I can now quote Yehudah HaLevy by saying, “My heart is in the east, but I am in the ends of the west.” Last night, we left our home Israel, to go back to our individual homes all over the United States, Canada and New Zealand. No words can describe how I feel now or how I feel about my EIE experience. The flight to New York last night felt like a Tiyul to our next destination. Unfortunately this EIE dream is over, and EIE is only a memory that I will never forget.

On Wednesday night we had our “Final Banquet” where we ate food catered by the Belmont (Kibbutz hotel) outside and our teachers joined us. Afterwards we had a ceremony, aka The Final Banquet, filled with slideshows, skits, videos, roasts, and appreciation for our teachers awards. The evening was filled with laughter and tears. Everything brought back memories that we never want to forget. The banquet was the beginning of the realization that we were leaving only two days later. It was extremely difficult to say bye to the teachers, after spending such an enjoyable four months with them. After the formal banquet, we had our “after party” in a club on the kibbutz. We had another slideshow with videos for the kids, a talent show, and a final dance party DJ’d by two of the EIE students. After the dance party everyone stayed up all night and slept on the grass right outside of our rooms. By four o’clock we fell asleep under the Israeli dark blue sky. The night was indescribable. I was in my own utopia; surrounded by my 70 brothers and sisters, walking, living, and looking at the beautiful Judean Hills.

And then it was Thursday, our last day. We could no longer say we had ten days left of the trip or two more nights on the kibbutz. We all knew EIE was almost over, but could not get ourselves to believe it. We departed for Har Hertzl at 9 a.m. with our Jewish History classes. We walked around the different graves of the Jewish leaders and war heroes that we had learned so much about in class. We then looked at the tombs of soldiers that lost their lives by serving in צהל. We all sat in a circle and read a collection of memoirs of a mother who lost her son Guni in צהל. After Har Herzl, we went to the Old City. I enjoyed my last schnitzel and walked around. Afterwards we finished the Tiyul by visiting the Kotel. This was the first time we had gone to the Kotel for visiting and personal prayer purposes since our first Shabbat in Israel. It was such a powerful way to end the trip. The first time we went to the Kotel, I didn’t really know what exactly it was and why it is so special. But after our Tiyulim to the Beit Hamikdash, and many hours learning about it in class, I now know exactly what it is and why it’s so important. The Beit Hamikdash was built by King Herod and was considered the holiest temple of all time. The Jews could appreciate it because it was a large holy temple that they could go visit and pray to and see the Cohanim; and the Helenists could appreciate it for its architectural beauty which they considered holy. Anyways, I now had developed my own connection. I touched the wall and put a note with my own personal prayer for myself, my family and Israel in the cracks of the wall. The moment was so surreal and happy. The weather was ugly and hazy, like Israel was signaling it was our time to leave.

We then went back to the Kibbutz to finish cleaning our rooms and packing. Running back and forth for about an hour from my room to classroom 5 to donate toiletries and old shoes, I was finally done. It was as if I had packed up my life for the past four months. We then went to the Belmont (lobby) for the last time still not able to picture this was our last time I will be on Kibbutz Tzuba while on EIE. I then enjoyed my last meal in the chadarochel. Unfortunately it was a dairy meal, but it was actually pretty good. After that we only had about two hours left on the kibbutz, until it was time for us to depart for the airport. We all sat outside of our rooms together as a community and hung out and sang songs together. Then my bus group went into the Zula (the student lounge) for the last time. We celebrated a pre-birthday for our friend Jeremy, as our madrichim said some closing words to the program.

Then we went on the bus; the bus ride for the last time. This time I knew it was a one – way ride. We drove past the rainbow כיפצובה sign for the last time. We drove in the mountains of the Judean Hills right outside the kibbutz to make our way to the Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. Our madrichim put together a CD of songs throughout the semester to play on the bus. They even wrote their own lyrics to a song “Tik Tok” which they performed in the Talent Show and then played it for us on the bus.

After about 45 minutes or so, we reached the airport. We all got off of the bus, grabbed our bags, and gave back our Israel phones. We got in line to check in our bags at the airport, and then had to say bye to our madrichim and assistant principal D.Sol (David Solomon). It was finally starting to hit me at this point. I was saying bye to my parents. I will never forget the words of my madrich Assaf: “My best friends these past four months have been 15–17 year olds.” Saying good–bye was so incredibly difficult. They were my parents and role models for the past four months. They always watched out for us, making sure we had our וכובה מיים (water and hat) even if it seemed ridiculous. But this was the moment in time, where I realized that I had grown up and don’t need them anymore. Throughout this semester I have grown so much as a person. I have become more educated and confident in myself, as well as independent and mature.

