TRY... Just Keeps Getting Better and Better! What a week...

This week was lots of fun! Even though it was parent week and there were old people everywhere, it was still great! On Tuesday we had a trip to a crusader fortress and an Arab village 10 minutes out of Jerusalem, they were both really cool to see! We went to a place that looked like a normal park, but we walked 10 minutes and found ourselves in a crusader fortress. 

Our ICC teacher told the group to pick a battering ram to open the doors, and of course they chose me. 6 people carried me head first to the doors of the fortress and they used me as a battering ram, when the doors opened, without being aware of what was going on, a water balloon had hit me in the face. 

The Madrichim (Counselors) were on top of the fortress throwing water balloons at us! After that, it was time to surprise the other half of the TRY group at the fortress. Little did we know that they had swords and helmets, we also thought that they would come through the front door, they came through both and started hitting us with paper swords.

After that, we got on the bus and left for the Arab Village. We went into a beautiful mosque and had a question and answer session with a woman who was from Britain and converted to Islam. I learned a lot about what they believe in, and how they practice their religion. I never really knew anything about Islam so it was really cool to learn, there are a lot of similarities between Islam and Judaism. It was also really funny to see the girls fully covered in 90º weather.

             

When we got back we had more boring school, but on Thursday we went on a trip to Tel Aviv! We went to the Diaspora museum, and then we went to Jaffo. We walked around the streets of Jaffo and then took a walk on the beach to the Israeli Dance team studio. We walked around for a little while, and had some amazing Ice Cream! 

We then saw the house of Shai Agnon, the man who is on the 50 Shekel Bill. After that we got on a bus for another 10 minutes and got off at the Tel Aviv boardwalk. It is one of my favorite places in Tel Aviv and in Israel because it is beautiful and although I had been there many times before, it was great being there with my friends and without my parents watching my every move. We had an hour of free time, and then we had pizza for dinner. We got back on the bus to Jerusalem and we were back at around 11. 

 We spent our Shabbat in Tzfat, one of the four religious “holy” cities in Israel. We arrived at a youth hostel one hour before Shabbat and everyone got ready, we all wore white. We then went to temple and got four choices, I went to the Carlebach synagogue, it was really cool to dance with people I have never seen in my life. After 10 minutes, I couldn’t breathe because in a room meant for 40 people.  There were 80, there was barely any room to move. I went outside and danced with some soldiers. We went back and had Shabbat dinner.

On the way back, we all sang and passed some Hassidim who covered their ears because they didn’t want to hear women singing (nice right?)... The next day we did the same thing, woke up went to Temple, but this time I went to a temple where there was a rabbi who was called the Lion Rabbi (The Ari).

During the war of Independence, A bomb exploded outside of the temple and shrapnel flew into the temple. Miraculously, no one was injured because everyone was bowing down for the Aleinu. There is still a hole in the Bimah today from the shrapnel, and people put notes into it. When Temple ended, we got into our ICC classes and we were given a tour of the old city of Zefat. There were men with fuzzy hats (Shtreimels) everywhere which was really cool to me, I’ve always wanted to touch one, I think though it was good to resist the temptation.  I am not sure these particular group of men would have appreciated me touching their fuzzy hats. 

Want to buy one?

It is like wearing a bear!

We learned about the many miracles the happened in Tzfat such as when there was an earthquake and the Rabbi instructed everyone to come to the ark if they wanted to live, everything collapsed and was destroyed around them except for the ark. We then went back to the Hostel did Havdalah, packed, and started our 3 hour journey back to Jerusalem.

             

Every week keeps on getting better, we are almost halfway done with the program and I really don’t want to go back home.  If I could I would stay here forever, I would! I have already learned a lot about me, and a lot about Judaism. I am having the most amazing time of my life. 

Oh, and watch the new video! Really fun and there is an interview of me in it!  Plus a lot of other great stuff.  Best TRY Video yet!