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Neshama 17 Updates
June 4, 2009 - written by Jodi L. and Ilana H. and read at the awards assemblyAs many of you know, 48 students sitting in this room just returned from a life changing program called Neshama B’shvil Yisrael. This phrase has several meanings. The first, of course, is the lesser meaning, Neshama on the path of Shvil Yisrael. For those of you who don’t know, hiking on this path made us more familiar with the physical land in Israel than we are with our own backyards. However, there is another meaning which we knew but did not understand until after we arrived. If the 48 participants of Neshama 2009 had been asked to define this phrase three months ago, the common response probably would have been “Neshama for Israel.” At the time, this phrase would have sounded abstract and meaningless. Aside from touring the country, learning about it culturally and geographically, how were we, average teenage students, going to make a significant impact on the land of Israel? However, after a week of witnessing the destruction done to the Jews in Eastern Europe, two and a half months of touring ancient sites, listening to countless advocacy seminars, interacting with Israelis from all generations, volunteering and experiencing the rich Israeli culture, it became clear how many opportunities there are for 48 students to make a difference. Each activity we did seemed to have a dual purpose. While we enjoyed a delicious meal in a Bedouin tent, we learned about the diverse culture and lifestyle of a different people in Israel. While we enjoyed dressing up in Hijabs or Muslim “head coverings” at a Mosque outside Jerusalem, we learned the importance of respecting other faiths and the difficulty of sharing a land sacred to many religions. While we enjoyed connecting with the locals and experiencing the rowdy Israeli school at Merchavim, we learned that a party is not a party until the madrichim have graced us with their presence…Just kidding, we learned how much we have in common with Israeli students despite the different lives we lead. Many of us now have lifelong friendships in the land of Israel. One of the most educational activities was our week long army training at Gadna. There, we learned the discipline enforced on every Israeli soldier and gained a new found respect for Israeli teenagers who put their lives at risk everyday to save their country. We would wake up at the crack of dawn, and begin practicing the strenuous activities that a soldier would typically do. From this experience, we learned obedience, responsibility, and teamwork.... “A lotta teamwork” Experiencing holidays in Israel was a real privilege. Yom HaShoah and Yom Hazikaron were both extremely emotional, much different than the customary BBQ and shopping on our own commemoration day in the United States. Witnessing the halt in everyday life when the sirens went off was extraordinarily moving. Attending solemn memorial ceremonies honoring the fallen soldiers where everyone is uniformly dressed in blue and white sums up the sense of pride and dedication each Jew has living in Israel, and the sense of community which can be felt wherever you go. We thought Yom Ha’Aztmaut festivities at SSDS were a blast. But let me tell you, SSDS has nothing on Ben Yehuda Street during this spirited holiday. You can’t walk more than five steps without being bobbed on the head with a blow up hammer or sprayed in the face with the infamous silly string. Between the festival music and the crowd surfing, Israelis know how to party and celebrate their country’s existence. There is nothing like walking to the Kotel at 3 am on Shavuot and having to push through a mob of people who are heading to the same holy place. There is nothing like passing strangers on the street on a Friday afternoon and having them wish you a Shabbat Shalom. And there is nothing like the ability to eat in almost any restaurant during Pesach, knowing that you are still observing the holiday. Living in a state where for once being a Jew means you are not a minority is a feeling you cannot get anywhere else in the world. The time we spent these past three months in Israel definitely has made us prouder of our Judaism, more conscious of the necessity to continue practicing our Judaism in a secular society and more aware of the responsibility we have to advocate on Israel’s behalf. Aside from the factual lessons we learned from the many seminars and places we visited, we had an amazing opportunity to learn about ourselves and our 46 fellow Neshamamates. As a family, we supported each other during the emotional strains in Poland, assisted each other when it came time to make college decisions and motivated each other to keep going on the difficult hikes. Together, we also survived many challenging situations (excluding the desert experience). We roughed a dozen freezing cold nights outdoors, and were forced to disregard our sanitary needs for days at a time. But these many experiences united us as a family and made us stronger. We can’t forget that we also learned how to live independently, and how to take on leadership positions, which will greatly benefit us in the future. From the three months we spent in Israel, we learned where our people came from, where we stand today, and where we hope to be in the future. We also learned about ourselves and reinforced our own Jewish identities. Neshama, like its Hebrew meaning, has literally touched our souls. After this extraordinary three month journey, with our family of 48, no one is left “unimpressed.” Finally, we want to express our gratitude to our parents for allowing us to have this life altering opportunity. We also want to thank the school and the generous donor who helped make this program a reality. Thank you and enjoy your evening. May 31, 2009 - written by Stacey C. When asked to give this speech, my initial reaction was that there was no way I could possibly sum up the Neshama 17 experience. After a few more moments of thought I decided I would be crazy not to try. Of course I am no Evan who will have you laughing this entire time, and I can't stand here and roast you all but I can stick to what I'm good at; the mushy emotional part. Although March 1st seems like centuries ago, I can still remember the excitement and nervousness I felt that morning. I have now decided that no amount of oversized luggage could have prepared me for this experience. While sitting in the airport, overwhelmed enough, I remember Joe coming up to me and so kindly saying, "Stacey, you aren't being yourself, you're being weird." Thanks Joe. The truth is Joe was absolutely right. Looking back at just 3 months ago, I was not the same girl I am today and it is because I was lucky enough to have had shared these three months with all of you. Coming to Israel for the first time was an indescribable feeling, and it's not just because I finally saw what the Neta books were talking about, it is because you were all with me. I'll never forget Britty squeezing my hand and tearing as the plane landed simply because she was so excited to be sharing that moment together. To me, that shows how even from the first day, if one person was feeling something, we all