Then we all passed through security and hung outside our gate. It really felt like we were going on another tiyul. We were in the exact same terminal as we were when we went to Poland. It was almost as if I felt excited, because I really felt like we were all going somewhere together. But then I got on the plane, and I realized it was the last ten hours I was going to spend with my EIE friends on EIE. And I kept remembering a quote from the song our madrichim wrote that went a little something like this “The party don’t stop until you’re on the plane.” And then I realized that EIE really was over. We can’t say we still have the plane ride or the Security Tiyul. All we have are our memories of the past four months.

The plane ride went smoothly, and luckily I got to sit next to two of my best friends. In fact, I sat with one of the girls on the way to Israel, so it was like we started and finished EIE together. We slept for about six hours, and then spent the next four embracing each other’s company.

But the ten hours eventually had to come to an end, and the plane landed in New York at JFK airport. Non-EIE occupants of the plane applauded when the plane landed. All of us cried and said to ourselves, “Why are you clapping?” We got off the plane, went to Passport Control, grabbed our bags, and then said our good byes. I never felt so confused and sad before. We all stood in a circle hugging each other for the last time. I still could not comprehend the fact that EIE is over. The New York kids left, and everyone else went their separate ways to their flights. I went to the JetBlue Terminal while others went to Virgin and Delta. Luckily I had two other friends with me on my flight and we were able to walk together. And during our six-hour layover we were able to hangout with other friends who were flying JetBlue.

I now write on the plane from JFK to Burbank Airport. And let me tell you, it still has not hit me. I turned on the TV and the history channel was playing a documentary about King Herod, how crazy is that? I am listening to my Jewish History teacher Yair singing and playing his guitar on my iPod. I can’t imagine not being in Israel. I can’t imagine not eating in the chadarochel, or walking to the Belmont to get good internet access. I don’t know how I am going to sleep in my own room not sleeping directly next to my best friend. How am I supposed to wake myself up without the Toranim coming in at 7:30 in the morning? How can I celebrate Shabbat in the US? What am I supposed to do without constantly being with my 70 brothers and sisters?

I wish I had answers to all of these questions, but I don’t. Tonight will be hard, as I have to adjust to my old lifestyle in America. I have to learn how to incorporate everything I learned on EIE in my daily life. I have to keep in touch with my friends from all over the country, no matter how far away we live.

And now I look at the time and it would be 10:42 p.m. on Shabbat. I am picturing what I would be doing since we would have extended rooms in until 1:00. Would we all be having a dance party in the Bomb Shelter, or hanging out in each other’s rooms? I don’t know. I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know. But I do know this: EIE has been the best and most challenging experience of my life. It has opened so many doors about life.

I thank everyone for everything on EIE. I thank Baruch and D.Sol (principal and asst. principal) for everything they have done in putting together such an incredible program.  A special רבה תודח to Yair, my Jewish History teacher, for being such an inspirational teacher and for always being there for our class. I am so happy I had the opportunity to be a student of your first class as a Jewish History teacher. We honestly could not have asked for a better teacher. I would also like to thank Ella, our crazy, but awesome Hebrew teacher. Her stories, dances, trips to the Belmont and lawn, always made our days so much better. I would also like to thank all of my General Studies teachers, for creating special communities in our classrooms and keeping us up with our classes back in America. And of course I have to thank my madrichim whom I love so much. I could not ask for more caring people to look out for us over the past four months. I can’t wait to see you all at camp, home, and Israel sometime in the future. And of course, I would like to thank the EIE אביב class of 2010 for being such a perfect group of people. I couldn’t imagine doing this with any other group of teenagers. No matter whether we are in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago, Nebraska, New Orleans, New York, Arizona, Wisconsin, or Massachusetts, we always know we are here for each other and can always meet up again in our homeland Israel.

