Free Weekend, Tel Aviv, and Jerusalem

Hi MBI Fans, we're back with another update-

Friday morning free weekend started, logistically some parts were a bit nightmarish, but everyone got where they needed to go in the end.

For those who were staying back at the Shlomi youth hostel, they had a relaxing weekend including a trivia game, an oneg (friday night show), and an activity in which each group shared with each other about 'a day in the life bus x'. They also did rikud (Israeli/Jewish folk-dancing) Friday night. On Saturday they had chugim, including a session with Gil, our Rosh MBI, in which they learned his favorite Israeli card game- taki as well as some movie time and a musical/medura (talent show) in the evening. After havdallah, the MBI-ers who stayed back even led their own kumsitz (sing-a-long) with different songs they all learned from their camps before MBI.

Sunday, everyone got back together in Tel Aviv almost without a hitch. The group then started their tour of Tel Aviv and began learning about the history of this bustling metropolis. They went to Independence Hall where they saw a video explaining the history of Tel Aviv and how it became the booming city it is today. They sat in the very room that the Declaration of Independence was signed and heard snippets from David Ben Gurion's speech made on the day of the signing, declaring the end of the British Mandate. Then they walked around Rothschild st., one of the 'coolest' streets of Tel Aviv, and then saw Kol Bo Shalom one of the first buildings in the city.

The MBIers then went to Kikar Rabin (Rabin Square) where Israeli Prime Minister, Yitzhak Rabin, gave his last speech before he was tragically shot and killed in 1995. Here they discussed his impact on Israel and the peace process. They learned about the strides he had made and how he had re-instilled hope in the people of Israel that peace was possible as well as the difficulties the country has faced since his death. The group talked about the values that Tel Aviv was founded on and what values they see around them in the society today.

In the evening the chanichim had a peulah with their madrichim in which they discussed the connection between Jewish history and Zionism, tying in all of the history they have learned and experienced so far.

The group also did laundry tonight. Laundry on MBI is done in bags of 5 kilos, so depending on how much each MBI-er wanted to have washed, they either filled a bag themselves or combined with one friend. The laundry service picked up the bags this evening and brings them back cleaned the next evening.

The first stop today (Monday), was at one of the most historical and spiritual of cities in the World - Jerusalem. First they explored the narrow alleyways of the Jewish Quarter of the Old City and made their way to the Kotel (western wall). The Kotel is part of the surviving outer wall from the 2nd temple period, and is the most spiritual and central location of Judaism today. It is sometimes an overwhelming experience for some MBIers to come face to face with such a meaningful and historic place, but this is not always true. One story that I heard from today, was a conversation some MBI-ers were having about whether visiting the Kotel had been meaningful for them or not.

MBI then spent some time hanging out in a Jerusalem park before heading over for an interactive history lesson about Jerusalem at the Time Elevator. The Time Elevator is a journey through the rich 3,000 year history of Jerusalem. Star of “Fiddler on the Roof,” Chaim Topol plays the lead character who amid crashing ceilings, splashing water, and other special effects, leads the group through an unforgettable journey moving through Jerusalem’s historic turning points; beginning with the City of David and ending in the 1967 Six-Day War. All in all an enjoyable and educational experience.

Tomorrow on Tuesday, the group will be begin by visiting the outside of the Knesset (Israeli Parliament) building, and then take in the whole view of Jerusalem at the Haas Promenade. Here they will learn about how much Jerusalem has grown since the time when it was just the old city. They also will learn a bit about the contentious issues of land and the security-fence/separation-barrier/wall, which can be seen from the promenade. Then the group will have sometime to walk around, shop, and eat out in Jerusalem both in the Machneh Yehudah open-air market, and the Ben Yehudah outdoor-mall.

Till Next Time,

Ari