were. The same applies for this moment right now. Of course we are all sad that these 3 months are coming to an end, but can we really be sad knowing we had the best Neshama yet? If being here has taught us one thing, it is that we must appreciate the moment we are living in and the people around us. We have grown up together these past months and have seen each other through everything. We've watched and helped one another through sinus infections, sprained ankles, Sunday morning crankiness after a fun free weekend and so much more. It was together that we sweated and struggled through hikes and it was together that we reached the top. I know I can speak for everyone when I say this all wouldn't have been possible without Eitan, Shira, Shani, and Yitzchak. Thank you for your undying patience and enthusiasm, we all appreciate it. We can be sad that the 48 of us won't ever live together with David in Ketura for another week, or that we will never be yelled at again for not having our hats and water bottles or we can consider ourselves lucky. I honestly can not thank you all enough for making me the luckiest girl and giving me the best first time in Israel ever. Without Daniel being there for my first time repelling, I probably would not have gotten down. Without Joelle sleeping next to me in Gadna I probably would have never been able to sleep. Without Arielle H.'s shower creativity I probably would not be so clean and without Derek's face I just wouldn't always be as happy. Without Eitan Heller's drumming Neshama probably would not have sounded so good and without Tamar's massages we all would be much more tense. Without Aliza sharing my "cabin fever" I probably would have gone insane and without Sammy I probably would not have laughed as much. But what's for certain is that if one of you were not here, Neshama would definitely not have been the same and my first time in Israel would not have been as amazing as it was. In a few days when we are all home and it is the first time you don't hear Danny's voice in the distance just remember when you feel something, so does the other 47. No matter where we will be in the next week, month or year, we will always carry this experience together. Don't ever worry about the pressure of keeping in touch because we will make it happen. Don't worry about the fact that you're best friend will be in another country next year or that it is the first time since birth you won't be in class with Ian. Don't worry about anything because it doesn't matter if you're from Highland Park, Franklin Lakes, or Staten Island; we are all from Neshama 17. Thank you all again for doing more than you know. May 28, 2009 - written by Aliza T. and Ben R. Last Neshama update! For us and the parents this is something bittersweet. For the parents, you are happy to have us home, but sad you have nothing more to read. For us, we are happy because we are graduating and are finally college bound; sad because this means first we will no longer be in Israel, and second, this symbolizes the end of our grade being together. So here it is. The last Neshama update: The free weekend took us all over the country. From as far north as Chaifa, and as far south as Merchavim where some of us rejoined old friends. Hard to believe that part of the trip was at the end of March. On Sunday, the program resumed but with a more laid back schedule. There was lunch in the famous park right near Agron, a trip to the Begin Museum, and then a trip to Reut, Shira's hometown, for a BBQ, right in her backyard. Joe Gutowski and Josh Sauer helped with the grilling, and we all enjoyed the hospitality of Shira and her parents. As the week went on, we reflected and went over our trip. Throughout the lectures and guest speakers, the ideas that we kept in mind were: how have the last three months impacted our lives, and how can we build from the experience. We heard lectures from Mr. Avram Infeld, the former head of Hillel International, and the soon to be head of the Jewish Agency who told us that it was Jews as a people who unified us, and not the Jewish religion. The David Project came to speak to us about how to advocate for Israel on college campuses; Neil Lazarus came to pay us another visit (the first one was during mini-mester) to speak to us about how to perfect our public speaking skills. The final lecture was from Michal Zur who showed us how important it is to maintain some sense of Jewish identity. She explained to us how the numbers of the Jewish people were shrinking everyday at a dramatic pace. Michal did not place pressure on us to be any kind of savior of the Jewish people, but she let us know the reality and told us that it was our personal decision as to how we live our lives once the trip is over. Although she did not make it a secret that she hoped we will maintain at least some kind of connection with the Jewish people and that she trusts us to be the future leaders of our people. The serious part of the week ended and finally our flight back in time took off. A funny, yet emotional, ceremony planned by a few of our own, summed up our experiences on Neshama. In the ceremony, each sub-group did a skit, dance, or song describing their sub-group. The madrichim did skits making fun of themselves as well as some choir members, but don’t worry, we got them back by doing skits and a roast which made fun of them. After all the fun and games, it was time to get emotional with a slideshow that reviewed both the good and sad times we've had so far. We presented the staff with gifts, and in return they sang a song and expressed how sad they were that the trip was coming to a close. The night ended with the distribution of the Neshama book, created by Leah, a memory booklet of all the places we went to and inside jokes, a picture of all 48 of us, and the Neshama sweatshirt which will surely be modeled frequently, maybe even when you pick us up from the airport. The rest of the week will end by celebrating Shavuot at the Kotel at sunrise on Friday morning, and then Shabbat the following day. For you all at home reading these updates, these last three months have gone by so slowly but for us, they've flown by so quickly half the time we weren't sure what day it was. By reading these updates you only got a little taste of what this anything but ordinary experience was. We, however, were lucky enough to get the full meal. We've hiked through our past in Poland, and marched proudly through our present in Israel. We've stuffed ourselves with new and interesting food, met new people, and seen sites people come from all over the world to see. Most importantly, we've grown from 48 high school seniors, to 48 college bound young adults. We know what it is to support each other, laugh with each other, and even sometimes laugh at each other. "Both together and apart a good friend is always close at heart." This at first was simply a saying we heard, now we know that it is a phrase to live by. See you all very early Sunday morning. Chag Sameach, Shabbat Shalom. P.S. The final count for how much tzedekah va'ad raised is $1320, exceeding last year's total by far. May 27, 2009 - written by Ian G. Yikkun olam is an important part of our Jewish values and learning community. For