After a final night of packing, we headed off to daven on and hike down the Sataf. Hiking really is part of the Israeli gestalt, we saw first graders hiking the Sataf!

After hiking down a hillside, we drove to Har Herzl to visit some Israeli heroes and other figures from history. We saw the graves of Yitzhak Rabin, Hanah Senesh, Theodore Herzl, Mike Levin and others. It was an emotional visit to one of the most beautiful cemeteries on the planet.

Another major part of the Israeli experience is the ongoing commitment to foliage. Though the pioneers mostly planted food crops and trees, modern Israelis are fond of both topiary and shrub just the same. The cool part of this was that we were working in the Jerusalem Bird Observatory (no one knew it existed before now) which is right next to the Knesset. While we were planting and hanging out, two huge military helicopters landed at the Knesset so we got to see them in action.

Flying high from garden work and aerial observations, we went down for one last trip to the Kotel where we delivered the notes submitted online and said our goodbyes to the city of gold. From there we had our closing dinner in this cool underground restaurant. The food was smashing and we all filled up so we could make it without snacking until we got through airport security and onto the plane for the ride home.

Oh, Zion! How we shall miss you!

3:30 in the morning is too early to wake up. Therefore, if you have to get up so early, it had best be for a good reason. Hiking up Masada is one of the few good reasons. Since we were sleeping in the Bedouin tent, we ate a quick snack of tea and cake before piling onto the bus and driving toward the mountain. Everyone tried to get a little more sleep on the way and it was a good thing, too since we hiked up Masada and promptly davened. The view was amazingly inspiring and set the tone quite nicely for our exploration of the ruins.

The whole affair was exhausting so we took a planned detour to the Ein Gedi Spa where we enjoyed the mud baths, the dead sea and a lovely afternoon by the pool. Lunch wasn’t bad either.

When we finished, we returned to Jerusalem to rest up. For dinner, we met with members of Hanan Leberman’s unit and got to know some soldiers personally.

After an early start, we drove down south to what seemed like the middle of nowhere in order to meet and hang out with a group of students from the Saad school. Since we couldn’t get to the school itself, students came to meet us in a gorgeous forest park run by the JNF. Consisting primarily of students from Sderot and Netivot, the group of students got busy with various challenging games against Saligman before joining us for a delicious lunch of BBQ int the forest.

From the forest we drove to Kibbutz Sde Boker to learn about David Ben-Gurion and his dream for the Negev. In reality, that dream has yet to be fully realized though it does draw closer every decade. Still, we visited the graves of both David and Paula Ben-Gurion and enjoyed the magnificent scenery which they both fell in love with.

Since the day was long, we made tracks to a local Bedouin village where we rode camels, learned about Bedouin culture and enjoyed some desert delights. Though we slept in a tent, we got to be early in order to be ready for our dawn-hour hike to Masada the next morning.

On Shabbat, we rested at our guest house near the old city. Erev Shabbat, we davening on the rooftop of Gumi’s father’s building which overlooked the kotel and ate in the Cardo Restaurant which we had rented out ahead of time for us to enjoy on Shabbat. Guests came to enjoy with us and, on the whole, there was much enjoyent. On Shabbat morning, students had the choice to enjoy any of the enjoyable minyanim available to them which included the Great Synagogue, the Conservative Minyan at the Fuchsberg center, a local Sephardic synagogue and the Underground Minyan (not actually underground). Each choice for davening was enjoyable in it’s own way.

After davening, we enjoyed a large lunch (really, really large) and then went for a walking tour of the old city before coming back for some much needed napping. We then davened Minkha with some students from Las Vegas and headed out to Ben Yehuda street for some shopping and Schwarma.

Driving to Tel Aviv is beautiful. The highway allows for a gorgeous view during the 45-minute journey. The length is perfect, because, just when you think you’re getting bored, you’ve arrived! So, once we got off the bus, we went on over to the artists market at Nakhalat Benyamin to browse the local wares and get a taste for the art community’s atmosphere. From there, we spent an hour or two in the Shuk HaCarmel where we bought all kinds of wonderful things.

