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

Rafsodiah!

Hey there all you MBI fans,

Note: There seems to be a few stomach bugs going around Israel right now. Most hit by it have not been too serious. The stomach bugs seem to attack people when they are weak, which in MBI terms, usually means either dehydration or not enough sleep. Often in these cases, the person is brought to a hospital for a few preliminary tests and given an IV. The body to relaxes giving time for the immune system to catch up and most have rejoined the group later the same day. We are trying to make sure that all MBI-ers are drinking enough water and staying hydrated. Especially being outside these last few days, each person has been expected to be drinking more than 3 liters a day. They are also being encouraged to go to sleep on time and rest so they will be able to function and participate to their fullest on all of the activities.

Wednesday and Thursday were the days of Rafsodia and MBI has been hard at work on the banks of the Kinneret. Rafsodiah is a 2 day group building and outdoor training activity which will bring the group closer by working together to build a raft that they will then be able to sail across the Kinneret. The group arrived bright and early this morning and got to work. Each kvutzah was given materials and instruction for raft building (they were supervised of course).

As the sun set on the first lovely and productive day the chanichim split up into their kvutzot and had a discussion about overcoming their dragons (dragons being a metaphor for personal challenges.) Rafsodia is a great opportunity to continue the bonding as a kvutzah and to really solidify their relationships before the touring of the country commences.

Today, the second day of Rafsodia, started by each group finishing up their rafts. In the afternoon all of the boats were completed, flags were hoisted and they were off, sailing across the sea. This was a very hot and intense day of work but everyone finished the day with a great sense of accomplishment and pride in their rafts. Afterwards, in celebration the group loaded onto another (larger) boat and "discoed" the night away.

Tomorrow morning friends will part either for the free weekend with friends and family or a relaxing weekend at the Shlomi Youth Hostel. The whole group will meet back up Sunday afternoon in Tel Aviv... but that is for next time.

Stay Tuned.

Ari

Free Weekend Information

Here is another post of the free weekend Information for those who will be visiting with family or friends this weekend. If is the responsibility of each MBI family to be in touch with their free weekend family regarding this information.

It is expected that host families will come pickup and hand-off the MBI participant to our group staff at the following locations and times. If there are any problems or questions they may call-

0526048497.

The pickup and drop-off locations and times this weekend will be-

July 15th:
Haifa 12pm - Parking Lot outside of Lev HaMifratz Bus Station
Tel Aviv 12:45pm - Parking Lot of Reading Terminal (it has a giant parking lot there)
Jerusalem 1:15pm - Parking Lot of Israel Museum

July 17th- at the same locations at these hours:
Haifa 8:30am
Tel Aviv 10am
Jerusalem 9am

A few people have had extra questions about the location of the reading terminal in Tel Aviv. Here is a further description of Reading Terminal-
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=reading+terminal&hl=iw&ll=32.098827,34.780676&spn=0.004917,0.010568&sll=32.099281,34.779485&sspn=0.004917,0.010568&radius=0.37&z=17
It is a bus terminal in the North of Tel Aviv. It is just north of the Port, where the large smoke stack is. it is on Rokach just west of Ibn Gvirol. There is a large parking lot for buses there where the bus will be found.

Note: All participants are expected to abide by all security rules and protocols during the free weekend. If any MBI program rule, security or otherwise, is broken during the weekend, it will constitute grounds for that MBI participants immediate dismissal from the program at their family's expense.

Early Pioneers, Ghetto Fighters Museum, and Tour of Haifa...

On Sunday, the group headed down to the shores of the Kinneret to learn about the early pioneers at one of the most historically significant places by the Kinneret- the chatzer Kinneret (Kinneret courtyard) and cemetery. Founded in 1909, the Kinneret courtyard was the first agricultural training farm in the history of modern Israel, where young people would come through in small groups and learn to work the land, before leaving somewhere else for permanent settlement. The MBIers heard stories of young people from Eastern Europe who came to Palestine and the hardships, dilemmas, failures and numerous successes that they endured in their time at the chatzer.

Just across the road from the Chazter Kinneret is the old Kinneret cemetery. Here, the MBIers could hear the stories of some of the most famous personalities in the history of Israel and Zionism, ranging from the early Socialist Zionist thinkers and writers Moses Hess and Dov Ber Borachov, to the early Chalutzim (pioneers) Berl Katznelson and Rachel, the poetess to some of the integral figures of the modern state, such as Israeli song-writer Naomi Shemer.

Then they went down the road to Kibbutz Degania and had a round-robin where they learned about the values of the kibbutz and its role in the building of the State of Israel. It is certainly an unparalleled experience to be able to do this while actually walking around the first kibbutz that was established.

