Israel Pilgrimage,
Group #1

*The pictures below are links; clicking on them will take you to a larger version of that picture.

Sunday, July 9th:
At 4 am this morning Group 1 set out on their long walk up Massada. The night before, they learned about the heroic story of the Jews who once lived there and when they reached the top of the mountain they did Shacharit as the sun was rising over the Judean Hills and then learned about life under Roman rule.  After breakfast, the group drove to Ein Gedi, where they took a small hike to a waterfall and were able to cool off in the strong heat. They floated in the Dead Sea, and experienced the great mud of the Dead Sea. They then left the South for Tel Aviv, where they ate dinner and spent the night in the Grand Devora Hotel.

Monday, July 10th:
Group 1 spent the day touring Tel Aviv. They first visited the Hall of Independence where they learned about the settling of Tel Aviv as a city, and sat in the very room in which David Ben Gurion declared Israel an independent state. They then toured Neve Tzedek, the first neighborhood built outside Old Jaffa, which today is considered the "SoHo" of Tel Aviv. They then went to Kikar Rabin, the place where Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin gave his last speech and was assassinated in 1995. They did a ceremony in the square and discussed the impact that this first assassination in Israel had on her people. After a swim on the beaches of Tel Aviv, the group headed back to Jerusalem to the Rabin Guest House.

Tuesday, July 11th:
Today, Group 1 learned about what USY calls “New Jerusalem,” which basically traces the line that was Israel’s border with Jordan before 1967. First they went to the Tayelet, an overlook where the entire city can be seen with the Old City in the Center. It is said that this is the place where Abraham stood when he saw the city for the first time. From there they went to Ammunition Hill, where they walked through the trenches that used to be part of a Jordanian bunker that was the center of battle in 1967. They then went to Mount Herzl where they visited the graves of the founders of Zionism, as well as the graves of Yitchak Rabin and Hannah Senesh. They also went to the Herzl Museum where they learned about Theodore Herzl and his dream of a Jewish homeland. Tonight they relaxed and slept in the Rabin Guest House.

Wednesday, July 12th:
Group 1 spent the day in Jerusalem at Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust Museum, and on Hill 16 planting trees. They had a tour of the brand new museum, which is three times bigger than the previous one, and had time to walk around the exhibits themselves. After lunch, the group went to USY’s JNF hill and worked the land for a few hours. They fulfilled the mitzvah of planting trees in the Land of Israel. Tonight the group returned to the Rabin Guest House and met in their vaadot (committees) before packing for the North.

Thursday, July 13th:
Group 1 left Jerusalem this morning, and headed north to Haifa where they had a tour and overlooked the beautiful view. They went to Elijah's cave, ate lunch, and went into the Bahai Gardens, a phenomenally beautiful experience. They then headed to Poriyah where they plan to spend Shabbat and part of next week.

Friday, July 14th:
Group 1 had a wonderful day in the Tiberias area. Due to the current situation, their itinerary was altered, but it didn't stop them from having fun! They spent the morning in Tiberias shopping for the famous Naot shoes and then continued onto Tzipori, a Jewish center dating back to the time of the Second Temple. After a tour, they drove back to Poriyah to prepare for a relaxing and spirited Shabbat together. Shabbat Shalom!