After shopping, we had lunch in gorgeous downtown Tel Aviv before touring the independence hall which was formerly the home of Mayer Diezengoff. For a 100-year old building, they sure fixed the place up. To stand there and hear the recording of David Ben-Gurion as he read the declaration of independence was something truly special. Even after all these years, you can still hear the excitement in the voices of those brave few, the first modern Israelis.

Along the same lines, it was very emotional to visit Rabin Square where we heard about the peace which almost was and the tragic assasination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. After walking in his final footsteps, it’s not secret that we will now view Israel with a little more optimisim and perhaps a little love when we remember just how close we once were.

From there we grabbed our stuff and drove back to Yerushalayim to settle in for Shabbos.

We woke up and headed out without wasting time in order to make it to our guided tour of the Knesset. It happens to be an exceptionally cool structure. We saw the parliamentary chamber, checked out where the Ministers sit and got to see the art work of Marc Chagall. Also, the guys counted a total of 18 security cameras which were immediately visible. That being said, we’d bet about 100 shek, that there were twice that number which we couldn’t see. Sorry, no photos allowed inside!

From there, we drove to the joint Israeli-Jew and Israeli-Arab village of Neve Shalom where we enjoyed cake, punch, tea and a fascinating lecture on the nature of local peace efforts in the village. We also toured the village where we checked out the view and saw the egg-shaped building serving as the joint spiritual space.

Since we had been way too clean thus far today, we then headed to volunteer for the Israeli tzedakah organization Table to Table. In under an hour, we picked over sixty crates of beets to be delivered to hungry people around the country.

To finish up the day, we then toured the Israeli tank core museum at Latrun where we learned all about the history of the Israeli armor divisions.

Waking up to realize that you’re in a free, democratic and independent State of Israel is quite something on a normal day, so it’s only more amazing an understanding when it’s Yom HaAtzmaut. The day was so emotional, to be in Jerusalem after a night of celebrating out on Ben Yehuda is just incredible. We started by driving to the Conservative shul in Talpiot for davening where we met up with another American group for Tefillot.

Then we drove to the Old City of Jerusalem for touring, a little shopping, learning about the culture of ancient Israel and a little lunch. It’s a good thing that Israel has a lot of lambs because Saligman has quite the appetite for schwarma! Look, you get hungry after being underground in the tunnels of Ezekiel, right? Cut the group a break!

After eating our fill (ok, ok. some had falafel), we went to the kotel to daven Minkha before returning to the hotel to take a group photo. We got in a few shots before everyone collapsed. Perhaps all the schwarma increased our relative density such that we had trouble supporting ourselves. It was sort of like dominos, but with people.

Untangling ourselves was such an effort that we drove to the Ben Shemen forest for a night of Mangal (BBQ) among the trees. Happy independence day, Israel! We love you and all you have given us.

Molly Weilbacher:
Wow. Yom Haatzmaut was truly an amazing experience. First, it starts with noticing the sudden shift in the citizen’s attitude from sadness of Yom Hazikaron, right to the celebration of our nation. From the beginning of the trip to Israel I had been so excited to celebrate Yom Haatzmaut on Ben Yehudah Street in Jerusalem. I was so excited to bond with my friends, to get a taste of Israel, to be able to use my hebrew outside of the classroom, and of course get drenched in shaving cream! While driving to Ben Yehudah street on Tuesday night and seeing Jerusalem lit up, with blue lights hanging in the streets, flags on each telephone pole, and seeing the houses with decorations in their windows was so much fun. Being on the street, with tons of Israelis streaming by and feeling their energy and their excitement was one of the best things I have experienced here so far. You could feel their pride and happiness of their land, and I felt so proud to be Jewish and to be able to call Israel my homeland. On Yom Haatzmaut day we got to walk through the Old City and I got to see Jerusalem for the first time in my life. It is a breath taking city. We toured, shopped, and walked up the hard Jerusalem hills however the highlight of the day was our visit to the Kotel. I walked down the road that leads to this famous spot, and I saw the Kotel in person, instead of just in pictures. It was so amazing to be able to go up, stick my note in a crack in the wall, and pray, words can’t even describe how powerful it was for me. Being there on Yom Haatzmaut truly made it even more special for me.

