MBI Tet Zayin 2007: A successful and meaningful summer Israel

Well MBI has come to a close with a hectic but successful travel day coordinated on both sides of the ocean. It was quite moving to see the group of 160 MBIers come out a bit tanner then when I saw them 5 weeks ago and clearly more of a group then before. The tearful goodbyes were a difficult challenge to overcome in my efforts to avoid missing connecting flights. There are some who say the measure of success at summer camp is the amount of crying on the last day and with that rubric MBI apparently was a success.

With all the hours and effort put in to the building and running of MBI, it was rewarding to be at the airport and see the friendships forged, connections made, and the new found love of Israel that this wonderful group came back with. I want to thank everyone who helped out on the travel day to make a rushed effort a success and making sure everyone made their connecting flight and bus. Thank you especially to Elana Shippen for her efforts that enabled the Vancouver/Victoria Miriamniks travel back to Canada to be successful.

Of course much of the credit due for the success of the program are the efforts of our Rosh Leon Schneider and the wonderful tzevet we hired. They spent many late nights working to ensure quality programming took place as well as working tirelessly to ensure the safety, security, and care of all the MBIers was looked after. Sarah Michaels-Levy, our techni(technical director), also worked tirelessly behind the scenes to coordinate any number of important logistical aspects to the program and was instrumental in the program's success. Leon and Sarah were the backbones on the ground and were vital to providing leadership and guidance to the tzevet(staff) and the MBIers themselves.

I also want to generally thank you the parents for your many efforts to voice support for our work in making MBI a success. This has been quite a challenge and learning process for me and I am glad that overall things have gone quite well and I am always open to and wanting to receive any constructive feedback you might have for the future. I look forward to being in touch and perhaps crossing paths as I will be visiting every Machaneh(camp) region as I did this past year. I hope everyone has a great rest of their summer and it is time to sign off as all good things must come to an end.

All the best,
Michael

Travel Day Update

Well the day so far has gone pretty well. Everyone got on their intended connecting flights with the Detroit flight having pushed from the gate and awaiting their take-off. Their flight as of this writing has been delayed to depart at 1:23pm and arrive in Detroit at 3:17pm. The Portland 2 have yet to depart but are currently on schedule and will be resting at the Central Office bayit(house) in Brooklyn. The buses departed a bit late but otherwise despite the rush of flights, this morning went pretty well. The Seattle flight apparently is coming in 30 mins late and as such might cause some delay in getting to Vancouver. The Shippen's will be in touch with an update. It's hard to believe its almost over but don't worry I'll be posting at least once more!

The Last Day and The Flights

Well I'll today's entry a bit in reverse. Everything went smoothly at Ben-Gurion Airport and both ELAL flights have taken off and are en route to JFK. We are excitedly awaiting their arrival and I will be at the airport bright and early to greet the MBIers and send everyone on to their final destination.

Today the MBIers got a bit of a sleep-in and had a wrap up peula(activity) where they talked about the program and what they were taking away from it and what they are going to bring back to the their communities and the ken. Then had a delicious lunch of cholent among the many options at the buffet in the dining room.

After lunch they headed off to their rooms to finish packing up and then had a final peula(activity) with their bus. They had some last fun, had last wills(where they give each other funny imaginary last wills) and got their bus shirts. They also finally got their official MBI sweatshirts that they had designed themselves. A final tekes(ceremony) was hold to mark the closing of MBI Tet Zayin and then a final Israeli dinner was had. Then they packed up the buses headed to the airport and as I have already mention got on their flights and are currently heading back to North America.

Tomorrow I again will be reachable on my cellphone at 917-822-2330 should any questions or issues arise.

For Galil Families: Saul Jaffe will be chaperoning the bus instead of Ilana Goldfus. Please make note of this change.

The Final Shabbat

First off as some of you may or may not have heard a shooting took place in Jerusalem in the Old City. The details of the attack are still being figured out but nobody from MBI was near the attack and everyone is safe and sound at the Neve Ilan hotel outside Jerusalem. The site of the attack was also at a location that is forbidden for us to take groups so the MBIers would never have been there in the first place.

That being said the MBIers did have a splendid day in Jerusalem. They started in the morning at the Biblical Zoo. The Zoo has animals that are mentioned in the bible and at each animal's habitat the biblical quotes are denoted as well. The Zoo is also home to some beautiful gardens which in combination with the unique animals at Zoo made it a fun morning.