this reason we took time out of our busy schedules to GIVE BACK to this beautiful country which we have spent so much time exploring and studying our Jewish roots. I was privileged enough to help in a blind person factory. This factory employed mentally challenged adults by having them work for The Home Depot® ( You can build it, we can help) putting together faucets. We inserted pegs in the faucets showing which nozzles were hot, or not. We also got to use cool machines and interact with the workers. On day 3, we were allowed to leave the sweatshop and go on a SAFARI WITH THE WORKERS!!!!! WE SAW LIONS, AND TIGERS AND BEARS, AND MONKEYS, AND A LOT OF OH MYS (lol), AND PARAKEETS!!!!!!! We learned a lot about helping others and in conclusion I enjoyed Helping People™ P.S. this is the longest essay I've written in 5 months. May 27, 2009 - written by Josh S. As I'm sure you all know by now, "Neshama B'shvil Yisrael" is winding down. Over the past two months, we have taken a lot out of the time spent on "Shvil Yisrael", Israel's trail. This week, instead of touring and taking in the beautiful sights of the "Shvil", we started working "Bishvil" (for) Israel, and giving back to this society, land, and culture that has given us so much. Our first act of working Bishvil Israel began on Monday at Rabin Square. Part of giving back to this amazing country is knowing its history so that when we return to the United States we will be more capable of advocacy. Visiting the place where Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated was a moving experience. We all were able to recognize how great of a leader he was, and it all touched our hearts when we heard Shir L'Shalom through speakers in Rabin Square. After a brief ceremony at the square in memory of Rabin, we headed to the Palmach museum. In the Palmach museum we were part of a video tour of a few members of the Palmach. The museum explained the importance of the Palmach in the establishment of the state and how they joined to help form what today is the Israel Defence Forces. On Motzei Shabbat in Ein Geddi, the group was given different options for volunteering locations in Tel Aviv. The four options were: Working in a factory with blind workers; working in a school with children who are mentally and physically disabled; working in an animal shelter; and separating, sorting and distributing clothing and food to those in need. I selected working in the school for the disabled. Since Monday, the whole group has been based out of the Marina Hotel on the boardwalk in Tel Aviv. Wake-up for the whole group has been at 7:15 Monday- Wednesday, breakfast has been at 7:45, and a boxed lunch was given to all of us to take with us to our various volunteering locations. The group was split into two busses, and at 8:15 we were on the road. As we approached the gate to the school at around 8:45, I felt a bit nervous and apprehensive about the experience to come, and I sensed a similar emotion coming from my fellow classmates. As soon as we walked into the building, we were greeted by a woman of around thirty years of age named Bat-El. Immediately, I felt her warmth and felt much more comfortable in this new environment. Bat-El told us a bit about the students and the teachers who work with them. The majority of the students in the Venezuela-Kalisher school suffers from Cerebral Palsy and is wheel-chair bound. Much like in the United States, these students are provided schooling until the age of twenty one. This particular school that we were working with was brand-new and state-of-the art. As we took a tour of the school we were amazed by the special therapeutic harnesses in almost every room which are used to swing the students around in class. We were also impressed with one room in particular called "Snoozeland". This was a dark and cozy room filled with lights, mattresses, and even a water bed. After an early wake-up, "Snoozeland" was more therapeutic for us than it could ever be for the students at the school. After meeting a few teachers and meeting a few of the students, we felt much more comfortable, and we were told that tomorrow we would be in the class-rooms with the teachers. Since that moment, the kids of Neshama have been working non-stop with these wonderful kids, teachers, and aids. We have been rotating from classes such as Adapted Physical Activity (a basic gym class), to music classes, and many other classes. We even put on a bit of a musical performance starring Elan tickling the keys and Ben R. on vocals. It has been amazing getting to know the students. On Wednesday, Britty and I went on a trip with some of the students to a stable where the students were able to ride horses and play with dogs. It was amazing to see these kids who were usually wheel-chair bound riding horses with big smiles on their faces. After returning back to the school for lunch, we headed back to our hotel for the evening. All of the time spent volunteering was done before lunch. So what did we do in the afternoons and nights? On Sunday we came back to the hotel and had time to rest. In the evening we had dinner at our hotel and after dinner we had an Apache relay race sponsored by the Evening Va'ad. Included in this race were: Painting a male's fingernails; shaving legs (female legs); and singing on key. That last event was pretty simple given the fact almost half of the 48 kids on Neshama are in choir. On Monday we were given the option to go meet the founder of the Save a Child's Heart Foundation. S.A.C.H. is an Israeli organization that was established to deliver pediatric cardiac care across the globe. The organization is now made up of over 70 doctors who perform Cardiac Surgery in Israel and who train other doctors to go back to their countries. These 70 plus doctors make frequent trips to Africa to seek out those who they can help. What was astonishing about this organization was that they help everyone. This includes those who are currently residents of Gaza, the West Bank, and Iraq. The way that the organization works is by having a low cost of surgery thanks to volunteer doctors. The organization brings children from all over the world to a house in Israel in which they stay for a total of 3 months pre and post surgery. Children come either in groups or with one or both parents. This house is run by volunteers. After our brief lecture we were able to visit this house and meet with the kids. This experience for me, personally, was the most fulfilling moment of the week. The kids staying in the house were full of life and joy, and we were able to play with them in toy cars, help them make bracelets, and assist them in painting a poster for Neshama. The kids were absolutely adorable, and none of us wanted to leave. After the S.A.C.H. house, we were taken back to the hotel for some rest. We then headed to the Azriali Mall for dinner, and returned to the Hotel for some time on the boardwalk. The Tzedakah Va'ad volunteered the choir to sing for charity and after a short while, we drew a small crowd, and much to my surprise, we raised 212 shekel ($50). After a very long and exhausting day, we went to sleep, and woke to return to our different volunteering locations. After volunteering on Tuesday, we headed back to