Tara Wolfson:
So Yom Haatzmaut was the other day and boy was that an experience I will remember FOREVER! To summarize Ben Yehudah street in one word… SHAVING CREAM! Wow. As soon as we arrived to the street in Jerusalem, I felt as if I were in a different environment than what I have been in for the past week or so. It was SO cool! Switching from seeing beautiful mountains, fields, and stone, I saw lights and real israeli street life. I heard new music, laughter, and conversation float around the crowd. Tasting sh’warma for the first time, and the smell of things a’cookin made me feel happy and awake[surprise] as ever. The crowded street was Sa’baba [a new word I've learned :), meaning awesome] and a new feelings than in Philadelphia. I right then got to embrace a little part of what living in Israel is really like. So now to explain the whole ’shaving cream’ part; this is what Ben Yehudah street on Yom Haatzmaut is all about. For all the newbees and clean freaks out there, let me be the first to say… ITS SO WORTH IT! To share my own memory, I was walking around with a bunch of friends who I must say.. ARE CRAZY. When quickly seeing other kids laughing and having fun while covering each-other in shaving cream, immediately reacted with the need to buy some. Though later finding out shaving cream is illegal in Israel [whoops], we had the best time of our lives just running up and down the street smothering each-other with this ‘joy-in-a-bottle’.
Now I know Molly already said this… but I really enjoyed the transition Yom Haazmaut had on the sorrow in the city to the crazy, wild and joyous people. By sundown on Yom Haazmaut, Jerusalem seemed to put behind Yom Hazikaron as a remembrance and replaced tears with big smiles! I am in unbelief that I was able to inhale this aroma surrounding me. Thank you Saligman community for giving me presence of such good friends, and thank you Israel for giving me an experience beyond photos I have seen for the past eight years. Love and laughter to all! Hope all is well in Philly!

Eyal Shoham:
Yom Haatzmaut was AMAZING. I was walking around with a couple friends of mine and it was really crowded. There were a lot of stands with all kind of junk and cool stuff. My friends and I bought sprays and sprayed each other. I ate Shuwarma and had a lot of fun. It was a great experience celebrating Yom Haatzmaut in Israel in Jerusalem. I usually celebrate Yom Haatzmaut in Nes Zyona which is the city I lived in two years ago when I still lived in Israel. Another thing that I really liked about this trip was the kayakim, when we fliped Rabbi Shawn. We kept the tradition of the 8th graders by fliping Rabbi Shawn in the Jordan river.

Yom HaZikaron was a day of mixed activities. In the morning, we started off with a talk given by a local resident about the political situation in the Golan. Her emotional tales of soldiers lost defending the region reminded us of the sacrificed made by Israelis in the past. To see the region in question, we drove up the Ben-Tal Mountain which afforded us a fantastic view of the surrounding territories, even into Syria and Lebanon. Learning about the regional conflict and discussing the tough issues on top of a mountain was quite an experience.

After an invigorating, though heated group discussion, we explored the region further by hiking the Jilabun canyon and seeing the waterfalls. Awash in the natural beauty of the forest and rock formations, it was easy to forget the arguments and get back into the spirit of the day. With all of the processing that the group did, the real achievement was not how everyone made the hike but, instead, how everyone came together on Yom HaZikaron.

After a day of reflection and group bonding, we began the long drive down to Yerushalayim in preparation for the Yom HaAtzmaut celebrations. As soon as we got into the city, we went straight to Ben Yehuda Street. The enthusiasm was palpable. Madness on the streets with thumping music, screaming people and joy all around. There were kids running around and ambushing pedestrians with silly string while local students attacked with giant inflatable hammers. All the students had a great time and came back smiling.

We now break transmission to bring you this special coverage from the Yom HaZikaron opening ceremonies, held at Kibbutz Ginosar. The writing of these reflections was purely voluntary.