Then they headed to Jerusalem's biggest kenyon(mall) where they got to have their choice of lunch and had sometime to do some shopping for those last minute goodies and gifts. Afterwards they headed back to Neve Ilan to start the process of wrapping up MBI. Each bus had its activities to reflect on what and where they had been and recognizing how far the group and the individuals had come from the beginning of MBI. Then they had time to clean up and get ready for the final Shabbat.

They had Mishpachot with their home machaneh(camp) followed by a final rousing, Rosh Story told by the illustrious Leon in his distinctive Australian accent. Kabbalat Shabbat and Shabbat dinner followed. The final oneg(play) was performed by Bus 1 who did their best to get the most and last laughs in front of the whole group.

Tomorrow they will have a short sleep-in and have two peulot(activities) to continue the sikkum(wrap-up) process. They will of course finish up packing, receive their official MBI sweatshirts which the MBIers designed and voted on themselves, and will have a closing tekes(ceremony) to mark the end of MBI Tet Zayin, the 16th and largest MBI that Habonim Dror North America has run. Then off to the airport they go to start their journeys back home to North America. I will be posting an update to the blog confirming the flights have taken off once I get the word from Leon.

The Miriam bus to Seattle will be chaperoned by Elana Shippen, mother of Nellie Shippen, who has graciously agreed to ride from Seattle to Vancouver. Also the travel plan listed below spells specific plans for regions with unique plans and everyone else whether from the Midwest, West Coast, or Toronto, or elsewhere will have their flights just as they did on the way to New York and will be escorted to their flights by the Habonim Dror staff. Lastly I will be in the office for a few hours tomorrow afternoon but can be most reliably reached by my cellphone if you have any pressing questions to ask me.

Shabbat Shalom le kulam(to everyone!)

Eilat and the countdown to the end...

Today the MBIers headed out from their hostel spend sometime in the Red Sea and having the opportunity to do some shopping. Each bus took their turn getting a guided snorkeling experience in the Red Sea. Swimming and getting to see the tropical fish was a pleasurable way to pass the time. When they weren't snorkeling they got to walk along Eilat's Tayelet(boardwalk) where they got explore the different wares of various Israeli merchants as well as getting to go to Eilat's Mall.

Then the MBIers headed to Kfar Hachof (The Village Beach) which is a private beach with a restaurant where the MBIers enjoyed a lovely meal while looking out at Eilat and the glistening waters of the Red Sea. After they digested their food the MBIers got some time on the beach and a chance to go swimming in the Red Sea. Having had short but immensely enjoyable time in Eilat they packed up the buses and headed off for a long bus ride North.

They arrived at their final stop of MBI at Neve Ilan where they will be staying until they head to the airport on Saturday night. There they got their rooms, had dinner and prepared for the final mesibah(party). With Shabbat coming up they had karaoke party to start the ending process of MBI Tet Zayin and the amazing five weeks that are coming to an end.

Tomorrow they will be heading to the Biblical Zoo which are located in Jerusalem and is home to both animals and gorgeous gardens. Then they will head to the Malka Kenyon(Mall) which is the biggest mall in Israel to have a final chance to buy any last-minute gifts or goodies to bring back home. In the afternoon they will head back to Neve Ilan to start doing some sikkum(wrap-up) activities and to get ready for shabbat and the typical customs ahead.

The travel information is listed in the post below. Only 55 hours until the MBIers are scheduled to land in JFK! (But who's counting right?)

Here is the Travel Plan(sorry about the bold but the blog is acting funny):

THE ISRAEL FLIGHT INFORMATION IS AS FOLLOWS:

Flight: EL AL #1

Departs Tel-Aviv at 1:00 am - Arrives JFK at 5:35 am

Flight: EL AL #3

Departs Tel-Aviv at 12:30am – Arrives JFK (New York) at 5:30am

Each flight will have about half the group.

Please Note: Myself and Habonim Dror staff will be at the airport to greet those departing and will assist with all connecting flights. If you are picking your kid up at the airport, please make sure we cross your name off our list before you leave.

Going to Philadelphia, Baltimore and Silver Spring

Those departing to the above mentioned cities will board a bus to the below locations.