Then they did a hike in Nahal Magerse, which is a very cool water hike. Much of this hike is done while actually wading through waist high water! That night they had a peula about chalutziut (pioneering) and asked themselves if they could also be chalutzim? What would that look like today? Needless to say, the MBIers left the day with a real feel of the spirit of the chalutzim and an understanding of the uniqueness of the young people who were so essential to the establishment of the Jewish State.

Monday started out with the group going to the Lochamei HaGetaot Museum (The Ghetto Fighters Museum), which is at the kibbutz of the same name. First the MBIers were brought to a lookout point where you can see the whole museum and learned about the founding of the kibbutz and museum. Then they saw a few of the different exhibits within the museum, like the children's exhibit, and the resistance exhibit. The groups were led by members of Habonim Dror and Hanoar Haoved (our Israeli sister youth movement). In the exhibits and in the sikkum (conclusion) of the morning, the MBI-ers discussed people's ability to make choices in their lives and how they act and react in different situations. They also discussed the involvement of the youth movement in rebellion during the Holocaust and about how to relate the themes of rebellion and responsibility to their own lives. While difficult, this trip was also meaningful and inspiring for the MBIers to see what our and other youth movements did back then and to feel that we can still be active and strong today.

In the afternoon MBI headed farther north to Rosh Hanikra, a geologic formation located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the Western Galilee. The Rosh Hanikra grottoes are cavernous tunnels formed by the sea action on the soft chalk rock. The grottoes branch off in various directions with some interconnecting segments. The chanichim went down to the grottoes and were mesmerized by the way the water gently ran up against the rocks and then seconds later came crashing down with great force.They also enjoyed the light and sound show which described the history and ancient legend of the grottoes.

Then MBI had a small tour of the village of Peki'in which is where they are staying. It is notable in Jewish history because it is a place where Druze and Jews have lived peacefully together for hundreds of years. Peki'in is frequently mentioned in historical sources, specifically in reference to its small Jewish community that has existed there almost continuously since the Second Temple period. Near the village, there are significant sites for both Druze and Jews, including a restored Jewish synagogue dating back to the Roman Period.

Today, Tuesday, MBI started the morning by hiking up Mount Meron, the 2nd highest peak in Israel. Then the MBI-ers drove down to Haifa to explore one of Israel's most unique cities. Haifa, Israel's third largest city is built into the Carmel Mountain on the Northern part of the coast. Haifa is well known as being a multi-ethnic city where Arabs and Jews have lived and worked together for years. To begin the siyur (tour) the chanichim gathered on a promenade above the Bahai Gardens. The Gardens are holy center for the Bahai religion. This is where people of the Bahai faith come to complete their pilgrimage. From this promenade you can see the gardens as well as the whole downtown area of Haifa.

Here the MBIers learned a bit about the history of Haifa and the demographics of the city. Then they ventured down into the city and saw first hand the different elements of Haifa. Throughout the tour they witnessed examples of the Jewish, Muslim, and Christian presences in Haifa. For part of the tour, they visited the neighborhood of Wadi Nisnas. Because Haifa is on a mountain there are neighborhoods located in different natural formations. A wadi is a dried up river bed and this is evident when walking in this particular neighborhood. You have to descend into it and it is very narrow. The buildings are also small and close together. During the walk through the neighborhood the chanichim discussed the architecture of Wadi Nisnas as well as the layout of the city as a whole. Another interesting aspect of Wadi Nisnas is that every year local artists are asked to create murals and art installations to be featured in the neighborhood as part of a coexistence project. This is meant to bring beauty to the city as well as Arab and Jewish artists together. The trip to Haifa was meant to show MBI how Haifa is a multi-ethnic town and learn a bit about what that means and some of the dilemmas that come with it.

Tonight MBI is staying in Peki'in again and tomorrow Rafsodiah starts! Rafsodiah is the part of the trip where each kvutza builds their own rafts and sails them across the kinneret. But more on that next time...

Till then,

Ari

Hebrew Words-

Chatzer- courtyard

Chalutzim/Chalutziut- pioneers/pioneering

Kibbutz- communal settlement, often agricultural

Lochamei- fighters

HaGetaot- the-ghettos

Nahal- river

Wadi (Arabic)- dried-up riverbed

First Hike and MBI Shabbat

Friday morning, MBI packed up and loaded the buses to leave Tel Chai and set off for their first hike of the summer. They went to a stream called the Hatzbani. This is one of Israel's 3 main water sources that leads to the Jordan River. It sits at the foot of the picturesque Hermon Mountain. This is a great hike due its beauty and was a nice break from the heat as the MBIers had the opportunity to go in the water.

After the hike, they drove to the next camp site, Yaar Lavi (lavi forest) where they will be spending the weekend and had some time to get ready for their first Shabbat.

