I'm Back from Israel!

[Unknown User]

Posted: 1/14/05 at 1:15pm

Hey All!!!

I'm back from my 10 day free trip to Israel. OMG it was amazing!! I went with a group of 40 students from CSUN (my school in So Cal) and ASU(a #1 party school and o wow is that tru!). I made tons of great Jewish friends and wonderful memories I am NEVER gonna forget. I met tons of people from all over the world and I totally love the Israelis!! They are the best!! It was really weird at first with the soldiers carrying their guns (M-16s) all around with them on their back. But we got used to it in no time.

The sites we saw were incredible. It was sooo weird to think that the places we were were the exact same places people were years ago and where lots of historical religious things happened.
Here are some of the highlights of my whirlwind 10 day trip:
-First we were in Nof Ginnosour where we stayed on a Kibbutz.
-We took jeep rides in the Golan Hights and saw the Sea of Galilee.
-Went in a Syrian bunker.
-Went to the city of Tzfat the highest city in Israel.
Explored the ancient roman bathrouse and ampitheatre at Beit Shein.
-Dug at an archaolgical dig where we found artifacts that were like 2000 years old..... soooo cool!
-Played with kids at an Eithiopian Apbsoption Center, they r sooooo cute!
-When we went to Jerusalem we stayed at the Regency Hotel where Jimmy Carter was staying(he was there to oversee the Palestinean elections) so there was tons of secret service men there and much tightened security.
-Shabbat in Jerusalem was amazing!!! Soo special spritually. I even walked to the Kotel(Western Wall) on Shabbat morning which was really long but really cool.
-Went to a lot of malls, saw Kosher McDonalds and Domino's hehe the malls were cool, had lots of security everywhere.
-Had the best hot chocolate, mocas, falafels and berekas ever!!
-Ate a fabulous dinner in a beduion tent.
-We rode camels!! Hehe that was the coolest.... the guys didnt quite enjoy it as much as us females did tho hehe.
-Saw lots of cemeterys and gravesites such as Ben Gurion, Theodore Herzl, Yitzhak Rabin, and Golda Meir.
-Went to the Kinneset (the Israeli Government) and saw the Charlie Awards.
-Hiked up Masada at 5am to watch the sunrise.....BEAUTIFUL!
-Floated in the Dead Sea and put the mud all over our bodies haha it was cool.
-Planted trees in Shaar Hagai.
-Shopped in the Jewish Quarter in the Old City in Jerusalem.
- Toured the Independence Hall in Tel Aviv where the declaration of Independce was signed.
-Partied a ton at the bars at the hotels we were at and in our rooms (drinking age was 18 so everyone could drink legally which was nice). Our Rabbi that came with us even drank with us he is the coolest Rabbi ever! One night on the kibbutz we were on we went to this Pub/Disco, it was hella fun.

Over all this was the best trip of my life. I have never been in a place with that many jewish people my life. I felt totally at home. For once in my life I was not a minority, it was the best feeling ever! I totally reccomend any Jewish Americans ages 18-26 if you have never been on an organized group trip to Israel before to take advantage of this wonderful free Birthright Trip.

If anyone wants more info or wants to see pictures of my trip (haha i took over 500 pictures) PM me and i'll be happy to talk to you!

[Guido Contini]

Posted: 1/14/05 at 1:17pm

Becca, my love....we're just happy to have you home. I'm sooo glad you enjoyed your trip so much. Although being not jewish, I can't quite understand the trip as much...but I'm sure it was a life-altering experience. I hope sometime you'll share with me every of the wonders you were brought in touch with along the way. I'm quite interested.

[ckeaton]

Posted: 1/14/05 at 1:24pm

OK. That's enough Guido.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 1/14/05 at 1:33pm

Welcome back! It sounds wonderful.... I really need to go there soon.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 1/14/05 at 1:35pm

Thanks guys, yep it was wonderful, and yes you do need to go, i need to go back there soon too! hehe =)

[Guido Contini]

Posted: 1/14/05 at 1:35pm

hey hey..you're my understudy..and becca knows I'm interested in her trip.

[midtowngym]

Posted: 1/14/05 at 1:39pm

Sounds like a great trip! I loved Israel, but my recent trip was frightening. I was 1/2 block away from the Carmel Market suicide bomb in Tel Aviv which killed 5 people. I was in Arab East Jerusalem at a hotel as Arafat lay dying in Paris--lots of 'firecracker' noises going off at night. And my rental car was kicked and pounded by the Orthodox when i accidentally drove through their neighborhood on the sabbath. It's an amazing place, but certainly a trip i'll never forget!

[ckeaton]

Posted: 1/14/05 at 1:41pm

Ever seen 'Showgirls'?

[BwayLover]

Posted: 1/14/05 at 1:42pm

Glad you had fun RoseActress. :) I do love this little country of mine.

[Guido Contini]

Posted: 1/14/05 at 1:43pm

no ck..i can't say that i have.

[ckeaton]

Posted: 1/14/05 at 1:46pm

Rent it. :)
It is good on so many levels.

Back to you, Becca. Did you meet anyone nice of the boy persuasion?

[Staci1818]

Posted: 1/14/05 at 1:47pm

Sounds like so much fun....

*Is makink pans for EIE in the future*

[ckeaton]

Posted: 1/14/05 at 1:49pm

EIE?

[Unknown User]

Posted: 1/14/05 at 1:49pm

hehe yep i sure did....... jewish boys r actually fun..... when they rnt all getting drunk and smoking hookah

[ckeaton]

Posted: 1/14/05 at 1:51pm

Is the myth true?

[Staci1818]

Posted: 1/14/05 at 1:52pm

EIE=Eisendrath International Exchange High School in Israel

Its a High School program where you spend one semester in Israel.

[Guido Contini]

Posted: 1/14/05 at 1:53pm

oh becca, i hope you didn't indulge in any hookah or drunkeness.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 1/14/05 at 1:53pm

what myth?

staci.... do birthright!!!!!!!!!

[Unknown User]

Posted: 1/14/05 at 1:55pm

no no no i dont smoke at all ever and that includes hookah. i do drink a lil every now and then and that is incredibly easy when its legal and your Rabbi joins you all at the bar and at one of our hotel rooms with his Jack Daniels and Wine and starts the brucha (prayer) for us. Hehe so drunkeness yes.... stoneness noooooooo

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 1/14/05 at 1:57pm

Staci - I know a lot of people who have done EIE, and they say it's the best experience of their lives. Do it!

[Carl Magnum]

Posted: 1/14/05 at 1:58pm

Is there something wrong with smoking from the Hookah??? I mean other than the fact that you don't get the biggest hits when you use them.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 1/14/05 at 1:59pm

no i just dont and wont smoke thats all.....

[Carl Magnum]

Posted: 1/14/05 at 2:00pm

You and Guido make it sound like it's the most horrible thing in the world. Be careful with word choice.

[Guido Contini]

Posted: 1/14/05 at 2:00pm

it makes me happier and happier each time i see you say that.

[Staci1818]

Posted: 1/14/05 at 2:10pm

Emcee - I've head that from everyone I know whos gone. I just need to convince my dad to let me, then figure out scholarships.....