Bus Drop Off Locations

1. Elkins Park - KI Synagogue: 8339 Old York Road. Elkins Park, PA 19027. Departure Time: Approximately 7:30 am Arrival Time: 10:00am. Please note if everything were to run perfectly its possible the bus could get there a little earlier. The chaperone on the bus will be Ilana Goldfus and can be reached at 609-558-1396 on the travel day. Please try not to bombard her with inquiries about the bus' whereabouts.
   
2. Baltimore - Beth Israel Congregation: 3706 Crondall Lane off of Owings Mills Blvd. Owings Mills, MD 21117. Departure Time: 7:30 am Arrival Time: Approximately 11:30am
3. Silver Spring - Montgomery Blair High School: 51 University Blvd. Silver Spring, MD 20901. Arrival Time: Approximately 12:30 pm The chaperone for the bus will be Hollis Architzel and can be reached at 646-267-1146 on the travel day.

Miriam Families from the areas of Vancouver, Victoria, and Seattle:

Miriam Participants from these areas will be bused to Vancouver on August 12th from Seattle, WA from Jet Blue Flight #175 Departing JFK on August 12th at 8:55am and arriving at Seattle Airport at 11:53am on August 12^th. The bus is scheduled to depart approximately at 1:00pm from Seattle and arrive at the JCC Parking Lot at 950 West 41 St at approximately 5:00pm.

All of the e-tickets are were sent out before the program's start via email which included both the departure and arrival tickets.

During the travel day I can be reached on my cellphone at: 917-822-2330
If you have trouble getting through and have an urgent question you can also call:
Kenan: 302-220-1762
Yona: 914-673-6114

If anything is unclear or for some reason you do not have a copy of your MBIers e-ticket please call or email me.

Masada, Dead Sea and Eilat here they come!

Today the MBIers awoke to the sunrise at 5am in the soon to be warm Bedouin tents where they slept. They were greeted in the morning with another round of traditional Bedouin tea which the MBIers apparently quite enjoyed and also had Israeli tea biscuits as morning snack before they headed off for their journey up Masada. After collecting water the MBIers headed off for their hike up Masada.

The hike up Masada early in the morning allowed the MBIers to avoid some of the desert heat while getting some of the stunning views of atop the mountain and the Dead Sea off in the distance. While on Masada the groups got to tour the ruins left behind and hear about the stories relating to Masada's story and its place in the Israeli and Jewish narrative. After the hike the MBIers set off for their special experience in the Dead Sea.

For those who forgot about various cuts and scrapes they had gotten earlier in the week the Dead Sea kindly reminded them. Of course floating the highly concentrated water was enjoyed as was utilizing Dead Sea mud rich in minerals. A one of a kind, in many ways a once in a lifetime opportunity was had for all. Afterwards they began their long trek further south in the Negev Desert down to Eilat!

When they go to Eilat they settled into their rooms at the Eilat Youth Hostel, ate dinner and prepared for the fun evening ahead of them on the Disco Boat. They set off on the boat a ways into the Red Sea and were able to see Jordan, Egypt, and even Saudi Arabia lit up in the distance. The boat had levels of dance floors and a fun night of dancing and games were had as the boat traversed the Red Sea.

Tomorrow the MBIers will be going to spend the morning snorkelling as well as having a chance to walk about the Tayelet(Boardwalk) and go to the Eilat Kenyon(mall) to do a little more shopping as MBI comes to an end. They will have lunch at Kfar Hachof(The Village Beach) and then will get to spend some time on the beach of the Red Sea as well as going swimming there. Then they will head out back North to Jerusalem where they will be staying until the end of the program. They will be staying at Neve Ilan which is set in the beautiful hills of Jerusalem and in the evening they will have a big final karaoke party as MBI enters its final days.

A quick overview of the travel plans with a note to start. New York today experienced some kind of crazy storm today including a small tornado that touched down about 15 blocks from where I live. This meant that not only did the basement where I live flooded, but transportation for much of New York came to a halt with Jamie spending over three hours getting to the office and Kenan effectively getting shut out by the trains stopping to run. In a nutshell we experienced some technical difficulties here and as such I will be giving a brief explanation of the travel plan followed by a detailed one tomorrow. Your patience and understanding is appreciated.

