at summer camp, my favorite unit was called moshavat ha'teva: dwellers of nature. we lived on a makeshift moshav (village) in central wisconsin, complete with platform tents and an outdoor kitchen. this weekend, i got to spend my first shabbat in israel at a real israeli moshav -- and let me tell you, it was even better than the camp kind.
both city groups -- Lod and Rishon LeZion-- met up on Thursday for the drive up north to the moshav. Along the way, we stopped for a day hike of Mount Gilboa, site of the ill-fated Biblical battle between Israel's first king Saul and the Philistines. The top of the mountain presented a panoramic view of northern israel-- our tour guide pointed out the West Bank and Samaria to the south, the Galilee to the west, and the country of Jordan to the east. we descended a steep, rocky climb down into the "Hidden Valley" of Mount Gilboa, ending in one of the agricultural plots we saw from the top.
from here we drove a short way to Nahal (River) haKibbutzim. Kibbutzim-- large Israeli farms known for communal living-- surround both sides of the river, which remains untouched despite the agriculture and civilization around it. what we were told would be a brief "water hike" turned into a full blown river swim, with the water getting up to our chins at times. after hiking in the heat of the day, we were happy to be in the water! this is a picture of the whole group from my friend Alex's GoPro:
after a long day, we reached the moshav. we were staying on an organic farm called Yarok-Az that housed a small hostel. after an epic trip to the grocery store to buy an entire weekend of food for 20 people, we ate dinner and hung out at the house, playing cards and getting to know the group from RIshon.
on friday we woke up early and spend the day doing team-building activities in a nearby forest. so campy, but so much fun. the evening was consumed with preparations for shabbat, including preparation for a huge shabbat meal. this is Team Lod preparing an oriental feast for the group, including stir fry and cabbage salad. so thankful that this country has tofu!
in the jewish tradition, saturday, or yom shabbat, is a day of rest and reflection. a few members of the group observe shabbat traditionally, with no technology or music or "work" of any kind. in deference to their customs, we all spent shabbat off our phones and with each other. as someone who has never regularly observed the sabbath, it was an incredible opportunity to learn new traditions and values (what do you do for a day without your phone??). so while i wasn't able to take any pictures of saturday's activities, it was a great day of memories nonetheless, including a session of yoga and meditation led by myself and another member of Team Lod, an intense water volleyball tournament, and a festive Shabbat lunch.
after havdalah, a short ritual that marks the end of shabbat, we headed home (i was anxiously checking the score of the Michigan game, of course!). back in Lod, we were kindly invited to spent Sukkot with nearby neighbors and got a chance to work on our hebrew.. let's just say mine has a long way to go. nonetheless, we were so grateful to spend this holiday in the company of new friends. the next week will be spent in ulpan (hebrew lessons) and meeting with potential placements- maybe the next post will be in hebrew?? (but don't count on it)