Palm trees loom in the distance as the tent comes into view. Heat waves blur the edges of the tent, as one trudging step after another in the hot sand we make our way to our destination. Avraham Avinu’s tent is there to greet us. Full of welcome chesed after the long journey in the desert. This story came to life today as we had another amazing day in Israel with camel riding, Masada, Ein Gedi, the Dead Sea, talent show, and last minute trip to the Kotel. This day was truly an iconic day to have so near to the end of our trip.
Our first activity of the day was rising early, davening and camel riding. At the early time of 5:45 we woke up to greet the morning. Davening took place just outside our tent as we looked to the sun rising over the mountains. It was very pretty despite the early time. After that the true gem of the day started, camel riding. We all walked over to where the camels were held and watched an informational video about riding the camels. Once informed, we headed over and saddled our camels. Many of us named our camels. Names included: Sandy, Camolita, Lola, Carlos, and many more (ask your daughter what she named her camel¡) Many of us stayed hydrated and drank from our camelbaks on the camel’s back. After a grueling journey of 40 years in the Midbar being led by Moshe Rabeinu (and his Bedouin friends), the yidden (Aka give nation) returned to the Bedouin tents to eat breakfast, schmooze with Yad B Yad, Jolt, and British people, and pack for our next activity.
Our next activity was experiencing Masada. Thankfully we didn’t have to hike at as it was very hot today. We boarded the cable cars and enjoyed a stunning view of the mountains and the Dead Sea. Once on top of the mountain we heard the story of the last Jewish stronghold against the Romans. Our tour guide showed us around the synagogue they used and told us how they kept their Judaism strong even with the pressures of the romans. Those Ro-men weren’t messing around when they built that ramp.
After that we travelled to Ein Gedi were we saw the namesake of those 1.5 liter bottles. The hike was hot but totally worth it once we got to the cool and refreshing water fall. Everyone had tons of fun splashing around and schmoozing by the waterfall. Though I didn’t see any of those cool gazelles, it was a pretty fun experience. (Ein Ged)I’d love to come back and see the waterfalls again but hopefully when it’s less hot.
The next stop was the Dead Sea. Personally, I am not a fan of the Dead Sea so I just chilled by the sea shore. Everyone still had a great time- for a sea that was dead it was pretty lit. After that we took the voyage back to Jerusalem. Many of us slept which was awesome after the sleep deprivation of last night.
Our night activity was a talent show. Many girls showcased their talents of singing, dancing, and playing instruments. It was so cool to see girls I’ve known for a month show off their talents. Some were funny, others were serious but they all were greeted with huge applause as we were so proud of our friends.
Next, we went to a meaningful last trip to the Kotel. Girls poured their hearts out in prayer as we tearfully said goodbye to our homeland. I personally was very sad to leave such a meaningful place but am excited to come back home and share my experiences. Seeing such a meaningful place for the last time in a while was sad, but I knew I would return one day.
To conclude, a story: Arriving at the tent, we are greeted with open arms by Avraham Avinu, the pillar of chesed he greets all with upmost respect and love. On Give, as it comes to a close we learned from our forefathers about chesed and the land of Israel and we got to experience both of those things this summer. Today, was such an iconic day that many trips experience so I am so glad that we go to experience it near to the end of the trip.
I’d like to thank NCSY for having Give in Israel and giving me an amazing experience, I’d like to thank my parents for supporting always, I’d like to thank Michal for giving me today to journal about and keeping the tradition about writing about Bedouin tents alive. I’d like to thank My friend for letting me use her phone and giving me puns to use, I’d like to thank HaShem for He is the source of all blessings, and finally I’d like to thank all of you for reading to the end even though this is probably the longest and strangest blog post ever.
Madeline Hartranft