The next morning we woke up early for a short but scenic hike up Mount Arbel where we learned about the geography of Israel. After endless posing for pictures, we learned about the important role Lake Kinneret plays in politics, as it is the major source of fresh water for Israel. Basically if anything happens to Israel's control over Lake Kinneret they would be willing to go to war to get it back. After Mount Arbel, we went on a water hike through a river. While Jews are usually known for wandering through deserts, it was hilarious to see about 75 of us hiking through a river with water up past our knees. This was perhaps one of the highlights of my weekend, I felt so adventurous!
Following the water hike and lunch, we did the most natural thing possible...we went on a cruise! Well it wasn't so much a cruise as a daytime party boat on Lake Kinneret. Picture a bunch of 20-somethings dancing around ridiculously to a mix of upbeat Israeli and American music. It was a blast, and I had to pause for a moment as it took me by surprise how close I felt to all the people around me having known them for only two weeks. I honestly feel I have known some of them for years already, and I am so glad I chose to come to Israel.
After the hike, we made our way back to the hotel to clean up and prepare for Shabbat. We had a nice outdoor Shabbat service followed by dinner and staying up late with friends. The next day we were able to sleep in (Yay for the day of rest! Booo for my strange roommate who woke me up at 8:30!). In the afternoon we walked to a nearby kibbutz, called Degania. Degania is actually the first kibbutz ever in Israel and it was very interesting to hear about it's history from the grand-daughter of the founders. The purpose of going to the kibbutz, however, was to meet some Americans who moved to Israel to join the army. They are part of a program where young Americans come to Israel and live on the kibbutz so that they have a support system and family during their army service. We broke up into smaller groups to ask them questions about their decision to join the IDF. I enjoyed hearing their reasons for coming to Israel, what their roles were in the army, and how their family and friends from back home reacted. The ones I talked to said they have rough days here and there (one said his mom calls him once a week crying), but that they do not regret their decisions and love their lives in Israel in the army.
That evening after dinner we had a Havdalah service back at the hotel and made our way back to Netanya. It was a fun weekend but it felt nice to be back home. It is strange to think of my apartment here as home, especially considering the ceiling next door still hasn't been fixed, and I am still living out of a suitcase in a room with too many people. Basically the source of the water that caused the ceiling to fall is still unknown. With the holidays coming up it is impossible to say exactly when it will be fixed and habitable again. For now I am living in what is going to be my apartment my entire time in Israel, but I am living in it with the two girls who are supposed to live next door. My real roommate is temporarily living upstairs. It is strange to think we are roommates when we haven't even started living together. Oh well! My room has been dubbed the orphanage because the only way we fit is to have our three beds basically next to each other in a row. I love my temporary roommates but hope their room is done sometime soon.
I will try and post pictures of everything soon!
Yalla Bye,
Melanie
P.S. If you have any suggestions for a real title for my blog, feel free to comment on this post. I am leaning towards Melanya in Netanya, WTF ITF, or something to do with my chai (life) in Israel.
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| A terrifying moment in a beautiful place. |
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| Hiking through the river, or in my case, walking on top of it. |
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| View of the Kinneret from our hotel. |
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