Israel Extreme!

View overlooking the Galilee from Keshet Cave


Repelling off Keshet Cave

This Friday my friends were able to go on an adventure into the Galilee area of northern Israel. A few months back, I came up with the idea that it would be fun to repel from one of the many mountains here in Israel, and I researched a few good companies with my dad. After a lot of planning, a group of 7 friends (including myself) were finally able to execute our idea. We were picked up at 7:00 a.m. and driven by our guide from 'Israel Extreme' to Alma Cave in the Galilee. The drive there turned out to be scarier than the rest of the day's activities - a lot of dirt paths and winding roads!

When we first arrived at Alma Cave, our guide, Moshe, set up a rope for us to swing across the opening of the cave, which was my personal favorite activity of the day. The height was initially scary, but we were harnessed in very well. The swinging was thrilling, and it was easy to relax and allow the rope to hold you up.

After our rope swinging over the opening of Alma cave, we were able to crawl through it, with the help of many man-made steps and bars to hold on to. Once we reached a certain point into th cave, Moshe had us turn off the head-lights on our helmets and have a moment of silence to understand the intensity of the experience. It was so interesting to be sitting completely cut-off from the world for a few moments, but we were all glad to see the sunlight again when we emerged from the cave.

We broke for a quick lunch on the field outside of Alma Cave, then drove to our next destination, Qeshet Cave. I have yet to understand why this is called a cave because it looks more like the side of a cliff. It was here that we were each going to repel down (almost 160 feet down) the side of the rocks and into the base of the cave. There happened to be a lot of wind that day, which made the process a lot scarier, especially when you're about to step backwards off of a mountain! Everyone in the group made it successfully down to the bottom of the cliff, but the adventure wasn't over yet! Once we got back on solid ground, we had to hike back up to the top of the cave before getting in the car and heading home. The hike up was overlooking the Galilee area, which was luscious and green at this time of year.

After a loooong day, we arrived back to Haifa campus just before Shabbat, where we showered, ate dinner, and got ready for the next day's adventure...

Adventures in the Holyland

a soldier shopping for art in Nahalat Benyamin


The crowds in Nahalat Benyamin



Greetings from the holyland!

I know it's been a while since I've updated this blog, but it's only because I've been doing and seeing so much!

First of all, I got to experience a St. Patrick's Day in Israel! There is a bar in Mercaz HaCarmel called The Irish Pub, which is where my friends and I went for the evening. They had even more Irish flare than usual, including a live band singing all English songs, including The Beatles and Sweet Home Alabama. Honestly, being there made me feel almost as if I were back in Boston for the night!

That weekend I went to Tel Aviv for a night to visit with some of my counselor friends from Tevya - it was so nice to see a few familiar faces! I stayed in a hostel (youth hotel) for the night with my friends from Haifa, and the next morning we walked around the city and went to Nahalat Benyamin (literally: property of Benjamin), the artist's colony that occurs twice a week. Since it was a Friday morning, the area was packed with people getting ready for Shabbat, especially since the parallel street is an enormous shuk.

Walking through Nahalat Benyamin reminded me a lot of Fanuel Hall, with small shops and eateries on the sides of the streets, and many tables of artists in the middle. It was also interesting to hear all of the different languages that were spoken throughout the day - Hebrew, English, Russian, and even some Spanish could be overheard at any point throughout the morning. I was able to purchase some great things to bring home for souvenirs, including a wall clock made with Jerusalem stone, and a beautiful stained glass menorah.

My friends and I had lunch at a cafe on the beach looking over the Mediterranian Sea after walking through the shuk, and then sadly had to leave for Haifa before Shabbat started.

On Saturday morning, we woke up bright and early to head for my first Regatta race! My friend Chantal, who has been studying in Israel for the year, is a member of the Israel Maccabia crew team, and was having a race in Haifa! We went to watch and support her, then went for lunch in Mercaz HaCarmel, the center of town.

Sunday afternoon I started my internship that I will be doing for the rest of the semester. As of now, I am an intern at the Office of the Spokesperson at the University of Haifa under Amir Gilat, the head of communications and media relations in the Department of External Affairs. There is an English section of everything that the University publishes, including a website, monthly newsletter, press releases, and more, which is what I will be helping with. So far I've only been in the office a few times, but I've really enjoyed my time there and it reminds me of The Collegian, so it's been great. I will let you know as soon as an article of mine comes out!

Hope all is well back home... sending lots of love!!
Elyse

Weekend in Eilat

This weekend I finally got to accomplish some of the goals that I set for myself before coming to Israel. So many of my friends have taken various trips to Israel before, and all of them have had the opportunity to spend time in the Negev, the southern part of the country, which is made up of mostly desert. The main city in the south is the port city of Eilat, which is located near the border of Egypt and Jordan. The city itself is very much geared towards tourists, with mostly English signs, hotels on the beach and a huge mall.