The 2 ELAL flights will land on Sunday August 12th at 5:30 and 5:35am respectively. From there the buses for Galil and Moshava will depart at approximately 7:00-30am and make the same stops as before. Everyone else will be helped to their connecting flights by my tzevet(staff). The Seattle flight is scheduled to land at 11:53am and will have a bus to Vancouver at approximately 1pm.

Heading down south

Today the MBIers wrapped up their time on Machaneh Kayitz (Summer camp) at Yaar Levi with their new found friends from HaNoar HaOved. As they awoke in the quiet of the forest, they had breakfast and a peula(activity) in the morning. The peula focused on talking about the Ken(local Habonim Dror activities during the year) for both Habonim Dror and for the Israelis from HaNoar HaOved. In Israel there is more of a culture of youth movements and groups and it was unique opportunity for each to compare the differences in their different movement cultures. The peula(activity) seemed to open both sides eyes to a lot of the realities Israelis and North Americans are challenged with.

Afterwards there was a closing ceremony to wrap up this special time period and ended with the MBIers receiving special chultzot(movement shirts) with one of a kind design and the Israelis receiving their own with its own design. Of course as a sign of friendship and part of appreciating other cultures, many people ended up trading shirts to show off something Israeli for when they get back and something North American for the Israelis. The MBIers packed up and got on their buses to begin their trek south.

By the time they finished all the fun and goodbyes with the Israelis it was late enough that the buses headed straight to Mamshit, the Bedouin tents, where they are staying for the evening. When they arrived they were welcomed in the big tents covered with many rugs where they sat down and were offered traditional sweet tea. There they learned from their Bedouin hosts about the history of Bedouins, their traditions, and culture of Bedouin hospitality that they are famous.

After relaxing with their tea and learning about the Bedouins, the main event of a delicious Bedouin meal was served. In the tradition of the Bedouins, huge platters filled with rice, hummus, meat, and salads were placed in front of the groups of MBIers, along with the traditional large pita breads that were freshly baked. Part of the tradition is to eat without utensils, utilizing the bread and hands to eat.

The quiet, sated MBIers got to sit out undernearth the desert sky where they found themselves able to relax in the quiet of the desert and admire the stars above. A medurah(bonfire) was started to provide some warmth and to facilitate some fun performances and singing to round out the evening. The MBIers found space on the mattresses in the Bedouin tent and went to sleep in the slightly colder then usual desert weather.

Tomorrow the MBIers will wake up with the sunrise and head off to hike up Masada and hear its story and look out on the desert beauty below. Then they will head to the Dead Sea to take advantage of the salty water and mineral-rich mud that the Dead Sea is famous. Then they will head down farther south to Eilat where they will be staying for the evening. At night they will get to have some fun dancing and get a taste of the escape that is Eilat on a Disco Boat where they will dance the night away.(Not too late though as they will have a big day ahead of them!)

August 6th 2007

Saturday the MBIers had a relaxing shabbat at Nes Harim, with a welcomed sleep-in. In the afternoon they had chugim(special interest group activities) lead by the madrichim(counselors) and themselves. They continued with their traditional shabbat with musicale(open-mic) and havdallah. They then set-off with those went on free weekend to start their next adventure during the Machaneh Kayitz(Summer camp) time period. This is when the MBIers will get to spend time with a large group of youth their age from our sister youth movement in Israel, HaNoar HaOved ve HaLomed, at the campsite of Yaar(Forest) Levi.

The campsite which is located near the Golani Junction, due west of Tiberias, is a secluded site situated in the woods and gives a more outdoor/camp sense as they are large tents with beds where they will be sleeping out. On Sunday the Israelis arrived at lunch which takes place in the dining hall also at the private Yaar Levi campsite. In the afternoon they were divided into groups where they took part in different outdoor training games with the goal and outcome to bond the MBIers and the new Israeli's they met.

For the MBIers this a chance to meet some Israelis their age who in many ways are similar to them are from various cities throughout Israel and belong to HaNoar HaOved(our sister youth movement) as do the MBIers to Habonim Dror. Their day of meeting and learning about each other's stories of growing up in different societies and youth movement experience continued with some fun in the evening. They had a fun night of various games all using apples in different zany games that found their own way to use apples!