the Marina Hotel to rest a bit before heading out to Jafa and the market there. We were divided into groups of 7 or 8 and we were each given a cucumber to trade. It was a competition to see who could trade for the thing that was most peculiar. After reconvening, I believe the winner of the competition was the group (headed by Yoni and Joe) that received a dead fish for their cucumber. I have to share with you that there were a few people who were offended when we asked them if they wanted to trade for a cucumber. They took it to mean that we felt they had nothing to eat and got quite upset with us. Let's just say that. next time you're in Jaffa, stick to shekalim. After the little competition, we once again split into two groups, one who wished to learn the history of Jaffa, and the other, who wanted more time to shop in the market. At dinner-time, we all met up and went to a restaurant named "Dr. Shakshuka". Shakshuka is a tomato based food that is cooked over a fire in a pan with eggs dropped over the tomatoes. We had already experienced Shakshuka on our desert experience in the Negev, and it wasn't too popular then, and I can't say that it was much more popular that night either. After our meal, we headed over to a coffee shop for tea and dessert. This café was, in my opinion, one of the highlights of the week. Aside from the fact that the tea, coffee, and cake were all delicious, what made this experience so memorable were our waiters. Every one of them was either deaf, or had extremely impaired hearing. On our placemats were simple signs in sign language such as "please" and "thank you". It was really amazing interacting with these waiters. Attached to the café was a theater in which all of the actors were wither deaf, blind, or in most cases, both. The show was called "Not by Bread Alone", and the production was really something. It was really interesting to see how they interacted with one another through use of human aids and sign language. The show was very moving, and it was an experience of a lifetime. After this extremely long and exhausted day, we once again slept and woke to work in our respective volunteer locations. Today, after volunteering, we returned to the Hotel for a relaxing break. After this break, we headed back onto the busses to a town called Holon, where the children's museum is. Within this museum is an exhibit called "Dialogue in the Darkness". This exhibit shows, as close as possible, what it is like to be blind. Entering into a maze of complete darkness ten at a time, my group was led by a blind man by the name of Meir. His calm and soothing voice did nothing to calm or soothe my heartbeat as I felt it pounding in my chest as I walked deeper and deeper into the darkness. It was amazing how much Meir knew simply based on his other senses other than sight. All of our senses were enhanced as our ability to see diminished. We were lead through a building with many different rooms, including something similar to a living room, we went for a boat ride, and even walked on the streets of Jerusalem. As soon as we touched the stone of the walls of the room we knew it was intended to be Jerusalem. There was also a music room in which we were instructed to lie down and feel the vibrations and different sounds of the music. It was a strange feeling listening like this in complete darkness. The music felt more alive. As we continued walking, different sounds accompanied us, such as chirping of birds and the sound of car horns and even the sound of rushing water. As we reached the end of the maze, we found another café. It was quite difficult to see the bills we were taking out to buy our Cokes and Bamba, but by this time we had complete faith in Meir and the other blind people who were working in the exhibit. Even eating and drinking in the complete darkness was an amazing experience. The tastes and smells of the food were enhanced ten fold because of our lack of ability to see. As we concluded our time in the exhibit, we walked back into the light and had a few minutes with Meir to ask him questions about his life. After concluding the Q&A section, we headed back onto the busses and headed back to the Hotel for dinner. After dinner, another activity was lead by the Evening Va'ad. We headed back to the beach for an egg toss, volleyball, and soccer games. I now conclude by saying that tomorrow, Thursday, we will be finishing up our part of the trip "Bishvil" Israel with our final day of volunteering before our free weekend. May 26, 2009 We got a moving email from the volunteer coordinator for the Israel Experience saying how much our students were valuable and how much they contributed during that week. Here are highlights from her e-mail (she visited 2 of the groups): At the Kalisher Venezuela School for developmentally challenged students ages 6-21, Neshama students worked in the different classes and helped in whatever they could. The staff there can’t stop raving about the volunteers from Neshama. The visitors observed our students singing and playing music at the messibat siyum. They said it was very special seeing the happiness on the faces of the children; even their body language showed how happy they were with the visit of Neshama volunteers. Some of the students in the school even tried to dance and drum. At the Association for the Blind, Neshama volunteers went to the Safari in Ramat Gan with their blind peers, and facilitated the experience for them. It was heart warming watching the conversations between our volunteers and the people they were helping. Kol Hakavod Neshama 2009- we are so proud of you ! May 24, 2009 - written by LeeAnn So this is more of a personal experience. When we had visited Rosh Hanikra a few days ago, my dad told me that his cousin, Noam Simcha, was buried at the Rosh Hanikra cemetery, but our schedule was tight, so I was unable to visit then. For a while, I hadn’t been so curious to go, since I had never met him. On this trip, hearing about many different soldiers’ experiences and how some of them died, I have become more curious to hear about Noam and learn his story. Shira and Shani realized how important it was for me to go to the cemetery, and worked on scheduling a time when I could visit. Thursday, when everyone left for the free weekend, Shani and I got into her car and drove from Tel Aviv to Rosh Hanikra. After a long ride and only a few wrong turns we got to the cemetery. Shani had called ahead of time and had directions for where to find the grave. We went in and quickly found Noam’s grave. Shani walked a few steps away to give me time alone. I thought of all that my dad had told me about Noam. I thought of his time in the army and how he died, but mostly I thought of how my dad had said what a great, fun loving person he had been. I wished I could have met him, since he sounded like someone I would have gotten along with. Shani and I both left stones on the grave and left. Shani asked about him and I was glad to be able to tell what my dad had told me. I was very grateful that the Madrichim had planned it into their schedules to take me, and that all of my friends were curious about my visit and about Noam, and realized what an important experience it was for me. See you all