I have now been home for three weeks and all I think about is EIE. I miss the kibbutz, I miss my friends, and I miss my homeland Israel. Everything brings me back to a memory from EIE. I went to an Israeli market down the street, and it had all of the same snacks they sold in the markolit on the kibbutz. I had to call my friend while at the market because it made me so sad. I am constantly listening to my EIE playlist on my iPod, allowing me to remember and reminisce on old memories. Even after three weeks, it still has not hit me that EIE is over. Life is as I left it, but I have come home a much more conscientious and mature person.

Thank you everyone for following me on my blog, I hope you got a taste of my experience!

.לאמריקה ללכת רוצה לא אני .בירושלים צובה בקיבוץ גרתי אני .ישראל אוהבת אני

(Translation- I love Israel. I lived in Kibbutz Tzuba in Jerusalem. I do not want to leave, I want to stay in Israel!)

A couple weeks after we got back from Poland and Yam L’Yam, the parents came for ten days and stayed with us on Kibbutz Tzuba. I was lucky enough to have my mom come and experience life on EIE for a week. She got to experience two Tiyulim with my Jewish History teacher and class, a Tiyul in the south on her own with the other parents and the principal, Yom Hazikaron at the Kotel, Yom Ha’atzmaut on Ben Yehudah Street, Hadassah Hospital, and afternoons in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. It was great to have her here so she can see what my life has been like during these four months. Of course it was a little hard at times, as all of our schedules were changed and we had to adjust since we had been living on our owns for three months at the time. But I wouldn’t trade that week for the world! I got to explore Israel with my mom, how much better can it get?!

After that, life went back to normal. We went back to our regular daily schedule: breakfast, J. Hist, Hebrew, Lunch, General Studies Classes, Dinner, programs and announcements, homework, hang out time, and then rooms in. We continued going on our Tiyuls learning more about the modern time in Israel. Then it was our last Tiyul where we went to the trenches fought in during the Six Day War.

Just a couple of days ago we celebrated the hag, Shavuot. We studied the ten commandments and got two days off of school. The pool had just opened and we all went in for a swim! It was quite fun. We celebrated with T’fillah on Tuesday night and all wore white as well as flowers in our hair to celebrate the harvest.

Last week we went to a Maccabi Tel Aviv Soccer game and it was so much fun! We got to see a cultural sporting event for Israelis. Throughout the game I was trying to compare it to a US sports game. Although the stadium was much smaller in Israel and there were way less people, I feel like they were much more spirited. Every time something happened, the crowd would all begin to cheer in sync and sing a song. All of the fans were dressed in yellow and blue including EIE. Some of our boys got super into it and painted their bodies writing Maccabi Tel Aviv in Hebrew on their chests.

Last night we went to a concert at a club for teenagers. This was another great cultural experience. I realized this is what teenagers my age do on their Friday nights. The club was more like  a community for teenagers to listen to great bands and express their interests in music.

In three days we are going on the Security Tiyul in the north. We will Kayak in the Jordan River as well as spend more time with our Jewish History classes learning about modern day Israel as well as the Second Lebanon War and Second Intifada! I am so excited to go and explore and learn more about Israel!

Since then we have been spending lots of time on the kibbutz, and enjoying our time with each other. Yesterday was our first day of finals and now I only have one left! Now we can just enjoy each other’s company without the stress of school.

We started Yam L’Yam on the third day of Passover. After spending the first two days of Passover with different host families all over Israel, we greeted each other in our classy water shoes, Nike shorts, and hugs. Once we were all at the base, we were divided into our three different groups and seven subgroups. We ate our first Sea to Sea lunch – salami (or shall I say “mystery meat”), matzah, peanut butter, chocolate spread, and veggies. Once our bellies were filled we went on an easy, breezy, beautiful water hike with our groups. The water was cold, but felt crisp and refreshing. After an hour we were done, and took a ten minute bus ride to our base camp. We arrived and got our hiking materials which included backpacks, food utensils (a bowl, spoon, and cup), sleeping bag, and food for the next day’s lunch. Soon enough it was dinner time and we ate soup along with salad, hamburgers (without the buns), and mashed potatoes. The minute the sun went down, we all bundled up in our warmest clothes, layer upon layer and snuggled in our sleeping bags.