ABIGAIL TASKIN:
The night of Yom HaZikaron was one of the most powerful and dramatic nights of my life. When we commemorate this day in the United States you see that there is a huge difference of when we honor the soldiers in Israel. Sitting in the Kibbutz with all of my peers and experiencing this night in Israel was the most connected i have ever been to israel. I can not even begin to explain how much I respect the soldiers of Israel. They fight for our homeland and do everything they can to keep the civilians of Israel protected. I would like to thank all the soldiers who have perished during the wars. They were not just fighters, they were believers.

HADRIELLE GALFAND:
I can’t even begin to start to express how I felt about all that went on tonight. We just got back from the Yom HaZikaron service and it was one of the most moving experiences of my entire life. Knowing that there are those brave people in israel who are fighting for our country is overwhelming. I know that both I, my classmates and all of Israel’s people owe everything to the soldiers who protect us. And therefore we devote a day in remembrance and honor to their hard work and commitment towards our country; forever and always.

LIAT GOLDFARB:
For me, from a view of a person who was born and raised in Israel, iI take this day very seriously. I remember that when I was younger I just wanted the siren to be over already, but now, I just wish we all had more time to stand in silence to respect the memory of the soldiers and civilians who died while fighting for our country and loving it. Today was very emotional for me because coming back home after two years in the U. S. changed me a lot. I understand some things better now, but there are some things I know I might never be able to understand. I know now, that these soldiers were fighting for ME when they died, they were protecting ME. They fought for the future of our country, and I am part of that country. They deserve all the honor and respect for their will to give up their lives, if necessary, to protect and fight for OUR country!

JORDAN BAUM:
This is my first Yom HaZikaron in Israel. Nothing can prepare you for hearing the siren. There is complete silence and then the hum starts which gathers into a roar. I was scared and awed at the fact that almost everyone in Israel was doing the exact same thing as me. It is wierd to me that we honor those who have fallen with a siren that for some was the last thing they heard before they died. My 3rd cousin, Moshe Whartman died in a war, he died saving the lives of his fellow soldiers, i could not help but think of him, a man I didn’t not know or meet and think, and cry for him. So many have fought for my ability to climb mount Arbel, walk in Naharia, and gaze in awe at the Kotel. The best way to protect the memory of the fallen is to do what they would have wanted to do, enjoy the Land of Israel, and protect it at all cost.

ILANA GOLDSTEIN:
Erev Yom Hazikaron was a different kind of experience for me. It was not the same type of ceremony that we have in the U.S. When I heard the siren I was overcome with emotion. Just thinking of how small Israel is made me think that the reason that I was having such an amazing time was because of the lives that were sacrificed. After the ceremony,and we got back onto the bus, I looked out the window. I saw the wonderful land that was given to us and just thanked G-d that those brave people were brought into this world.

LILA MANSTEIN:
Tonight was Erev Yom Hazikaron was really emotional for all of us. Before it we were at the beach, and the Kinnert was so pretty, and everyone was happy. Then we got changed into our white shirts and the mood completely changed. We sat in 3 circles and 3 of the leaders came and told us stories about their connections to the Israeli army. It was really powerful, and many people began to cry. We then went to dinner and had the best food we had the entire trip. Some people finished their meals early and then went down stairs. Their were two groups, one that was playing around and the other group was having a discussion about the army and where or not they would like to join it. Then we went to the ceremony and most people were crying, and the ones who were not comforted the others.

BRIELLE GILBERT:
The ceremony for Yom Hazikaron was very moving. Observing this day in the States isn’t really the same as experiencing it in Israel, and everyone could definitely feel that. I really enjoyed the ceremony a lot and I hope to come back to Israel to experience it at least one more time. Although, before the ceremony everyone was so happy because we swam in the Kinneret, and it was really a moving site to see everyone change their moods right away for this special day.

LEAH ZEBOVITZ:
I enjoyed the Yom Hazikaron ceremony a lot. It was very sad and moving, but I enjoyed the feeling of community and connection with the entire State of Israel. Although I could not understand everything that everyone was saying, I was able to understand most of it. I really liked that when they were reading about the soldiers, they said some stuff that they enjoyed. Also, I think that it was really sad to hear the age that they died. The siren was very moving and meaningful. This morning when we heard it, we were able to see a car and a truck stop, which I think was really cool.

