living in the shelters for the majority of the war since the Ketusha rockets were coming over the hills almost every day. From our trip-guide and others we spoke to, it sounds like maybe there were people in both categories. The shelters were located below ground with only one air-vent/fan for circulation, metal fold-up cots that were stacked up in groups of three, and that was about it although a couple had tvs just sitting on the floor. They were a bit dark even with all the lights on and they were just sort of icky. It's is hard for me to understand how people choose to live in these cities knowing the risks of war, and I really can't imagine staying in one of these shelters for more than a day or so, let alone for weeks. In one of the shelters, we even found pictures drawn by some kids that were dated during the war. It reminded me instantly of the children's artwork that was found in the concentration camps, and although these shelters are being used for an entirely different purpose, it was a little errie to see these pictures left by children who had endured the war.

As there was tons of trash located all around the shelters, we did feel good that we could help clean-up, although we're pretty sure the liter had nothing to do with the war and rather that these communities just don't take care of their trash. It was also quite an experience even to walk around Kirat Shemona and witness some of the damage from the war. In the hills on the north side of Kirat Shemona, practically on the border with Lebanon, many trees were burned from the rockets. We also visited a home that had been destroyed by a rocket, which was pretty devistating. Unfortunately, we couldn't help to clean up this home since the family was still waiting for insurance claim money and aid from the government and our understanding was that the house needed to be left in its destroyed state in order to claim the damages.

In addition to volunteering, the trip was planned with activities to support the economies of the northern cities of Israel that have lacked tourists since the war. We went kayaking on the Jorden River, visited a Talmudic park (see picture of re-built synagogue from time of Romans/2nd Temple Period), shopped at the Naot factory and hiked in/around the Golan. We spent the 2 nights at a Kibbutz, which really reminded me of my traveling experiences 9 years ago - especially since there was a Young Judea group staying there as well - oh the memories!

Anyway, for us, the best part of the trip was getting to know more people and actually making friends :) We were a bit worried that a 2 week vacation after only being in school for a month would be a bit lonely, since we havne't known people in Israel for very long, but the three days up North was a great experience to solidfy friendships!

Upon returning to Jerusalem, we celebrated our friend Marni's 28th Birthday - here I am with Annie & Francine at the party:

We are continuing to enjoy the rest of our vacation - we enjoyed celebrating the holiday of sukkot, we went to Natanya to lay on the beach, and now we are enjoying time in Jerusalem with my parents! We'll plan to write more about these experiences soon - miss you all!