Today the MBIers had some peulot(activities) with their new Israeli friends and had a chance to flush out the similarities and differences between them in an organized activity. They also got to explore how Judaism impacts and is part of both the Israelis and North Americans lives. In the afternoon they had chugim(interest group activities) ran by both the MBIand HaNoar Haoved madrichim(counselors) with a range of intriguing fun activities to take part. Afterwards they had a diverse cultural exchange in a special musicale(open mic) with both groups showcasing their musical talents and their different musical and languauge backgrounds. Tonight they will have a Beit Cafe(Coffee shop) well they will have activities in a relaxed, candelit atmosphere where they will get a chance to know the Israelis on a more personal level.

Tomorrow morning they will have a last peula(activity) with their Israeli friends from HaNoar HaOved and then pack and clean up the campsite. They will get on the buses and head south for their big excursion to the South of Israel. They will go to the Dead Sea where not only will they to be at the lowest point on earth but get a chance to go into the Dead Sea and feel the wonder of having no choice but to float. In the evening they will be staying at Bedouin tents where they will be greeted with traditional Bedouin hospitality, a delicious meal, and a night to sleep out in the desert.

As MBI enters its final week I am sure some of you are curious about the final travel plans. I will be posting all the details shortly but in brief the flights land at JFK at 5:30am and from there everyone will be catching a connecting flight, bus, or pickup home. I will post all the details very soon.

Free Weekend

Well the buses departed for Jerusalem, Tel-Aviv, and Haifa this morning and the drop-offs overall went smoothly. For the hearty bunch who stayed back a fun day was had. The morning greeted them with a hike at Tel Goded where they got to explore the caves there. The caves date back to the Macabees with one part of the caves involved reaching a room filled with holes with perches for pigeons. They also were underground in the caves climbing through some holes that at times were tight and small in order to reach the next part of the caves.

Then the group went to Old Nitzanim which is where a Kibbutz was founded with members of the 2nd aliyah. There the tragic tale was explained and shown to the MBIers of the Kibbutz's role in the Independence War and the battles and losses sustained there. There were many young people and young women who ended up fighting and its a sad tale of ideals and war's effect on them.

Then the group headed to the Harel Mall to get some lunch, escape the heat, and do a little gift shopping as MBI has a little over a week to go. Then they headed back to Nes Harim to rest, clean up and get ready for Shabbat. Then they had mishpachot(camp time) followed by the Rosh's Story told by Leon to an intrigued group. Kabbalat Shabbat and a nice Shabbat dinner followed. In the evening an oneg(play) was performed and as I type Rikud(Israeli dancing) is taking place followed by a basketball game for those still full of energy.

Tomorrow the group at Nes Harim will get the morning to have a genuine sleep-in and relax with optional breakfast and the first planned activity being lunch. In the afternoon they will have chugim(special interest group activities) led by the madrichim there followed by the usual suspects of Musicale, Dinner and Havdallah. In the evening the Free-Weekenders will be dropped off at 8:30pm to the various cities and MBI will depart the lovely campsite of Nes Harim to their Machaneh Kayitz(Summer camp) time period at Yaar Levi, set to start Sunday morning. Shabbat Shalom to all!

Thursday August 2nd

Today the MBIers took part in a variety of activities in the Jerusalem area. In the morning they went to the Museum on the Seam which is an interesting, progressive museum where they viewed an exhibit on equality. The exhibit explored the issue on a local and global level and looking at the issues involved in the creation of inequalities in the society and the world and the challenges to creating equality.

The buses at various points took part in the different aspects with some starting with the Sataf hike which is an hour or so hike that hikes through some of the hills of Jerusalem and involves a few small springs. It had some beautiful vantage points of the areas surrounding Jerusalem and was a great hike for them. Afterwards they went to the Mishkenot Sheananim neighborhood outside of of the old city of Jerusalem. There they got a tour there and learned more about the city of Jerusalem's history and the neighborhoods place in the incredibly diverse city that is Jerusalem.

The MBIers also went to the Shiloah Pool which is the location of one of the oldest Aqueducts in the world. It was fascinating for the MBIers to see a water tunnel system that dates as far back being built by King David. Of course learning about its importance to the city and its health add to the awe of such an old water system.