ELIANA TURK TOLUB:
The ceremony for Yom Hazikaron was sad, but at the same time, was very interesting and I learned a lot from the experience. Although I did not understand every word, I understood the message that was being projected. The singer that sang was very good and had a lot of soul in the songs that he sang and you could tell that he really cared for Israel and the whole ceremony. When the siren went off and everyone stood there, I thought about how everyone in Israel was standing at that moment mourning for all of the soldiers that died while serving for the country, and I was amazed. So many people dedicate their lives for such a small, but important country. At that moment, I was so proud to be a Jew and being in Israel. It was especially special for me, since that was my first time being in Israel for Yom Hazikaron. In all, the ceremony was very moving.

JONATHAN E. MAGEN (Intern):
The siren, it shakes your bones. Just when you think you can escape it, your ears start to ring. Similarly, just when you think your head will explode, you suddenly realize you recognize it. Even if you have never heard it before, it is familiar. What does it sound like? Close your eyes and you will know. It is the sound of the air raid siren, the community cry for help, the schoolbell and a whispered warning. The siren is the sound of soldiers being roused from bed and running out the door. It is the sound of a gun firing and a plane taking off. Is it not also the sound of uniformed bodies tumbling through the sand as bullets whiz past? The siren is the tears being shed and hands being squeezed under the table. It is the sound of slamming doors and rushed goodbyes. It is also the sound of little white cups of espresso being shattered by explosions and busses screeching to a halt. It is glass crunching under black boots and the horn of an ambulance. The siren is the sound of memories hitting the night air and the echo of unrestrained sobs.

It would be easy to think that a bunch of fourteen-year olds from America wouldn’t get it. After all, aren’t they just kids? To them the sound is very much the snick of a gas-mask rubber and the slam of a shelter door. Now, to me, it is the sound of Zionism crystallizing in youthful hearts. From now on, when I hear the siren, I will hear hope.

Another early wake up and again it was worth it. Hiking the Arbel mountain is somewhat of a unique experience. This is because, unlike most mountains, you climb down rather than climb up. Basically, you get dropped off at the top of the cliff and then you’ve got to descend the cliff face using trails, hand holds and ropes. Is it scary? Yes. Yes, it is. Still, it was fun and the view is absolutely magnificent. It was the perfect kick off to a day dominated by beautiful scenery.

From the Arbel, we made our way over to Kibbutz Gesher where we learned about the historic projects which took place there. Did you know that we once shared a hydroelectric damn on Jordanian land? Did you also know that the war of independence led to the bombing and closing of countless bridges over the Jordan river? Did you know that Kibbutz Gesher makes delicious homemade pizzas? We did not know these things before, but now we do. Speaking of which, some more of that pizza would be nice about now. The underground museum at Kibbutz Gesher also told of the fighters, workers and children who lived in bunkers under the Kibbutz during times of war.

Sometimes, it can be hard to get the context necessary to understand what Israel is all about, even when it’s not your first trip. Really, it is a fundamental difficulty to understand the struggle and sacrifice of historical characters. To try and address this problem, we drove to the Kinneret Cemetary where we visited the graves of Rachel, the famous Israeli poet and Naomi Shemer, the famous songwriter. We even saw the grave of Moses Hess, author of many essays on the topic of political Zionism.

Since the day was so hard, we decided to go for a swim in the Kinneret itself, although not right next to the cemetary of course. With Yom HaZikaron drawing closer with each passing minute, we discussed the nature of life in Israel and the life of a soldier. Following our discussions, we journeyed to Kibbutz Ginosar to eat and attend the opening ceremony for Yom HaZikaron there.

