Big Orange Backpack

Birthright journal

Day 1 & 2

My new saviour: Dramamine. Dramamine is to today like sleeping pills were to September, at least as flights are concerned. Waiting in line (the longest line ever) to check baggage I randomly met a kid from Beacon, Jimmy Stull. He looked really familiar and I didn’t realise who he was until he brought it up. We ended up talking for almost two hours while we went through the whole process, and it again occurred to me how different I am from when I was in high school. How much more knowledgeable I am about Israel, how much I support and admire it, and how much I’ve learned and only begun to appreciate all that is being Jewish. I have Rutgers, and my friends there to thank for that, but also last summer, reading about how bitching Israel is, how much they’ve kicked ass in wars, and the such. The flight was long. I sat in between a kid from Montauk, but goes to BC, Joe, who was really awesome but slept most of the time and this kid Ben, who has tons of tattoos and is loud and.. I don’t know, I haven’t quite figured him out yet. He made a disgusting joke at the nature preserve about the Holocaust, and since then I’m disgusted with him. He was mostly partying on the plane, which is ridiculous and that’s all he seems to be concerned about. When we landed we went straight to Caesaria, about which I learned about so much in Rendsburg’s Jewish Society and Culture I class. It was really exciting to see it first hand, and I met two guys that were also in that class with me who appreciated it as much as I did. We came to the kibbutz and checked in, showered, ate dinner, and then I passed out.

Apparently last night everyone, or at least everyone that didn’t pass out, drank in the bar and got pretty wasted. I feel like that’s ridiculous – I don’t know, I didn’t come to the Holy Land to drink and party. I go to Rutgers, I can do that anytime, anywhere. I got all that out in Belgium, it’s crazy to me to see these kids who are so focused and intent on getting drunk. After breakfast we went on a bike ride in a nature preserve. I do not remember the last time I felt so miserable in my entire life. Whoever had the idea to have 40 American kids, on their first full day in Israel biking in the middle of the day two miles in 95-degree summer weather really must’ve been smoking something good. I had a moment with G-d during the last stretch. I was so tired, beyond thirsty, sore, out of breathe, overall miserable, I really didn’t think I was going to make it, and I’m not quite sure how I did. We went on the bus and the AC was my saviour. We then went to kyack in the Jordan River, which didn’t seem like it was going to be that fun, but in the middle of it, maybe a third of the way through, people started jumping out, splashing each other, and pulling people off of their boats into the river. It was so cold and refreshing. We were in the boats for about an hour, and during the last leg of it I floated down with my life vest for about twenty minutes. It was so beautiful, and I succeeded in peeing in another river ☺. We then went and got dinner at this rest stop type situation, and I ended up chatting with a store owner for a little while about fat Americans and he called me thin! We then went to learn about the ’73 war and watched a movie about a tank battalion that held off the Syrians for two days while reinforcements came in from their homes (because it was Yom Kippur most of the unit was home and fasting). It was amazing to watch this video and see actual video and audio about these tank battalions that held off an army ten times their size for two days – and so inspiring to hear their audio of the battle. We then went to the actual site of the battle and saw some bunkers as well as looked over a hill and we were practically in Syria! Towns and the UN border town were highly visible from where we were standing. I imagine it would’ve been an hour or so walk after the hill to get into Syria. He showed us the UN border town, and then this old city that the Syrians destroyed when they realised the Israelis were going to make it over their border, as well as the new city they built to replace the destroyed one after the war. We then went to the Naot sandal factory and I, of course, bought a pair, but we were unfortunately rushed out because we had to go back to the kibbutz to eat dinner at a BBQ and then listen to an Israeli performer, which I’m about to do now…
The concert was awesome, it was an apparently famous Israeli artist who was very fluent in English, and who loved the Beatles and played a meadily of their songs at the end that flowed together really well. He was a great performer and explained all of his songs that he sang in Hebrew, as well as talked about writing songs in Hebrew, and about song writing in general. I wasn’t really looking forward to it, I thought it would be an uncharismatic old guy singing a bunch of songs in Hebrew, but he was great. It was sort of annoying that people behind me kept on talking, there’s nothing I can’t stand more than rudeness sometimes, and this was one of those times.
One strange thing about Israel that I’ve noticed – I have an appetite and I don’t feel sick after eating. Maybe it’s something in American food that I’m allergic to, but I haven’t felt this healthy or felt this good, physically, in a really long time.
The thing that bothers me the most about this trip is that no-one is religious, nor do they have any desire to find it here. I had hope with a kid that had a kippah on, but he’s just as bad as the rest of them. I think it’s going to be really frustrating in Safed tomorrow, as well as during Shabbat in Tel Aviv. I figure though, I’ll have the rest of the summer to get into religion and observe Shabbat, I shouldn’t get that angry about it now. It’s just that I saw the KOACH trip here in the kipputz today, and most of them were wearing kippas, and were benching after we ate, and I really wanted to join their trip, I’d rather feel less religious and stupid (because I don’t read Hebrew) than feel like an idiot that is in the Holy Land, gasp, trying to find G-d. Not many people are interested in the history either, I’m not sure why anyone came. The only thing people seem to be concerned about is who they can hook up with, when programs are over, when they can start drinking, what they’ll drink, where they’ll do it and the crazy fun stuff they’ll do while drunk. It’s ridiculously juvinile, and I don’t understand it. I want to be well rested, awake, and feeling good when I visit Israel. Being around Israelis and being here, I so badly want to learn Hebrew, and I can’t wait to start classes in Jerusalem in July. I could see myself here, permanently. I just don’t know what I could give to this country that it would need, what I would do career-wise.
Why does everyone seem so surprised that I’m staying three months and that I have a boyfriend and we’re staying together? It’s only three months. I’m just a bit confused about that.
Being here reminds me a lot of Belgium, I keep thinking about being there… I miss it and everyone so much.


Day 3
Today we packed up from the kibbutz and got on the bus in the morning. However, after we packed the whole bus, when my bag was on the bottom, we were told that we needed to get sneakers and not flip flops like we were originally told. So we had to unpack the whole bottom of the bus and I got out my converse. We walked for a little while up to a pond and then walked through a brook and small pond, where my sneakers got totally soaked. We then started climbing up fucking waterfalls, huge really steep waterfalls. It was amazing and hard and beautiful. And then we got under it. I can't describe how beautiful and amazing it was - but I hope when I get pictures up they will explain it. Unfortuantely, on the picture front, I forgot my connector cable so I'm going to have to buy a new one.
We then went to Safed, which was so amazing because I've studied it in all of my Jewish Studies classes, and on my own. It's the centre for Jewish mysticism and has so much amazing Jewish history, because Jews stayed there during the entire history of this land, it was one of only four cities that Jews stayed in. I bought things for people, I won't post what because they're surprises, but I bought myself a new beautiful star which I'm really excited about. And after the waterfall my sunscreen wore off so I am finally tanning after using SPF 50 this whole trip.
The people I'm on the trip with are all really fun, there were practically no ice breakers but there's no real cliques going on, and everyone's really nice and chill, and we hang out with the Israeli soldiers, and I'm learning so much. I've been talking to so many people, and the quote I keep hearing most, and what I agree with is "I feel at home here."