We went to sleep three per tent. We woke up the next morning around 6:30 a.m. by our instructor’s banging pots and pans. Luckily I went to sleep in my clothes so I didn’t have to change in the cold morning. We had a cup of tea and a couple of biscuits, and as our instructor Tom said, “We’re on the move!” After about an hour of hiking in the shade under the beautiful green trees, we sat down and ate our real breakfast that consisted of matzah, chocolate sauce, peanut butter, and apples. After that we began our hike. The view was beautiful! Green filled the air with trees, grass, and hills. To distract ourselves from the painful hills we had to walk, my friends and I played little word games. After a few hours, we stopped in a shady spot for lunch. Within our subgroups we made our lunch and cooked rice on gas stoves. We took little naps and then got back on the trail and hiked. We were determined to finish the day with only a few more hours of climbing the mountains. Our campsite kept getting closer and closer, and finally we were there! It was such a great feeling to be done with our day. We started the morning seeing antennas from such far distance that marked our campsite, and finally we were there!

Just like the night before, we chilled at the campsite, ate our dinner, and bundled in our warm clothes and sleeping bags. We woke up the next morning around the same time. It was Friday, the morning of Shabbat, and we did not waste any time before our hike. We walked a little, had breakfast, hiked some more, cooked lunch by a water stream, and walked some more. Right before lunch we did something special, we went on solo hikes. One by one, we walked in the beautiful trail for about twenty or thirty minutes. This was many of our favorite parts of Yam L’Yam. At this point in time, I was stress free. I was able to reflect on my experiences on EIE in Poland, at Passover, and my feelings about Israel. There were no distractions, but the few crawling bugs on the ground, and my beautiful surroundings. Lunch was the same, but this time my Madrich helped us cook our rice so it turned out much better! After lunch we hiked a little longer, and then went to our new base camp.

Dinner was the same. Right after dinner we had T’Fillah under the stars. It was pretty and relaxing, and a great way to end the day. Saturday we got to wake up a little later (something around 7). This day was really fun. We took a short hike down to a water stream. We spent the day in a pretty stream, relaxing and playing in the cold water (which felt great since we still had not showered). All of the groups were together having fun. On our way down we had an extremely short T’Fillah where we got to breakout and disperse by finding our own personal space to reflect in. It was so beautiful I couldn’t even handle myself. There were pebbles in the water, and hills to sit on. After our day at the stream, we hiked back to base camp. Even though it was really short, it was probably the hardest hike we had all of Sea to Sea. But my muscles and mind felt great after accomplishing the climb. We got back to base, and just relaxed with each other and had dinner. Some of us slept in our tents, and others directly under the starts.

It was now Sunday, the last day of our adventure. All that was left was a fifteen or twenty kilometer bike ride. I did it and it was so much fun! The entire time we were riding on a road between trees with the view of the Mediterranean right in front of us.

We finally arrived at the beach and were done travelling from Sea to Sea – literally! I felt so accomplished it was crazy! These were probably my five favorite days of EIE (or at least some of my favorite days of EIE). As crazy as it sounds, I was sad to be finished. Of course a shower sounded nice, and a toilet to sit on sounded luxurious, but I knew I would miss sleeping under the stars, and having nothing but us and the beautiful land of Israel. Throughout these few days I learned so much about myself. I liked “roughing it” and realized the perks of hiking. I discovered this new love for nature and my environment, and how easy it is to live life simply. I also felt this new connection to Israel. I all of a sudden became so much more appreciative of our land. I got to hike through some of the most beautiful land I have been in and it is my home!

I am so glad I had this opportunity and got to hike from the Sea of Galilee to the Mediterranean. But I do have to admit; that shower did feel nice and the bread did taste yummy, and I was happy to be back at the kibbutz or in our hostile in Haifa.

The trip began on Sunday midnight as we went on a plane with another Israeli High School. Exhausted I was, I just wanted to sleep on the short four hour flight. Unfortunately that was not so easy, as everyone was loud.

We arrived in Poland, and went to a restaurant where we ate a typical Polish breakfast. After we ate a few boys laid down on the floor and fell asleep. At first, we all thought they were a little ridiculous, falling asleep on a restaurant floor. But as the minutes past, we all found ourselves lying down one by one falling asleep. Two hours later we were woken up by our Madrichim, realizing that sleeping on the restaurant floor was always a part of the plan.

Right after that we began by walking around a Jewish neighborhood in Krakow. Right away I felt weird and out of place. The city seemed dead, deserted, and depressing. There were no people except for the EIE students. All of the buildings looked old, similar, and familiar. We walked around and went inside old synagogues and cemeteries. We ended by walking through the Krakow ghetto.