soon! Sergeant Noam Simcha Z”L, 21 years old, from Kibbutz Rosh Hanikra, was killed on June 20, 1994. Right before the end of his service he was transferred from the Gaza strip to Lebanon. He was killed in a Hezbollah ambush while in a convoy to re-supply Beaufort Castle in South Lebanon. éäé æëøå áøåê May 17, 2009 - written by Eitan H. We drove into the desert in the morning to begin a short hike which ended in a 40 foot rappelling cliff. Our rappelling madrich, Itai, explained to us the safety rules and showed us the equipment we would be using (harness, rope, helmet, locks, etc…) and we went on our way into a small canyon. After 20 minutes of hiking, we reached the cliff wall and, one by one, made our way down the cliff-face by rope, with the help of Itai and another expert, Gal, who had been our madrich on Yam el Yam as well. Those who chose not to rappel climbed down the cliff by way of a long series of ladders. Everybody felt accomplished at the impressive feat we had just finished. We had a packed lunch and set off to Eilat, on the southernmost tip of the Negev. Our first night in Eilat was a free night, to be spent on the boardwalk with friends or with "boy toys" that had been bought at the "Boy Toy Auction" on the Kinneret for tzedaka. The next day, some of the group woke up at 3:30 a.m. to embark on the first sunrise hike of the trip, up a series of mountains and down to the end of the Shvil Yisrael trail, the trans-Israel trail that has been the focus of our hiking. The hike uphill in the dark was difficult, yet the beautiful sunrise overlooking Eilat and the sea brightened everybody's experience. After the sunrise, we finished Shvil Yisrael with a small ceremony and a visit to the Egyptian border, and finally we returned to the hotel to eat breakfast, after having been up for 6 hours, and go to sleep until lunch. Those who did not do the sunrise hike woke up at 9, ate breakfast, and spent the morning on the boardwalk and beach, relaxing and shopping while the hikers slept. We all met up for lunch and then went back to the beach for a few hours of water sports (banana boating and tube surfing) and some relaxation time. At night, we traveled out into the desert to Timna Park, to a campsite to have our Lag B'Omer bonfire, an Israeli tradition. The next day, the madrichim gave us another optional hike, in the famous Red Canyon in the desert near Eilat. Those who didn't do this short yet beautiful hike went back to the beach to loaf and sit in the sun, working on their "natural" tans. We met up afterward at Kibbutz Yotvata, to snack on the kibbutz's famous ice cream for the third time, before leaving for Ma'ale Hachamisha, near Abu Ghosh and Jerusalem. On our way up the Arava Valley, we also made a stop at Kibbutz Ketura, to say hi to our eccentric friend David once again and have some nostalgia over one of our favorite places of the trip. We talked with David for a bit and then went on our way to Ma'ale Hachamisha. We stayed at Ma'ale Hachamisha for the next few days because we couldn't stay in Jerusalem; the Pope, at his most important stop in his Middle East tour, was staying a few blocks from our normal base, Agron, so there was no room for our group. Our first night at Ma'ale Hachamisha was planned by the Evening Va'ad, a Reverse Scavenger Hunt/Prop Improvisation Game in which different groups used random things they could bring from their rooms to act out scenarios given by the judges. Team 3 got the highest overall score, winning them a free Ice Aroma delivery when we get to Tel Aviv. The next day was our Israel Arts workshop day. An Israeli film director, Elad Wexler, currently working as a waiter at a nearby Aroma (just kidding!), directed the group who had signed up for the cinema portion of the workshop. Two musicians, Ami Yares and Yoni Avital, part of a musical education project they created called The Shuk, guided the people who had signed up for the music group. We spent all day learning about Israeli music and film, and working to create our own songs and movie. At night some of us went to the mall to stock up on needed items and indulgences. The next morning, we heard a funny yet knowledge-filled lecture from the Chicago-born, well-known Israeli political journalist Gil Hoffman, a frequent writer for the Jerusalem Post and many other major Israeli newspapers and interviewer of some of the most important politicians in the Israeli government today. He gave us a great view of some of the most current issues in Israeli and Middle East politics today, and answered our questions. After the lecture, the musicians and director returned for a concert and viewing of the songs we wrote and the film we made. After the presentations, we got on the bus to go back to the Negev to Ein Gedi, where we would be spending Shabbat. We stayed at the Youth Hostel in Ein Gedi. The first night, we played some games to introduce us to the idea of volunteering, which we will be doing for the week in Tel Aviv. We went to bed early because all of us had to wake up for MASADA the next morning, again at 3:30 a.m. That morning, we all woke up in the dark and got on the bus for the short ride to Masada, which we would find to be one of the hardest uphill hikes of Neshama. The fastest people in the group made it up the mountain in 27 minutes, a record considering the average downhill time is 30 minutes. All of the group made it to the top within the hour, where we had a nice period of rest, followed by a special Shacharit in the ruins. We then split to a tour group and an activity group, for those who've already seen the ruins. Eli and Ian's skit, written by Shani, was a "hit," and the tour was also successful. After making some impressive echoes from the top of Masada into the canyons below, we took the cable car down to the bottom for breakfast at the Masada Youth Hostel. We then got on the bus to go the Dead Sea, a first for many in the group. After spending a few hours floating, getting covered in mud, lying in the shade/sun, or getting hurt/blinded by the salt water, we made our way back to Ein Gedi to have a few hours of rest before Shabbat. Group 4 planned Shabbat; it was Greek-themed. Group 4 greeted Shabbat in togas, and, after Kabbalat Shabbat (in normal Shabbat clothing), our evening activity focused on modern Greek life and recreation. After Shacharit the next morning, in which Aaron C. showcased his Torah-reading prowess by reading through most of his Bar Mitzvah portion at great speeds and almost flawlessly (Leah read an aliyah as well, and Yitzchak the madrich read the Haftorah), we had some free time. After lunch, some of us did a small "hike" (more like a walk) to the Ein Gedi waterfalls, where we stayed for about 2 hours, having fun in the water. The day was especially hot, so those who went got to cool off as well as see the famous natural beauty of Ein Gedi. We returned for more free time, and then another Greek activity, mythological skits, in which we interpreted famous Greek myths, such as that of Tantillus, Medusa, Hercules, etc… After dinner and Havdalah, we had time to pack, play basketball, do carefully-planned escape artist magic tricks, and hang out. This morning we're on the bus on our way to Tel Aviv for a week of volunteering. May 