Thursday 24th July: Heroes

We began our day with a visit to Hadassah Hospital where we heard from the doctors about how the childrens department is run and the amazing work they do. We wrote letters to and chatted with injured soldiers and were amazed and inspired by their courage and dedication. We went to the childrens ward and handed out presents to the brave children.

We then went to Boys Town - a campus school for the children of immigrants from all over the world that aims to provide them with a quality education, to volunteer and we all perfected our painting skills as we redecorated new classrooms.

Our next stop was Har Herzl. This was a very emotional experience for us where we were amazed and inspired by stories of pure heroism and bravery of the soldiers and leaders that fought for our country. 

We then went to Modiin and enjoyed hospitality from British families that have moved to Israel, that hosted us in small groups for dinner. We got to meet new people, adorable children and be a part of family life in Israel.

We cant believe we only have a few days left on tour but are looking forward to our final Shabbat in Jerusalem.

Paige Bloom: "The hospital was inspiring - meeting those who have risked their lives for their country, for people they don't even know was truly heartwarming. At Boys Town, it was great to help out and give back at a facility that caters for unfortunate young people. After entering the gates of Har Herzl we could feel the sorrow and heart of the country and it touched us all."

Wednesday 23rd July: The Old City

We began our day splashing in the water tunnels of Armon Hanatziv and learnt about how the water was brought to Jerusalem in ancient times. 

We then went to the Tayelet overlooking the Old City and it felt so special to finally be in Jerusalem. We walked along the Rampart Walls from Jaffa Gate to Dung Gate.

We had lunch in the Jewish Quarter and did a tour of the newly restored Hurva Synagogue. We climbed to the top and enjoyed the view.

We went to the Kotel for the first time and had time to ourselves for personal prayer and reflection.

We explored the Kotel tunnels and got to walk the full length of the kotel as well as come so close to some of the holiest areas of the Holy Temple.

After a very moving and poignant day, we went back to the hotel for dinner and many of us enjoyed visits from family and friends.

Nathan Misan: "The tunnels were tight but exhilarating. It was really nice to walk around the Old City and see a different side to Israel. It was amazing to see 2000 years compacted into 8 hours."

 Photos to follow.....

Tuesday 22nd July: Water Hike & Donkey Riding

Today we climbed up Mount Arbel to Wadi Hamam. Mount Arbel is a mountain in The Lower Galilee near Tiberias, with a view of Mount Hermon in the Golan Heights. It is close to the ruins of an ancient Jewish village with a Synagogue from the 4th century C.E. 

We then headed to Kfar Kedem where we got our drivers license – not for cars – but for donkeys! Kfar Kedem recreates the day-to-day life of the ancient land and we were transported back to our heritage learning how to thresh grain, press oil and grapes, and eating rustic cooking in a shepherd’s tent. Riding donkeys whilst being dressed up was definitely an interesting experience!

After that we visited Tzippori, the place where the Mishna was written. Rabbi Yehuda HaNassi, who compiled the Mishnah, lived in Tzippori for 17 years until his death. 

We then headed to Jerusalem and checked in to the Caesar Hotel.

Monday 21st July:

In the morning we met our guide Miriam's little brother who spoke to us about growing up as a teenager in Israel. It was interesting to hear the parallels of his life to ours.

We then went to Mount Gilboa, a mountain range overlooking the Jezreel Valley in northern Israel. We looked out at the region and mountains from Mount  Barkan where King Saul, Israel’s first monarch, led a charge against the Philistines at Mount Gilboa. Whilst we enjoyed the magnificent views, it was also fascinating to hear about our history and to be in the place of our Biblical stories.

Our day continued with a visit to the Emunah Children's Centre in Afula. This is a school designed to take care of and help some of Israel’s most needy children and has a residential and therapeutic day care facility for children at risk. The Emunah Children's Center strives to provide the children with a safe and nurturing environment. This had a huge impact on us and whilst we had a lot of fun with the children, it was a real eye opener for us and had a huge impact on us. 

Victoria Waterman: "Being with the children at the Emunah Centre in Afula was a really moving and inspirational experience. We played basketball and painted a picture of the Kotel with the children."

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Friday 18th - Sunday 20th July: Golan Heights

Friday:
Our day started in Mitzpe Gadol where we learnt about the heroes of the area.