Anyway, the International school set up a weekend hiking trip, and we left around 3 in the morning on Friday. After driving for about 7 hours, we finally reached our destination - the Amir Mountains located about 15 kilometers outside of the city, and it was here that we would spend the next 36 hours hiking to Eilat.

Now, when you think of hiking, you probably envision a path through some trees, maybe up a few hills, something like that. Apparently, hiking through Eilat entails climbing mountains and walking through the desert with only sand and boulders in sight. Our first day of hiking lasted about 4 hours before we reached the campsite where we were to stay for the night. We all helped out to make Shabbat dinner, then had a bonfire with s'mores. That night, I was so excited to finally be able to sleep in the Negev under the stars, something that my friends have talked about doing for years. And yes, it was literally me, my sleeping bag, and the desert night.

We woke up to the sun rising the next morning around 6:30 to have breakfast and clean up the campsite before we began our second day of hiking. As we walked through the desert for what seemed like forever, I began to realize that, until you've hiked through the Negev, you really haven't experienced anything. Over the course of the next 8 hours, I climbed higher than I ever thought I could, saw 4 different countries from the top of a mountain, and used muscles in my body that I never knew I had. At the end of the day, I was beyond exhausted, and sore in every way, but so proud of what I had accomplished.

After the extremely long day of hiking, we went to a hostel by the coast of Eilat, where we were finally able to shower and relax. On Sunday we were given a free day to go to the beach, go shopping, and experience the rest of Eilat. Debby and I took this opportunity to go jet-skiing, which was amazing. At around 2, we all boarded the bus for the long drive back to Haifa, feeling tired and accomplished. Above are a few pictures that I took while hiking, which is really the only way to describe the experience.

Other than that, classes are going well and the weather is finally starting to warm up! Hope all is well at home...

Lots of Love,

Elyse

"Home to Jerusalem..."

So, it is now almost midnight on Sunday and I finally have some time to sit down and write about this weekend. In case you are looking for the abridged version, here it is: I had one of the best weekends so far in Jerusalem with Miriam and Debby!
Thursday night the University of Haifa offered their international students a trip to an Idan Raichel Project concert in Jerusalem, sponsored by MASA organization. Imagine the Wang Theater, packed full with screaming students from across the globe. Needless to say, it was crazy! Although the concert was all in Hebrew, the group put on a wonderful show. One of the most interesting facts about the Idan Raichel Project is that each group member hails from a different background (Ethiopia, Sudan, South Africa, and Yemen, to name a few), so the music was a great mix of sounds.
After the concert, Debby and I met up with Miriam, who has been studying at Hebrew University in Jerusalem for the year. We walked around Ben Yehuda Street, one of the main roads in the New City lined with restaurants and shops and got some pizza, then went back to the Hebrew University dorms for the night.
On Friday morning we set out to explore the Old City, which included a trip to the Kotel, a tour around the Cardo shopping area, and a walk through the shuk to prepare for Shabbat. At around 3 we went back to Miriams dorm to make kugel for dinner with her friends before showering and heading off to the Kotel again to welcome Shabbat. For me to try to describe being at the Kotel, the holiest Jewish site in the world, would be impossible, so it's something you'll have to come to Israel and see for yourself :)
Later Friday night, Miriam and her friends took me to a dance bar in Jerusalem called Shlomtzi's, where a lot of Israeli soldiers come after spending a few weeks in training.
Our Shabbat afternoon was spent taking a tour of the Hebrew University campus, where we stopped at a WWI gravesite before heading off to an outlook over the city. At this point, we literally had a 360 degree view of Jerusalem, including the Dome of the Rock, the Kotel, and many other historical sites. It could have been the 85 degree weather, or the beautiful view, but it was one of the best parts of being in Jerusalem. After hitting this sight, we continued on to the back of the university buildings to get a view of the Dead Sea and the Coast of Jordan, which was another highlight of the trip. Although it was very dangerous for us to go close to the border, I was so excited to be able to see one of Israel's neighboring countries.
After our walk, we sat out on the quad at Hebrew University and played cards, clearly enjoying the burst of warm weather after the "winter" season. After a little while, it was time to say goodbye, and after a very easy bus ride, I was back in Haifa, realizing how much I loved visiting the religious and holy atmosphere of Jerusalem.
All in all, the weekend was wonderful, and it made me so proud of my choice to spend a semester in Israel. More updates soon!!

Lots of love,
Elyse