To cap off all their travelling and seeing different parts of the city and surrounding area the MBIers stopped in Abu Ghosh for some delicious local fare. Abu Ghosh is acclaimed for being the site of some of the best hummus in the country though of course Israelis will fight and disagree on which place or city actually has the best. Abu Ghosh is also a fascinating Arab village in Israel that has been at the forefront of a lot of coexistence efforts as well as being one of the only villages that fought with Israel during the War of Independence. There the MBIers got to have some delicious hummus, pita, and knafe which are the wonderful and uniquely bright orange pastries found in arab bakeries. The warm, syrupy pastries filled with a sweet goat cheese filling is just delicious and shouldn't be missed. They ended the evening with a peula back at Nes Harim.

Tomorrow the MBIers will depart for free weekend but those staying back have a fun day ahead as well. In the morning the MBIers will go to the Hulda forest where Beit(house) Berl is located. They will also go to Nitzanim which is where one of the first Kibbutzim from the 2nd aliyah is located and has quite a story in relation to the Independence war and the losses they sustained there. For lunch they will go to the Harel Mall in Mevassert Tzion where they will receive some money and get a chance to buy whatever they please for lunch there. We had to cancel going swimming as their is a lifeguard strike going on Israel. Bye for now!

Quick Free Weekend Note

The Jerusalem Drop-off point has been asked to be clarified: It is at the Soldiers House/Yad Lebanim which is on Rehov Ben Tzvi(St) and is between Gan Sacher and Binyanei Haomah. The drop-off again is 9:30am in Jerusalem and again at 8:30pm on Saturday night. If you have not called or emailed me already with your free weekend plans it is all but impossible for them to happen at this point (2:19pmEST).
Tel-Aviv 10:30am Redding Terminal see earlier posts for specifics
Haifa 11:30am Lev Hamifratz parking lot
8:30pm drop-off on Saturday night for all places.
Bigger update later.

Happy August!

Well the MBIers welcomed August with a day of learning, reflection, and introspection on their pasts and the collective pasts of Israelis and the Jewish people. The morning began with each bus going to Yad Vashem(Israel's Holocaust Museum) where they received a guided tour. The museum which was which was renovated 2 years has a unique design being a sort of long triangle that at the end there are windows piping light. In order to reach the light you have to criss-cross through each section of the museum, which spans from before the Holocaust looking at communities, through the end of the war exploring the many difficult topics and some of the more inspirational tales of righteous gentiles and the youth movements role in the war. The tour tries to focus on some of the aspects of the Holocaust without trying to overwhelm everyone too much by the enormity and difficulty inherent.

Afterwards the MBIers headed to Har(Mount) Herzl to get a tour and learn more about many of Israel's great leaders and historical figures buried there. Both Golda Meir and Yitzhak Rabin are buried there and being Israel's military cemetery, soldiers who fall in combat are buried there as well. It is an important place to see and learn about Israel's past and reflect on the hardships Israel has endured to exist as it does today in 2007.

In going through this very powerful day it was decided to be too much to do the Sataf hike and instead the groups sat together to process everything they saw and heard. It was a chance to ask questions, share feelings and emotions and try to discuss the signicance of everything they experienced.

The day ended on a lighter note as they returned to Nes Harim where they had a Medurah(campfire). There various MBIers performed various comedic acts, skits, sang songs, and generally celebrated being in Israel and being together as a group. It was a great way to end the day and affirm their collective experiences and to balance out the emotional day they had.

Tomorrow the buses will be heading to the Museum on the Seam in Jerusalem. They will also be going to the Shiloah Pool which is where one of the oldest aqueducts in the world is located. They will get to go hike Sataf and its springs in the hills around Jerusalem. The MBIers will also go to Mishkenot Sheananim which is of the first neighborhoods outside the old city to get a tour. Before they head back to Nes Harim the MBIers will make a stop in Abu-Ghosh for some of their famous and delicious hummus as well as knafe which is a delicious, warm Arab pastry that while being bright orange is filled with a sweet goat cheese filling and is definitely something to go out of your way to try at least once in your life. In the evening they will have a peula with their bus.

In terms of free weekend. The Saturday night drop-off for every location will be at 8:30pm. The buses will be at each location ready to go then so please make sure to be there on time. Also I have a small personal request to please try to call our office phone during office hours rather than my cellphone. Usually I am in my office from 9-6 so it would be appreciated to try to reach me there if possible.