The next day we hopped on our bus and drove to Warsaw. During this five our bus ride we drove by many forests of trees. Every time I looked out the window I felt nauseous. My mind would wander, wondering what went on in these forests. I could picture death marches, and women walking with their children on cold, snowy winter days.

We began our morning by walking through an old Jewish shtettle. Afterwards we went to an old Jewish synagogue that was destroyed by the Nazis during the Holocaust and then revived by the Pols. My Jewish history teacher led a T’fillah service in the synagogue that included many powerful niguns and prayers. As the service came to a conclusion, we all got up in a circle and began to dance. Everyone was smiling and dancing together, living Judaism. I had never been prouder to be Jewish than at that point of time. I was surrounded by my best friends as free Jews in a synagogue in Poland! I will never forget the moment that we sang Am Yisrael Chai (חי ישראל עם). I was singing and dancing with pride and meaning as I began to cry. I hugged my friend next to me knowing this was the most sacred and holy moment in my life. There is no way I can possibly express the emotions I felt in words. All I can say is I never felt so happy in my life to be myself before. How lucky am I to be singing live the Jewish people of Israel in the twenty – first century.

But this feeling did not last long. Right after this joyous event we went to a forest with mass graves in Tikochin. This was the first time we went to a place where thousands of Jews were murdered by the Nazis. We all gathered as our Jewish History teacher Yair read a testimony of a woman who survived this shooting. Here there lied three mass graves. Around the graves were gates that had memorial candles and Israel flags that other visitors had left. This place felt so eerie. There was still snow left on the ground. I could just picture a Nazi shooting these people in a line for no reason. It was cold and scary, and weird to be standing there.

We left Tikochin to go to our hotel in Lublin (I believe) that night. We left tired, and nervous of what was left to come for the rest of our pilgrimage. That night we had class discussions where we discussed what we saw that afternoon, and what we were going to see the next day at Majdonek.

Every day got harder after Tikochin. We went to the Concentration Camp, Majdonek where everything was still intact and as my teacher would like to say, “There’s not much room left for imagination.” The camp was right outside the city and houses literally lied right next to it. We walked into the camp scared. We sat down as we looked at our scenery, observing the camp where our ancestors unfortunately spent their end of their lives. Little kids followed us by riding their bikes in what they might like to call their “backyards.” It was like they had no idea where they were. The first place we went were the gas chambers; the first building in the camp. We went through the different rooms of the chambers, beginning in the shower room, all the way up to the actual gas chambers. It was what I expected, but not what I expected. It was so real that it almost seemed fake. I could not comprehend where I was walking through. As I think about it now, I was in a room where thousands died, which is beyond disgusting and inhumane. We followed by going into a barrok filled with shoes left behind or taken by the guards. I cannot even estimate the amount of shoes in that one room. Containers of aisles of shoes curved around the perimeter of the room as well as in the middle of the room. I would look at the shoes spotting pretty ones and baby’s shoes. I could then see individual’s shoes, and how every pair meant something to someone. I found myself sitting down at the shoes, reciting the Mourner’s Kaddish. The shoes represented the individual people and personalities of people in the Holocaust. The day continued and I still felt confused. There was no way I could possibly understand where I was; I was in an extermination camp, that was in what I guess you can call “perfect” condition in a sick way. We walked into a cramped barrok with bunk beds that fit a thousand people. I Pictured women with their children sitting five per bed. I smelt the beds. I was in the room where these people lived. It was disgusting. We concluded by going to the crematoria and the mass grave with all of the ashes. The mound of ashes was gigantic. The whole day was unreal and eerie. I could not believe I was in an actual death camp of which I have seen so many pictures and learned so much about. We concluded with a ceremony led by the Madrichim and EIE students. I got to read a poem, others read songs, and a few read some prayers.