Friday night on MBI looks very similar to Shabbat at machaneh. They started off the evening by sitting in groups by machaneh. At camp this is called mishpachot (families) and it is an opportunity for everyone to sit in smaller groups and reflect on the week. On MBI this is an opportunity to see all of their home camp friends who are on different buses.

Mishpachot was followed by Kabbalat Shabbat (a "ceremony" before dinner to bring in the Shabbat). Following Kabbalat Shabbat, Gil, told a rosh story about what his first day at camp was like, his first summer at a Habonim Machaneh.

Following dinner the MBIers had Shabbat Shira and sang hebrew songs that many of HDNA's machanot sing each friday night. Shabbat Shira ended up going so long that the dining hall staff asked the group to leave so they could close up. All of the tzevet and MBI-ers went outside the chadar ochel (dining hall) and the tzevet thought Shabbat Shira was over. But the MBI-ers kept going outside in one large circle, and sang together for another 45 minutes.

Then MBI was treated to an Oneg (a short and funny play) planned by 3 of the MBI-ers for the rest of the group. Following the Oneg they had the opportunity to participate in one of our best camp traditions, Rikudei Am (folk dancing). Rikud is something that happens at all the machanot in a slightly different way so this is a great time for the chanichim to share their traditions and learn new dances. The group was dancing with such energy, that another group of Israelis also staying at the campsite came over and asked if they could join.

On Saturday the MBIers had a day full of meaningful conversation and relaxation "chill time" They enjoyed a slight sleep in before delving into some important issues. The day included a peula about why MBI is in Israel and the importance of Israel to our movement and their own identities. An important topic to discuss and keep in mind throughout the summer as they travel around.

Along with this peulah they enjoyed 2 sets of chugim (interest groups) These are discussions and activities that are run everyday at machaneh and on Saturday sometimes take on a more serious tone. The first session of chugim was run by the madrichim and the second set was run by some of the chanichim. This was an incredible opportunity for peer leadership and a way for the MBIers to share their interest with one another.

After dinner they took part in another amazing camp tradition, Medura and Musicale. This is a time when anyone who wants to sign a song, play an instrument, read a poem, etc. can do so. Over the years musicale has been a space where kids can express themselves artistically.

From the sounds of it MBI has a lovely restful Shabbat in preparation for their 2nd week.

Till next time,

Ari

Hebrew Words:

Machaneh - camp

Mishpachot - families

Kabbalat Shabbat - service bringing in the shabbat

Shabbat Shira - singing songs for shabbat

Chadar Ochel - dining hall

Rikudei Am - Israeli/Jewish folk dances

Chanichim - campers/participants

Peula- activity

Medura- campfire talent show

Musicale - open-mike performance

Buses and Kvutzot.

Here is the breakdown of the Bus Lists by Kvutza for MBI this summer.

Bus 1 Madrich Masa (tour guide): Noam

Kvutza 1A Madrichim (counselors): George + Alysse

Maya Amar Eva Bernstein Joshua Bloom

Toviah Botwinik Mosha Buhler Benjamin B-W

Sara Dean Olivia Hart Gabriel Hessenthaler

Sylvia Jacobson Margaret Lebow Alistiar McDonald

Jobim Morris-Gavrieli Adam Paz Matan Reshef

Lydia Ruddick-Schulman Jonathan Saltzman Joshua Schmidt

Ori Shimony Joshua Simon Katherine Streitwieser

Talia Weiss Asher Zetler

Kvutza 1B Madrichim: Yoav + Gabby E.

Thomas Agger Tahel Axel Zoe Bernstein

Emma Feyler Zoe Friedland Benjamin Friedman

Golda Friedman Adam Goldstein Daniel Hannani

Ari Howorth Lena Janoda Eli Jensen

Samuel Koppel Steven Leber Edunn Levy

Kobi Oxman Liat Paradise Talia Rodwin

David Sasson Sara Sharpe Lily Shtuhl

Talia Teeger

Bus 2 Madrich Masa Noa

Kvutza 2A Madrichim: Guy + Gabby M.

