Better late than never: Reuben tells the Eastsloper all about Israel!

I spent almost two weeks in Israel late December-early January. I went on Birthright with 21 other students from the UK, half way through the trip we were joined by 7 soldiers from the IDF, 5 from the infantry, the other two from the Artillery and Air force.


Our first day (New Years eve, or Sylvester as they call it in Israel) we spent in Yafo, an ancient city, just to the south of Tel Aviv. Yafo/Jaffa (as in Jaffa oranges) has been inhabitated since 7 500 BC, many of the ancient powers, Egypt, Persia, Rome, the Crusaders, the Ottoman Empire, as well as Napoleon conquered it, so there is a lot of history and ruins there.


Our second and last day in Tel Aviv we went to shuk Ha'Carmel, the largest market in Tel Aviv, where they sell food (read falafel and lots of hummus aka Reubie heaven) and a variety of other items. We also saw Independence Hall, where the state of Israel was created.
In the evening we went to Jerusalem to go to the "Mega Event". I (and many others on my trip) thought this was the low point of the trip. While it sounds fun, almost all winter Birthright participants from all over the world in one place, with famous Israeli artist performing, it was really not well done, with an extreme American dominance, and very very cheesy. I could have done without.

The Western Wall and Dome of the Rock behind it, the Al-Aqsa mosque is just above the wall, to the right of the trees


We spent several days in Jerusalem, touring the old city, learning about the current/recent crisis with Hamas in Gaza. Our first day in Jerusalem we were joined by the soldiers. We were originally going to have a group of seven soldiers, 4 guys, 3 girls, however, most of the male soldiers had to report for duty because of the situation in Gaza. A real reminder of that we were in a country at war, but also shows a part of Israeli life.
Our first night we saw the shabbat celebrations at the Western Wall. During our stay in Jerusalem we went to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust museum, and Mount Hertzl where the leaders of Israel are buried as well as those who died in combat. We also saw what is supposedly King Davids grave, and the room where the Last Supper is supposed to have been held. We also volunteered in a soup kitchen where we helped prepare food.

On Monday the 8th we left Jerusalem for the Negev (the desert in which covers south of Israel). We spent a night at a Bedouin tent, where we ate Beduin food, and rode camels. Before we went to sleep the soldiers held a military bootcamp light for us in the desert. Although it was apparently not even close to as humiliating the real training process is in the military.


The Bedouin are a semi-nomadic muslim group of people who live in parts of Arabia, the Negev,and in the Sahara. During our trip we met with several minorities in Israel, later in the trip we met spent an afternoon in a Druze village in the north of Israel. We also spent time at a Kibbutz in the north of Israel which was run by both Jews and Arabs.

We got up early the next morning to climb Mount Masada to see the sunrise. Masada is a fortress built by King Herod on top of a mountain in the Negev, close to the Dead Sea. Herod, who was a bit koo-koo in the head, built it as a refuge because he thought that everyone (the Jews as well as the leaders in Rome) was after him. Herod kept huge reserves of water on Masada, as well as many granary's with food. A 100 years later it was used by a group of Jews, during the first Jewish-Roman war, who managed to withstand the Roman army for several years (because of Herods water supply and food that had been well preserved in the dry desert climate) before the Romans managed to break into the fort. When the Romans finally did seize the fort they discovered that most of the inhabitants had committed mass suicide as they preferred that to surrender.

Our soldiers

After touring Masada we drove to the Dead Sea where we spent a few hours floating around. This is also when the soldiers left us, although two of them joined us our last night. Having the soldiers around for half the trip was definitely the best part of the Birthright trip. Usually when you're a visiting another country you are on the outside looking, or trying to look it. Having Israelis around us, especially from the military in a time of war, we got more of an insiders view of what life is like for people our age in Israel.

The last leg of the trip we spent at Sea of Galilee and in the Golan Heights. As I said before we spent half a day at a kibbutz in an Arab area in the north of Israel, which is run by both Jews and Arabs. The Arab muslims where telling us about what it is like being an Arab in Israel, feeling loyal to both the muslim population in Palestine and to the state of Israel, while neither extends the same loyalty to you. There was also a Christian Arab telling us about what it is like being a minority in a minority. All very interesting. That same afternoon we travelled to the Druze village of Peki'in. Im telling you now, if you have not tried Druze food, YOU MUST! It was divine! Peki'in is also the place where the Kabbalah and other major works in Jewish mysticism were written.

Eating in a Druze house

The Druze are a group of people who live in the North of Israel, Lebanon, and Syria. Not much is known about their religion as it is kept very secret. The Druze religion comes from Islam but differs in many respects, such as that they believe in reincarnation, their main prophet is Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses. At a certain point in a Druzes lives they are allowed to chose, if they want to live a religious life or not (which roughly 20% do). Religious Druze men dress differently than others, they cary a big pouch inbetween their legs, as they believe that their prophet will be reborn to a man.

A religious man with a pouch. Sorry about the fuzzyness, its the best pic I could get

Our last day in Israel we went to Mount Ben Tal, an old Israeli military base on built on and in the mountain on the border of Syria and Lebanon. We also visited an old crusader fort in the Jordan Valley, before we finally had a very pleasant meal and drum circle together in Tiberias joined by two of our soldiers.