The next day did not get any better. We went to the biggest and infamous camp – Auschwitz. We started by walking the train tracks of Birkenau. We walked on the train tracks that millions road before me. Once we were in the camp we walked past the remains of the gas chambers that were destroyed by the Nazis right before the end of the war. After that we went through the building where the people were dehumanized. We saw where they waited in line to get their hair shaved and their arms tattooed. The last room of this building had pictures that were taken away from the Jews. My Jewish history teacher asked us to look around at these pictures to see if we could connect with any one of them and to see the faces of the Holocaust. So I walked around, trying to find meaning and connection with pictures. At first I saw some of families, and newly weds, and babies, that of course made me sad, but didn’t make me feel crazed. But then I saw that one picture – that one picture of a mother with her daughter playing with a hose in a garden. I looked at it and began to cry. This was when I finally realized where I was. I was in the concentration camp that stole many lives and transformed humans into animals.  I continued to look at this one picture, crying every time I looked at this mother with her cute and once healthy, perfectly chunky daughter. I hugged my friend next to me, yearning for my own mother. We left the building and stood outside on the grass. I finally realized and comprehended where I was – the ugliest and most disgusting place in the world – an actual extermination camp. After Birkenau I was done. I was ready to return back to my home in Israel on Kibbutz Tzuba.

The next day we went to the Warsaw Ghetto and saw the last remains of the gate/wall.

All I could think about now was my return to Zion. I was sick of feeling like an outsider in a foreign country. We got to the airport in Poland, and anxiously waited to get on the plane. Once we got on the plane we were greeted with Israeli flight attendants and Hebrew writing. After four hours in the air, we finally landed in Tel Aviv! Never have I ever felt so happy to be back home. The air was crisp and beautiful filled with lights and positive emotion. We got off the plane and one of my friends literally kissed the floor.

I always knew how awful the Holocaust was, and how important Israel is to the Jewish people, but I can’t say I really understood. After visiting Poland, I have developed such a deeper joy and love for Israel and the Jewish people. I now understand how important Israel is, and how proud I am to be a part of the Jewish people. Israel is such a beautiful and unique country that I am in love with. I walk the streets and feel life and see color. Am Yisrael Chai, live the Jewish people of Israel!

In the past week, we have had a few programs to emotionally prepare ourselves for our pilgrimage. We have discussed our feelings, and the different emotions we might have during our experiences. I am still not quite sure what to expect. I guess you can say I am very curious for the trip. I want to see my reaction, and how my perspective of the Holocaust changes after visiting Poland and the concentration camps. The weirdest part for me is that I know I get to leave these concentration camps free, returning back to my home in Israel. I will walk the paths my ancestors walked with no hope of future, knowing they probably would not leave the concentration camps. I am also very curious to see how Poland is now, and the people who currently live there.

During our preparations we listened to different stories, including my Hebrew teachers parents. Her mom was one of eight children that survived the Holocaust, traveling from camp to camp, losing all of her family. This was just one story of many, heartbreaking as it is.

Yesterday we were distributed a schedule of the trip, a sourcebook filled with information on the Holocaust, and a pocket sized copy of the national anthem, Hatikvah. We were reminded the importance of Hatikvah, and how we will find much comfort in this throughout our time in Poland.

After Poland is Pesach! My friend Emily and I are going to spend two days with one of my camp counselors family, Nitzan. I am so incredibly excited! It’s going to be so nice to spend a few days with an Israeli family for Passover.

And then after that we are going to Sea to Sea, or ים לים where we hike from the Sea of Galilee to the Mediterranean Sea (or vice versa). After hearing past EIE students stories, I am sooooo excited for this trip! It sounds like so much fun and beautiful. It’s definitely going to be a nice break from school and stress, even if we’re working ourselves physically and getting really dirty.

After that I believe we will spend a day in the north in Haifa and spend the night there!

Now I must finish packing and complete my homework! I will not be in communication for the next two weeks, but I will write on this blog after our big trip!

Love, Maddy

We began by waking up at 3:45 Friday morning to climb Masada at five a.m. to watch the sunrise. We left when it was pitch black outside, and all you could see were the few people in front of you. After about an hour of climbing and sweating, and three liters of mayim later, we finally made it to the top. The sun was beginning to rise as well as the smiles on our faces. The feeling of accomplishment soared through us all.  We sat and faced the sunrise, and continued with a T’Fillah service led by my Jewish history teacher. After that we continued with a Jewish history lesson on the top of Masada. We learned the story of the Jews and the Romans and how the Jews committed suicide because they knew that the Romans were coming.