DANIELLE KATZ:
The first thing that we did was go on a hike, that was really fun. I have done something like that before so it was not that hard for me going down, it was really easy for me. It took like two hourse or us to fnish going down the mountain because of the other groups in front of us that took a little longer than we thought. We didnt have time to buy ice-cream because we were so late coming down and i was really sad, because i love ice-cream. Ice cream is my life and chocolate. After that we went to Old Gesher next to the border to Jordan. We saw the Jordan river and it has went down a lot from when i got to see. It used to be wider then it was. hen we wee done looking around the museum we ate really good pizza and ice cream. So i was very happy when i got to eat my ice cream! All we were thinking, or what i was thinking of was when are we going to the Kinneret because i cant wait. But it was time to go to the cemetery with the view of the Kinneret, which was very peaceful. Sarah and Yael our tour guides read a poen by Rachel the poet that was very famous. Finally we got to the Kinneret and i was so excited to go in but the water was really cold. I got used to the water after being in it for a few minutes.The life gurd there let me go on his boat thing, not sure what it is called, but it was really cool looking and I was one of the only people he let go on it. I felt special right then The last part of the dy is that we went to ritual i the same Kibutxz we were in for the Kinneret. I felt really connected to the whole thing. It was out side and a little cold but it was very meaningful and powerful to me.

ARIELLE MIZRAHI:
Yesterday we went on a hike which was magnificent. The view was amazing, almost untouchable. We then went to a sight. It was the place where the Israelis fought against the Jordanians. We ate pizza, saw a short movie about the history of the place, we saw the bomb shelters where the children stayed during the hard times, and saw a replica of a electricity factory. This was one of the first sights of electricity in Israel. it used water to make the electricity, but the factory was captured by the Jordanians later on. We then went to a cemetery and heard some beautiful poetry and some inspiring stories. Afterwards we went to the Kinneret and swam for a little bit. Although the water was cold at the first touch it was fun. Then we went to dinner at a hotel and was really delicious. I have to say it was one of the best meals I have had so far, but probably because it was a hotel, a nice hotel. We then went to a Yom Hazikoron service which was very memorable. The most memorable part of this service for me was when the siren went off and the torches we lit. For me, personally, it was hard to connect to the people and the soldiers that were killed. Even though I could not compare to it that well, I will always remember the service just like I will always remember this trip.

ARIEL OLSHER:
Israel is amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Today, we hiked down the Arbel Cliff. It was really exciting, and I had so much fun. The view was beautiful! The path was very narrow and rocky, but we all made it through. At the end of the trail, we saw a family of goats. Random much? Then, we went to a cemetery and saw the grave of Rachel the poetess. Afterwards, we went for a swim in the Kinneret. It was really fun and the water was so refreshing. We swam for a few hours. Then we packed up our stuff and spend a second night at the Kibbutz. At the Kibbutz, we had a Yom HaZikaron ceremony. First, we heard the siren sound and stood silently for a few minutes. The siren and the ceremony were so moving and meaningful. Even though I don’t personally know anyone who died in the Israeli Army, the service still meant a lot. The poems, songs, and voices of the speakers were penetrating. The service made me feel extremely connected to Israel and Judaism. So many people sacrificed themselves to keep the Jewish homeland alive. It is truly magnificent, but really sad too. I will never forget this experience.

Maia Potok Holmes:
Israel is gorgeous!! Yesterday we hiked down Mt. Arbel. Yes I have to admit I got a bit freaked (fear of heights–thanks Ims : ] ) but it was lot of fun, and the views were amazing. After the hike, we went to a museum, and then ate lunch and ice cream. Then we got back on the bus, and went to the beach which was a lot fun. We swam for about an hour, and then got ready for Yom Hazikron. We attended a ceremony at a Kibbutz. It was really moving and also very sad. We are having a ton of fun. I will definitely remember this trip forever.

Leah Schatz:
Yesterday we went and hiked down MT. Arbel. It was so beautiful and an expirience I will remember fro he rest of my life. IT was kind of scary but we all worked together. It really showed me how close we have become as a grade. At the very bottum we all looked up and saw what we had done. To quote Chazzan Tilman “Bo Tiruh all ma she asinu” (come look at what we have done). uUpon arriving at the museum we got to look at the history of the Kibutz and the miricle that seemed to have taken place there. At the ceremony for Yom ha Zikaron, we were all touched and moved. Many of us not understanding half of it, yet understanding every thing. Not one person left not in tears. We relied on each other, and it really brought us together not only as a grade, but as a family.