We then went to an olive oil factory where we saw the making of olive oil and washed our hands with the remnants of olives.

Our next stop was the Katzrin Talmudic Village located in the Golan Heights, one of the most northern points in Israel. There we saw ancient ruins and learnt about how Jews lived during the Talmudic period.

We then had time to prepare for Shabbat .

We were joined for Shabbat by Rabbi Gideon Sylvester Our Tribe Rabbi in Israel, Marc Benamram who left Tribe last month to go and live in Israel and Anna - our Rakaz. 

On Friday night we davened overlooking the views of the Golan heights. This was an incredibly moving experience. We then had dinner with families from Sderot who had come to the north for a peaceful Shabbat. They told us about their experiences over the last few years and thanked us for coming and supporting Israel. After dinner, we had Oneg led by Marc Benamram.

Shabbat:

Shabbat was a fun and relaxing day. Rabbi Gideon Sylvester led an activity on Jewish identity which was very thought provoking and then a Q&A session where we could ask anything we wanted.

After Shabbat we played a  wide game of capture the flag before a Pizza dinner.

Yaniv Grunberg: " Shabbat - a relaxing experience that allowed me to appreciate the serenity of the outdoors"

Sunday:

Today was a very quirky day with Tribe Israel tour! We started our day with a tour of the artist’s quarter in Tzfat, which was extremely beautiful and quaint. 

We went on a magical, mystical tour of Tzfat. Tzfat is a very well known and interesting city but is probably one of the later cities for Jews to settle as it only became an important city for Jewish life in the late 15th Century. The city is most closely associated with Jewish mysticism, the kabbalah, whose foremost teacher, Rabbi Isaac Luria, lived and taught there. Known as "Ha'Ari" (the lion), Rabbi Luria had come from Egypt to Tzfat in 1569 and died just three years later.

Besides the kabbalists, Tzfat also attracted numerous other Jewish scholars and spirtualists, including Joseph Caro, the author of the Shulchan Aruch , Rabbi Moshe Cordovero and Solomon Alkabetz, composer of the Sabbath hymn Lecha Dodi. We heard their stories and visited some of the beautiful shuls, all decorated in blue. 

Our day ended with a tour of the village Pki'in where we enjoyed an amazing Druze feast. The Druze are an amazing people and contribute fully within the State of Israel. They serve in the IDF and have attained top positions in Israeli politics and public service. The Druze live mainly in the north of the country and are Arabic-speaking.  

When we arrived back at Golan Field School we had a lovely supper. It was an extremely interesting and diverse day and provided us all with a lot to think about. 

Jodie Stuart: "A very relaxed day in Tzfat and yet we were still inspired and learnt so much."

Thursday 17th July: Water Hike & Chocolate Day

Our day began with the Hatsbani River water hike in Nachal Snir. The hike took us through water, over stones and tree roots, past waterfalls and rushing water. At times the water reached our knees and at points we had to use handholds to ensure we didn't slip. We had a lot of fun and learnt about the longest of the Jordan River tributaries.

We had a falafel making lunch where we made our own falafel and pita and learnt how to put together the perfect falafel lunch. We realised just how skilled the Chefs in Sami's really are.

We then visited the De Karina chocolate factory where we heard about the family and their dream, had a tour of the factory and got to make our own chocolate.

We continued the day at the Mount Bental observation point, where we had amazing views of Mount Hermon and the Golan region, and we learnt a bit about the history of this area and how because it’s extremely high, it is a place of major strategic importance to Israel. It was hard to believe that this same mountain which we were on in the summer becomes a popular ski resort in the winter

We had an informative and great day!

Sophie Rubner: "I really enjoyed today, espeically eating all the chocolate and the chocolate fight at the factory."

Wednesday 16th July: Cable Cars and Tobogganing

After an intense day before, today was lighthearted and fun!

We began the day at Agmon Hahula, birdwatching and getting an appreciation for the wild life in Israel. 

In the afternoon we went up Manara Cliff in Israels longest cable cars and had a thrilling ride down in Toboggons.

But, the most important part of the day was the return of Ted!

We then checked in to our new base in Hermon and after dinner we enjoyed an authentic Israeli movie.