Micah Arnson-Serotta Sara Banai Heather Cohen

Ariel Egar Michael Eidelson Avi Friedlander

Jacob Gross Ashley Hannani Benjamin Hill

Henry Jaffe Jacqueline Karp Toby King

Mira Kruger Brock Ladenheim Naomi Lazanik

Eliana Mangan Hannah Mathis Danielle Naftali

Rebecca Newman Hannah Robinovitch Thom Slater

Elliott Stern

Kvutza 2B Madrichim: Amit + Avigail

Aviv Brawer-Cohen Rachael Cohen Ashley Cohen-tanugi

Bekah Diamond-Bier Aaron Fine Koren Fowler

Rafael Friedman Adi Goldberg Jacob Henderson

Brittany Herzenberg Eli LaBan Lauren Lindenbaum

Shoshana Lovett-Graff Aaron Meyer Lital Netter-Sweet

Sarah Panzer Gabriel Paul Michael Rozen

Ethan Saltzberg Adi Shapira Benjamin Shtuhl

Naomi Tamura Lindsey Taussig

Bus 3 Madrich Masa Amit

Kvutza 3A Madrichim: Tomer + Josh

Guy Alon Elisheva Asbia Sharon Blumenthal

Reba Cohen Jacob Faber Wyatt Frank

Juliana Gluck Jacob Levitt Aaron Lieberman

Eli Marsh Hannah Martens Zachary Morris

Aliyah Nissim Sidney Oderberg Zev Orenstein

Sophie Parker Alan Rosenthal Deborah Secular

Daniel Shahar Eli Spector Sorrel Thomson

Sarah Yellin

Kvutza 3B Madrichim: Anna + Farrell

Tomer Danino Jacob Douglas Gabriel Epstein

Hannah Faber Rachel Fishman Jessica Glassman

Eliana Gottesman Eli Kaplan Aaron MacRitchie

Yehuda Maes Avery Mencher Leah Peacock

Ethan Ramsay Rebecca Salant Helena Schenavsky

Nur Shlapobersky Jeremy Simon Nim Sten-Gilady

Emily Stopak Hannah Weintraub Ethan Weisbaum

Segev Yarden

First Day of MBI, Tzfat, Kvutzot and more...

Hello MBI Fans,

Note: I will add a glossary of any new or regular Hebrew words used in the blog posts at the bottom of each one.

Today was the first full day of MBI Kaf 2011! The first few days are used an orientation period for the MBIers. During this time they will be meeting each other, starting to form friendships and will start to examine what being on MBI is all about. These next few days will be filled with games, discussions and a bit of traveling in the North.

In the morning the first thing they did was to split into buses and kvutzot. This year we have three full buses on MBI, with each split into two kvutzot. This is done in order to help build smaller and closer group relationships for the MBI-ers which will continue throughout the summer, almost all programs, peulot, and activities will be done in these smaller groups (kvutzot). The split was done through a fun game in which each person was given a puzzle-piece and had to find the rest of the pieces needed to finish the puzzle. This resulted in each a few groups of people sitting around their completed puzzles and these were their kvutzot! Then different games were held with two kvutzot at a time, and changing which two kvutzot were paired together each time. Then finally STOP! was yelled and the two kvutzot sitting together at that time turned out to be the groupings for our buses this summer.

The MBI-ers were then off to the historic city of Tzfat. This city has existed for hundreds of years on mountain tops in the upper Galilee and was the home for generations of scholars studying Jewish mysticism and kabbala. The MBI-ers got a chance to walk around the old city, through its stone walkways and corridors, and stopped for for a bit in a park overlooking the beautiful view available from the city. They also went and visited a few of the old synagogues which are still there and are beautifully decorated by followers of different rabbis who lived there hundreds of years ago.

Later, MBI had a peula about values and what it means to live according to different values. Part of the method for this peula was an enormous 'choose-your-own-adventure', where each MBI-er was given a situation with two choices and had to choose which option they would do. They had to take a picture of themselves enacting the decision they made, and each successive situation was then built off of the particular choices they made along the way.

After dinner they had a kvutza peula about how kvutza is a tool for creating intimacy and talk about what kind of kvutza they wanted to build over the course of the summer. During the full staff meeting later that evening, each small tzevet (staff) was very excited about how their kvutza's first conversations went and feeling very good about the beginning of the summer.

I heard another story today that I wanted to share. One of the other groups staying at the hostel right now is an Arab group running a kayetzet, or a mini-summer camp- usually no more than 7-days long. During one of the breaks in the day, a group of MBI-ers came out and found some of the other program's participants having a drum circle in the hostel courtyard. After saying hello, some of the MBI-ers asked to join and the result was a a mini-drum and dance party spontaneously erupting with both groups participants right then and there.

Tonight MBI is again in the Tel Chai youth hostel, and tomorrow will be learning more about the Habonim movement as well as touring and learning about more about Tel Chai itself and what happened there.

It is certainly a packed and intense first day of the program that will start off a great summer.

Till next time,

Ari

Hebrew Words-

Kvutza- small intimate group

Tzevet- staff (used for both the full MBI staff and smaller kvutza or bus staff)

Peula- informal-educational activity, sometimes discussion based

Kayetzet- small mini-camp, usually lasting about 5-7 days.