After our tiring climb up Masada, Jewish History lesson, and snake path walk down, we arrived at our new hotel at the Dead Sea. We all quickly dressed up in our bathing suits, covered our bodies in mud, and carefully jumped into the Dead Sea. As soon as we lifted our legs we floated. And I mean literally, we floated. We were surrounded by each other’s smiles, and laughs, sharing the joyous experience of floating in the world’s lowest spot of Earth. After bathing under the sun, we got out leaving our skin feeling smooth. We continued our night with Shabbat and dinner. That night we relaxed on the beach under the stars listening to music and enjoying one another’s company.

We spent the night at the hotel, and woke up to another relaxing day at the Dead Sea. In the afternoon we went on a quick hike to two different waterfalls. It was beautiful and refreshing. The night concluded with Havdallah on the beach.

Finally it was Sunday February 21^st, 2010, the most anticipated day of all of EIE. We arrived at Sde Boker, the army base near Be’er Sheva and immediately had to run with our huge suitcases over and got into three long lines, with just girls. 4 girls in uniforms started speaking to us in Hebrew and my friend who is fluent translated for us. They randomly split us up into four groups, and then our groups were joined by the boys. They then told us to run to one of the big tents to throw our bags in and we went to get our mattresses, sleeping bags, and blankets. After we got situated with that, my group got into 2 lines next to each other while our mifakedet (commander) went to get our shirts, pants, coats and canteens. We saw other groups of kids not from EIE there too, running around the base. It looked so scary at first. After we got all of our stuff, our mifakedet told us (in Hebrew as always) to run to another place on the base and gave us 20 seconds. We ran as fast as we could, counting out loud in Hebrew backwards until we reached our destination. Once we got to echad (1), we had to yell “tav hazman, achshevet mifakedet!” (attention commander). This soon became something that we heard all the time, every time we moved an inch, from 5 seconds to 60 sometimes we would have to countdown from. That night we had an opening ceremony and I don’t remember anything except for really hating to have to stand in akshev (attention – our hands behind our backs, always) for a really long time. That night I got bundled up with a bunch of sweatshirts and sweatpants and had a pretty uncomfortable night. We were woken up at 6 am and had 20 minutes to put on our uniforms and get ready in the beyond crowded bathrooms with the Israeli girls putting on makeup and blow drying their hair. It was funny. At 6:20 my group of 17 people got into the shape of a chet (ח) and met the mifakedet standing in attention. That day we rode a bus to the “field” where we ran a lot and crawled on the ground using our elbows. The ground was hard and rocky and we got cuts and bruises all over. We also learned what to do if we hear them shout רימון (rimon) which means grenade (and also pomegrante!!). Instead of taking the bus back, we had to walk back and even run at some of the times for 4 kilometers which is like 2 miles I think. It wasn’t that bad, but since I can’t run fast, it was hard to keep up. Overall the day was very rough and we woke up the next morning with our whole bodies aching and cuts all over. It felt good that we worked so hard, but I literally could not walk! The 2nd full day we mostly were in classes, learning about the army and specifically about guns and all the parts and how to use one. The 3rd full day was the day we got to shoot the guns! When it finally came my turn, I was freaking out. I followed the instructions and did everything we learned, put the magazine in, cock it, turn the safety to semi. I shot it once and it was so scary!! We got to shoot 10 bullets. My Mifhakedet saw I was nervous, so she watched me the whole time, reinsuring me I was doing a great job. After that we went back to the base, and had four hours of kitchen duty. I’m not going to lie, it was a bit gross, and made the food taste that much worse for dinner.

But after all of the running, crawling, counting, and screaming, I realized Gadna really was not that bad. I learned what reality is for Israeli teenagers, as they would have to join the real Israel Defense Force in just a year. It made me so much more appreciative for everything I have at home whether it is the unlimited amount of toilet paper I can use on a daily basis or the delicious food of Kibbutz Tzuba. Throughout the week I learned the army mentality of the IDF. My Gadna group bonded on a whole new level as we saw ourselves at our worst and best. I am really happy I had this once in a lifetime experience, even though it was mentally and physically hard at the time. I now have so much more respect for Israeli citizens who join the IDF as well as the Americans who join the IDF. I don’t think I will ever forget my Gadna experience at Sde Boker, for good and for bad.