10, 2009 - written by Lexi K. and Garret O. Shalom America! It's Lexi and Garret and we are currently driving right next to the Dead Sea. With a six hour long bus ride, we thought it would be appropriate to write to our loved ones at home in America (but most importantly, Fran, Ephraim, Sheryl, and Barry). The past few days have been very relaxing after a week filled with hiking and adventure. On Friday/Aaron C.'s birthday, we reluctantly woke up at 6:15 to check out of our kibbutz and, you guessed it, another hike! On this hike our group was reunited for a relaxing hike overlooking the beautiful blue Kinneret. We concluded our hike by arriving at the Kinneret Cemetery. Shani, one of our awesome four madrichim, told us the life stories of many notable people to be buried there. Among them included the famous songwriter, ðòîé ùîø, who wrote many noteworthy songs such as éøåùìéí ùì æäá, among others. After the cemetery, we hopped back onto the bus to go rafting down the Jordan River. We split up into groups of six, jumped into our rafts and began our excursion; except for Ian G. who decided that swimming would be a better way to get down the river (don't worry, he got back in). Pandemonium erupted as all of the boats got into a splashing war with one another. For example, Nate K. thought it would be a great idea to capsize Shani and Yitzchak's raft. He and Yitzchak switched places, leading to Nate drenching Shani with the water of the Jordan River, as well as Yitzhak unleashing a fury of undulation on Nate's boat. Oh Nate and Yitzhak. With rafting coming to an end, we got back on the bus and headed to Poriya for a wonderful Group One Shabbat (that’s us!). The theme of this Shabbat was "Blast from the Past," where the group spent a weekend in nostalgia. Man, we miss being little kids (Garret was never little though). Friday night was started off with a wonderful Kabbalat Shabbat led by Group One vocalist, the one and only Josh S. We enjoyed a hearty Shabbat dinner and after were treated to a hilarious roast (where everyone is made fun of by their friends) all of the Neshama participants by Elan B., Eli S., and Jon G. (all in good fun of course). As the night waned, it was time to head to bed for some well deserved sleep. Saturday morning we were treated to our latest wake up of the trip yet. NINE O'CLOCK. Ridiculous, we know. What did we do to deserve this? After a wonderful Shacharit and Musaf service led by Lexi, Arielle H., Eli S., and Aaron C., we enjoyed an even heartier Shabbat lunch! After a nice two and a half hour rest time, we got ready to participate in the wonderful activities planned by Group One. Everyone was split into two groups. One group was capture the flag led by Lexi K. and Josh S., which included many of us falling down and cutting our legs up. We have some great battle wounds parents! The second group was Mafia (a circle game) led by Elan B. and Erica R., which involved substantially less blood. After these fun filled activities we changed back into our Shabbat clothing and played a relaxing game of Trivia led by Jodi L. and Natali N. The questions all dealt with 90s culture and there were childhood snacks and candy given out as prizes. With the hours of Shabbat coming to an end, we ate dinner and then were split into groups of eight where we recounted stories from our childhood and had many laughs. Following this fun activity we concluded Shabbat with a very nice Havdallah and prepared for the "Boy Toy Auction" led by the world-renowned tzedakah va'ad. Sixteen of our beautiful boys participated in an auction and were sold to girls that were willing to “buy” them for a free night in Eilat. The night was filled with surprise and laughter and it concluded with tzedakah va'ad raising a total of $264 which puts us $34 over last years amount for tzedaka but there is still more tzedakah to come! With only three more weeks left of the trip, we know we will make it worth our while. Bye! May 7, 2009 - written by Aaron F. and Joe G. Neshama '09 returned from a free weekend rejuvenated and excited to start off a week in the North. We reunited at the ever-familiar Agron Guesthouse in Jerusalem and greeted each other with our respective stories ranging from a kibbutz experience to life in hopping Tel-Aviv. From Agron we boarded our bus and were greeted by our new and wonderful bus driver Yossi. Our friend and driver Yossi took us to our first destination: the infamous Ammunition Hill (Givat HaTachmoshet). There we first watched an informative movie on the history of the site. From there, our all-knowing tour guide Shani talked to us more in depth about the events that occurred at Ammunition Hill and during the 6 Days War. After learning about the heroism that took place in conquering the strategic hill that was occupied by Jordan, we retraced the steps of the heroes by stealthily making our way through the very same trenches that were so important in the battle. Some of us had more trouble than others – many a pant was ripped by the unforgiving rocks as we climbed our way out of the trenches. After being introduced to the topic of the "Green Line," we met up with former advisor to the mayor of Jerusalem on Arab affairs, Avi Melamed. He treated us to an introspective seminar about the Green Line. We started at a lookout point from which we could see Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the security wall/fence separating them. While in that specific area the security fence is actually a wall, 92% of the entire security fence is in fact just a fence, not a wall. There were mixed feelings throughout the talk; we understood the necessity for some sort of security boundary but at the same time solidified the feeling of the disjointed nature of the country. Before heading to bed we stuffed ourselves with the famous Agron staple – the schnitzel. Continuing the theme of the Arab conflict, we drove to Givat Haviva, a Seminar Center dedicated to dismantling stereotypes within the Arab-Israeli conflict. The place is named after Chaviva Reik, a paratrooper who served alongside Chana Senesh and also fell in battle. We discussed the history of the conflict, debunking myths by using facts and statistics. After our time spent at Givat Chaviva we drove north to Kibbutz Amiad where we were to stay for the coming days. At night we had two activities, one planned by the counselors and one planned by the members of the Evening Activities Committee. The counselors continued with the theme of stereotypes within the Arab-Israeli Conflict by portraying different extreme opinions of Israelis in interview form. The hardcore right-wing Jew, secular Tel-Aviv resident, and the Palestinian handled the questioning gracefully. We then moved on to the second activity of the night which was a spin-off of the Newlywed Game where we found out just how well the madrichim know their chanichim. Each subgroup answered a slew of questions and the madrichim then had to answer the same questions about their specific subgroup. The team that had the most answers in common won. Group 3 was led to victory by their fearless leader Shira. As a result, Group 3 will at some point be going out for ice cream. Yalla Group 3! Morning came quickly and it was soon time to HIKE. The