Well, the time has come...we are at the final blog post since we will be leave for the airport in less than 24 hours!!! Everyone has had a wonderful last few days and definitely sad that this journey is coming to an end.
Today we finished our journey by going to Zefat to shop for our last minute gifts for family members, enjoy a final shawarma/falafel and just relax in this magical city. The past few days have been a whirlwind with everything going on in Israel, having to change our itinerary, and just experience the REAL Israel!
This group of 71 young adults has experienced something that is beyond valuable and we now have so many new Israel Advocates coming back to Colorado. They have been safe the entire time and we have taken every precaution necessary and we have 71 incredible young adults who have been changed by these 5-weeks in ways that they may not realize for years to come. One thing I am sure is that this has been the journey of a lifetime and they have grown spiritually, mentally, emotionally and in ways we cannot measure.
We are all looking forward to returning to Colorado and continuing this Kehilah Kedosha (Holy Community) that we have created back to Denver and beyond...
We pray that all of the people in Israel will live in Peace and be able to live their everyday lives without worrying about meaningless acts of terrorism from her neighbors.
JEWISH PRAYER FOR PEACE:
May it be your will, Eternal One, our God, God of our ancestors, that wars and bloodshed be abolished from the world, and bring into the world a great and wonderful and lasting peace. And let no nation lift a sword against a nation—let them learn no more the ways of war!
Let all who dwell on earth simply acknowledge the truth of truths: that we have not come into this world for the sake of quarreling and war, nor for the sake of hatred, jealousy, anger, or bloodshed; rather, we have come into this world only to know You—may You be blessed eternally!
Therefore, have mercy on us, and fulfill among us what is written in your Scripture: “I shall give peace upon the earth, and you shall lie down with none to make you afraid. I shall abolish from the earth the predatory beast. The sword shall never come upon your land. Justice shall roll down like the water, and righteousness like a mighty stream. For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of The Omnipresent, as the waters fill the seas.”
We will forever STAND with ISRAEL!!
Water Park in Tiberias
When the trip started on June 8, an astonishing 5 weeks ago, I was excited, but I didn't know what for. I was at DIA knowing a few kids and looking forward to a few tourist attractions. When we went to Poland and visited the concentration camps, I began to connect with my Jewish self. The terrible sights I saw made me proud of my Jewish heritage, not ashamed of it. This was the beginning of what I would realize was an incredible journey that would eventually come to a satisfying end at Yad Vashem, where my experience would come full circle. Like all circles, the end of the trip would also serve as the beginning of a new chapter of my life, a new journey. The circle continued as we went to Israel and I began to feel a deeper connection at places such as the Kotel and at the top of Masada, places with so much history and importance. In addition to creating a personal connection with the Jewish religion, I was making unbreakable connections with the other kids on the trip. We did a number of touristy things that were interesting to see. However seeing these attractions with the rest of IST solidified my friendships with all these amazing kids. Four weeks into the trip, the circle was nearly complete. Starting with the concentration camps of aushwitz and majdonik, continuing with my connections at the Kotel and all my new, great friends. The journey was about to come full circle at the holocaust memorial, the perfect beginning and end to the Israel Study Tour. Unfortunately, a conflict that started with the kidnapping of 3 Israeli teenagers, all about our age, had escalated to a Gaza attempted rocket barrage of Israel, one that has been proved unsuccessful by the incredible Iron Dome. These issues forced our trip to move north and prevented any travel south of Natanya, including Jerusalem. The circle would remain incomplete and I would never finish the wonderful journey I had taken. There would be a hole in my IST story. However, the last couple days made me realize that although the trip would not end the way it was planned, IST is not necessarily about the destination, but about the journey. The friends I have made on this trip will last longer than any memory or picture can, and that is a circle that has been completed and will never be broken. Furthermore, experiencing an escalation of violence first hand has given me more insight into the true way of life in the state of Israel at the present time. Trips are not always what they are planned to be, and sometimes the change of plans can be positive or negative. At the preset time, I cannot assess how I feel about the present situation, I can only look to what the future has in store for me and all my close IST friends.
-Samuel Reiff
Time in Zefat
It's no secret that these last few days have been terrifying for many, annoying for many others, and uncertain for everyone. Most of us at this point just talk about how much easier it would be if we just went home because we wouldn't have had to deal with moving locations every night or whether or not the air raid siren will work if it needs to. Wednesday evening, however, everything changed. When we got to the beach, people started to laugh and joke around. Everyone was smiling and I don't think anyone really felt unsafe there. People played frisbee and paddle ball, swam, told jokes, and just truly relaxed for the first time in days. Seeing the immediate change in everyone was magical. The feeling of the uplifting spirits was unexplainable. And everyone believing- truly believing, heart and soul- that we were going to be okay, was like no other feeling in the world. People have been telling us that it is special that we are here during this time so that we can witness history being made, and at the beach for the first time, the majority of us understood the true meaning of just how special that really is. - Elise Kramer
Final Shabbat
Everyone always says that there is two sides to every story. All I have to say is that is completely true. The media has portrayed our IST trip as a journey of fleeing rockets but in reality IST has been a journey for ourselves. Over the past few days we have had to be on the move avoiding any chance of danger. The trip never changed into a flee from Rockets, it is still and always be the Israel study tour. We get to see Israel from a different perspective, we get to see Israel from our own perspective. So one story may be that we are fleeing to the north to avoid rockets but our story is experiencing an Israeli conflict first hand and embracing it. Although at times we may be flustered or even a bit anxious, this experience is once in a life time. And IST 2014 will forever be known for the memories and experiences, not the conflicts we happened to approach. - Stephanie Schiff