Finally it was Friday afternoon and it was time for us to hop onto the bus to go to Eilat, and leave Ste Boker!!! We were all ecstatic, screaming, dancing, and singing. I do not think I had ever been that excited in my life before. The feeling of getting back on our bus with our beloved bus driver Aron was so comforting. I was so happy to see my Madrichim again. It was almost like seeing my parents, after not being together for five days. And then I got to see my friends after being in different Gadna groups. All together, this reunion was incredible! We sang the whole bus ride, while passing by the country Jordan. Finally we approached the beach Eilat after waiting days! We snorkeled in the ocean and walked on the boardwalk. It was quite a relaxing day, and a nice vacation after Gadna.

It was then Sunday morning, the last day of our ten day Tiyul, and we rode camels! I shared a camel with one of my best friends Emily. We named our camel Pee Body. All of the camels were attached in a line. The camel had two humps on it. It hurt a little bit, but it was fun.

Our Tiyul came to an end, and we were back home on Kibbutz Tzuba! We got new rooms, and was put with one of my best friends! Dinner was great after the food at the hostiles and Gadna. It was great to be back in Jerusalem where we were surrounded by green trees, rather than desert.

These ten days were incredible. I feel like we have become a cohesive community as a bus group, and a full EIE group. The friendships I have made are so strong, I already consider them my best friends. I love Israel so much!

The school week is almost over, and Shabbat is near! School has been very intense and hard, but has definitely gotten better as we have gotten adjusted to our new schedules. This Friday we will have our first Jewish History test on the Biblical Time Period. Afterwards we are free and ready to enjoy our weekend! I am really excited because I am going out to lunch with the cousins Michelle, Amos, Naomi, Netta, and Ilon for lunch! And in just a week we will be going on our two week adventure to Gadna, Massada, and the Dead Sea. I’m very excited for the future of EIE!

The plane flight on Monday was okay. We flew El Al with the entire group which was fun. Luckily I was able to fall asleep on and off throughout the flight. Finally our Madrichim met us at the airport and we went straight to the Kibbutz. We were immediately divided into two different bus groups, with mine called Tal. At first I was a little nervous about it, but now I absolutely love it!

We arrived to the Kibbutz and had a pizza dinner (although it was not as good as America’s) and were assigned our rooms. I was so lucky to be put with such nice girls! The room is almost like a little suite where there is a kitchenette, bathroom and bedroom. There are two bedrooms (2 girls per room) which is absolutely perfect!

Wednesday was a pretty relaxing day. We had a general studies orientation where we got our school schedules and met our teachers. All seem pretty nice so we will see how it goes. Yesterday we had our Jewish History Orientation where we were divided into our classes and met our teachers. My teacher’s name is Yair and he seems to be the best one! I’m really happy that I am in his class as I have heard great things about him. Our first day of school is on Sunday, so we will see how it goes.

Yesterday was our first day off of the Kibbutz. We went Clementine picking for a Tzedakkah project. So much fun! Delicious too.

Earlier this morning we went on an archaeological dig. We started out by going under a thousands of years old manmade cave. We dug to find “treasures” which included pottery. I found a few pieces which was fun. Then we crawled through the cave which was my personal favorite. It was super skinny and dark, but it was really neat. Afterwards we went to old tombs which was also really interesting since they were ancient!

Today we finally went to Jerusalem and went to the Kotel. I finally feel like I am actually in Israel! It was so beautiful and special and holy. For the first time I felt connected. I felt a connection between everyone on EIE and all of the Jewish people. I feel like I am becoming a part of the history of the Jewish people. As I was at the Kotel I thought about all of the people who had gone before me and walked at the very same place as I. I finally felt like I belong in the land of Israel. We celebrated Shabbat by having our own service at the Southern Wall. It was incredible and meaningful. After our service we went to the actual wall – the Western Wall. I was amazed by the amount of people there. I went to the wall with my friend Ali and put a note in the wall. The wall was packed with thousands of notes leaving very little space left. The woman besides me was praying while crying. Watching her emotions helped me realize how holy this wall is to some people.  Afterwards I went to a different section where everyone was gathered. There was a group of soldiers celebrating Shabbat in the center, dancing and singing in a circle. It was really fun.

Yesterday was our first day of school. It is a very long and tiring day, but it just makes us look forward to shabbat. Tomorrow we will go on our first Tiyul to Geza. I really like my Jewish History and Hebrew teacher.

Missing you all and hope you are all having fun at home!

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