The Negev!

Hey there parents! Sarah and Shelby here. We just wanted to fill you in on our awesome past few days. On Friday morning we woke up and went to an archaeological dig where we were able to find 2000 years old pottery and animal bones. We also got to explore an old, dark cave that no one has dug into yet.
Some of you will be surprised with some very special pottery taken from the dig from your kids when we get home. Afterwards, one of our Israeli friends’ parents brought us some juicy, delicious watermelon and we had a nice outdoor lunch. Our next stop was in Kiryat Gat at our Israeli friend Hadas’s house.

Meeting her family and eating snacks was a relaxing, homey experience, one that we gratefully appreciated after being in the sun all morning. We drove down south to our Kibbutz in the desert and were given some time to relax by the pool and shower before Shabbat services and dinner. Shabbat this week was an enriching experience that emphasized our connection to Israel. Towards the end of the service, we were asked to share our individual prayers for Israel. Hearing both Israeli and American prayers was eye opening. We had a lovely Shabbat dinner and then played a few really fun games at Oneg Shabbat. After sleeping in Saturday morning, we were refreshed and ready to discuss the week’s torah portion. Then we had most of the day to hang out as a group and chill at the pool. Before dinner we had a really interesting discussion about how much we agree and disagree with Israeli policies. We ate dinner, had a lovely Havadalah service outdoors, and went to bed. This morning, we woke up and went on our first hike in the desert! The Ein Uvdat Hike was hot and tiring, but beautiful at the same time. When we got to the top, the view was breathtaking. We even saw an Ibex! It’s a desert animal that most closely resembles a deer. From there we went to David Ben Gurion’s grave and learned a little more about his life and what he stood for. We also got to see his home in the exact state from when he died. A lot of us were surprised how modest the house was for such a prominent political figure. Now we’re on our way to an organic farm `where we’ll get to sample some delicious veggies. Tonight we’re sleeping in the Bedouin tents and we can’t wait. Toodles for now y’all!
 

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