group split into two – one group went on their way to a "laid back" hike and the other group started off on a more "challenging" hike. The laid back group found itself navigating its way through the trails at Chatzbani while the challenging group hiked through the dry riverbed of Nachal Dishon. From our respective hikes, the groups met up at Kibbutz Misgav Am where we were introduced to Aryeh ben Yaakov, a rather interesting man and resident of the Kibbutz. Aryeh, the oleh from Cleveland, gave us a tour of his lovely kibbutz that is situated right on the border with Lebanon. He told us both horrific and inspiring stories of his time spent protecting the Jewish way of life in Eretz Yisrael. After leaving the mountaintop views and Aryeh's passionate speeches behind, we headed over to a specially prepared barbeque which was scrum-diddly-umptious. From there we moved on to the Canada Center in Metula where we enjoyed ice skating, swimming, playing basketball, and bowling. After an exhilarating yet exhausting day we returned to Ammiad and hit the hay. Well rested and ready to go we set out on another set of hikes. Both groups tackled Nachal Amud in the region of Har Meron. The laid back hike had a rude awakening as they were forced to exert themselves while navigating over boulders and through thick forestation. However, the hikers were rewarded with an hour of relaxation on the "Monkey Beach" and ice cream. Still licking their lips, the laid back group met up with the challenging group that had tumbled their way down Har Meron and back up a steep incline to finish off the day sans ice cream. Ice cream makes any day more laid back. Yossi then transported us smoothly to Rosh Hanikra. Rosh Hanikra is found right on the border of Lebanon and along the coastline. The area was once used to bring in Holocaust survivors to the land of Israel and as a strategic military outpost which is still used today. We admired the impressive grottos and got close but not too close to the waves that came crashing upon the rocks. We took a brief yet beautiful cable car ride to our dinner site where we enjoyed a satisfying Middle Eastern meal. Upon boarding the bus, we noticed a change in atmosphere. Our ordinary coach bus had transformed into a raucous PARTY BUS with DJ Yossi at the helm. Neshama '09 clapped and danced in their seats all the way back to Ammiad as our new favorite song blasted through the sound system. After our party it was time to finally get some shut-eye. The next day brought something new – more hiking! First, we made a trip to the Naot factory where many of us treated ourselves (and family members, don't worry) to stylish new shoes. The laid back group set out for a lookout point over the Golan where they were able to understand the strategic importance of the Golan Heights. While overlooking the tallest mountain in Israel, Har Hermon, the group sat in an abandoned Israeli military fort while looking at Lebanon and Syria. They then made their way to the Jilabun where they waded through knee-deep water that was especially chilly. Not many made it out dry. The challenging group hiked its way through Zavitan alongside a picturesque river. The highlights included descending all the way to the bottom where we enjoyed lunch and davened an inspiring mincha next to the water. Since we had been so cooperative, enthusiastic, determined, and all around great for our week of hiking in the north, we were then brought to the hot springs at Hamat Gader. Neshama '09 spent their time cleansing their skin in the therapeutic sulfur pools. We wish we could say it smelled as good as it felt. The next day came and it was time to say goodbye to Kibbutz Amiad. We checked out and headed over to the area of Porriya next to the Kinneret. A somewhat short hike ended up at the Kinneret Cemetery where the graves of Naomi Shemer and Rachel the Poetess can be found. We are currently making our way over to Jordan River where we will take on the rapids in our rafts. Something tells me we're going to need a change of clothes! Afterwards we will take our many pieces of luggage over to Porriya where we will close the week with a Shabbat planned entirely by Subgroup 1. Finally, we'd like to give a shout-out and big mazel tov to Aaron C. in honor of his 18th birthday. We wish him the best and can't think of a better place for him to spend his birthday than in the country that he loves so much. Signing off, this has been Aaron F. and Joe G. reporting for Neshama 2009. Hi mom. May 3, 2009 - written by Ian, Rachel, and Aliza You think you know but you have no idea: Monday night we began Yom Hazikaron by going to Shira's hometown of Re’ut to take part in the scout's ceremony honoring soldiers and civilians who died defending Israel. The ceremony was hosted by the Tzofim (Israeli Scouts). We were given stickers that said yizkor and wore blue and white. We were publicly welcomed to the ceremony along with another group visiting from Australia. The ceremony consisted of songs and poems written in memory of the deceased; halfway through the program they lit letters on fire saying "äöáé éùøàì òì áîåúéê çìì, àéê ðôìå âéáåøéí" meaning "someone fell upon the greatness of Israel, how the mighty have fallen." The ceremony ended with the crowd singing Hatikvah. The next day early in the morning before davening, Yitzchak, one of our great madrichim, told us a moving personal story of a soldier named Daron Asulin. Yitzchak had trained Daron to become a sharp shooter a day before they were off to defend the Gaza strip. As the army operation took place, Daron Asulin was in the front line. After saving his brigade by identifying a terrorist he was killed. This powerful story established the mood for the rest of the day. Later we went to the Palmach cemetery where we watched the ceremony take place. After this we stayed at the cemetery and listened to and were inspired by the story of one of Yitzchak's friend's grandfather, Tuvia Goldman. He told us his story of being in the Palmach and fighting during the war of Independence. We left the cemetery had a nice lunch, and then went back to the youth hostel to hear more stories of soldiers that fought for Israel. As the day went on one of Shira's friends came to talk to us about his near death experience. Nimrod was a combat officer in the second Lebanon War. He showed us an article that was shown on T.V. about his unit, after he told us the story of how he and his men were guarding a house and while they were guarding, a rocket hit the house and killed some of his men and Nimrod was severely injured and was taken to the hospital. Before guarding the house, Nimrod and his soldiers had to make sure that the house was clear of Arabs. When Nimrod checked the roof he was attacked and shot at, luckily he had his magazine by his chest and instead of hitting him and killing him it hit his magazine and saved his life. Little did he know that later he would be attacked and hospitalized. To end Yom Hazikaron we watched an amazing Oscar nominated movie Beaufort. After a meaningful memorial day, it was time to break out the party. We kicked off the celebration by waiting on the bus as Yitzchak used his super strength to move a car blocking the road, while Joe used his "Hebrew skills" to get an Israeli girl's number (it was real). Eventually we arrived on Ben Yehuda Street where we could not buy the 15 shekel red bull and vodkas ("you try, you fly"). We celebrated Israel's existence with the rest of the American tourists listening to live music, eating ice cream, and Josh G., Josh H., and Ian experimented with crowd surfing. We also learned a lot about the sophisticated Israeli culture by getting sprayed with toxic silly string AKA sheleg and getting hit on the head with blow up hammers by the young and the old. Many of us ran into people we knew from other programs. At the end of the night, the choir (featuring Adam T.) decided to make some extra cash by singing to people as they passed by. Aliza and Lexi walked around with hats and we raised 77 shekels for Tzedakah. The next day the girls woke up to Rachel, Arielle H., and Amanda singing happy birthday to Israel while the guys just enjoyed waking up at 9. We davened, led by Elan and Josh Sauer's guitars through the long holiday service. After breakfast, we made our way to a traditional Israeli Barbeque (mangal) organized by the incredible mangal va'ad(starring: Michael, Josh G., Ben Y., Arielle H., LeeAnn, Arielle S., Aaron C., and Erica). As Rachel, Stacey, Danielle, and Lexi attempted to improve their tans, the rest of the grade played soccer, volleyball, and matkot. The mangal va'ad worked their tushes off to make the incredible meat and salad we had for lunch. After lunch, Ben Yavelberg organized an intense ultimate Frisbee game while others relaxed playing Shesh Besh. After a long day we came back to the hostel where we all relaxed. During this time the boys worked hard to eat two trays of the remaining barbequed meat. After dinner, we watched an Israeli comedy called Hakochavim shel Shlomi. We then bid adieu to Yom Haatzmaut and began writing this mamash amazing update. We then went to bed, woke up, ate breakfast, and who knooooooooooooows. April 30, 2009 - written by Arielle S. and LeeAnn HEYYYYYYY EVERYBODY!!!!! Happy Birthday Sammy! After a long day of celebration we finished the holiday with a great Israeli comedy movie, "Hacochavim shel Shlomi." We woke up this morning and started our day at Yad Vashem. Everyone was excited that Sheryl (our tour guide in Poland) was going to be our guide at the museum. We had a reunion group hug and then split into two groups. One group was mostly the people who had never seen Yad Vashem before and they toured the main museum. The other group went to the surrounding monuments and saw a cattle car, the children's museum, and other monuments. We then met up to finish the Holocaust part of our program by discussing our final impressions of what we had seen in Poland and now in Israel. It was really amazing to close the circle with Sheryl because she knows exactly what we experienced in Poland. From there we went to a delicious lunch at Avazi and celebrated Sammy's birthday. Once again, birthday va'ad (the best va'ad ever!), delivered with an amazing song and a birthday word search. We had a delicious cake (thanks to the Glickmans!) and then all went our separate ways for our free weekend. Have a great weekend! We miss you! April 27, 2009 - written by Yoni K. and Michael B. Greetings faithful Neshama Update Blog subscribers. It has been quite some time since you last heard from this merry band of heroes, and by quite some time I mean about a week. For those of you caught in the mire of daily life and a natural routine filled with the drudgery of daily work, a week going by may seem like a trivial span of time. What could we have possibly done in a week? Well dear readers, this bold crew of intrepid adventurers has managed to fit several months worth of experiences into these past seven days. My narrative begins with an ending. Ariel, our Shabbos man, led his final Shabbat with us last Saturday. The theme of the Shabbos was cultural problems in Israel. For kabshab (as we say in the Neshama slang; Kabbalat Shabbat for the layman) we davened in the Old City on a secluded balcony overlooking the Kotel. The view of the old retaining wall with the setting sun reflecting off of the golden globe of the Dome of the Rock was breathtaking. As we sang through our prayers in the Karlbach tradition we could see the Kotel plaza filling up with black hats, soldiers, and tourists. The most amazing part of this prayer experience, in my opinion, was during the silences of our own prayers when the singing of the Jews down in the plaza carried all the way to our balcony. It is not hard to imagine that these joyful prayers could also be heard up in heaven above. The next day we had a choice of shuls for Shacharit: The Great Synagogue, The Great Synagoguge Sephardi service, or Shira Hadasha, an Orthodox shul that has some egalitarian properties. Many of us went to Shira Hadasha. The congregation sang beautiful tunes with many members of the minyan harmonizing. After the service, we were treated to their Kiddush luncheon of fruits and cakes. We returned to Agron for lunch and Minha and then some shnatz (afternoon nap.) We reconvened after a few hours of Shabbos rest for an activity that Ariel had prepared for us. Returning to the theme of the Shabbos, we were to evaluate the Israeli Declaration of Independence and draft a constitution. We divided into committees to discuss the validity of statements in the declaration such as Israel being a "Jewish Democracy," whether Israelis of every race and creed had "equal social and political rights," and if there was anything we would change from the declaration in drafting our constitution. The prompts sparked hot debates which raged for an hour and a half before Ariel wrapped up the activity and left us with some words of wisdom and the assurance that we all have a new friend in Israel. That night at exactly midnight, we celebrated Michael's birthday by running out into the halls and yelling at the top of our lungs as pilgrims from all over the world came to pay their respects to the 18 year old champion, that is until the cranky old lady at the end of the hall asked us if we knew what time it was at which point we all went to bed. That morning we boarded the bus and traveled north to Haifa where we would be staying the night. We first stopped at the Ghetto Fighter's Museum and heard the testimony of a survivor from Auschwitz. We then toured the museum proper and the children's museum. The visit was just in time to put the Holocaust back in our minds and prepare us for Yom HaShoah which would begin the next evening. After davening Minha at the museum, we boarded the bus once more. On our way to Haifa, as we were passing Har Carmel, the radio station Galgalatz gave our Neshama group a shoutout during their traffic report. After a short while, we arrived at our hotel destination in time for dinner. After we ate, we were given ample free time to unpack and settle in. Our evening activity that night was the very special opportunity to have pool time! The hotel was equipped with a large, indoor, heated swimming pool complete with a bubbling hot Jacuzzi. Those who took advantage of the swimming time frolicked in the water, relaxed in the Jacuzzi, or just came to splash their feet. About half an hour before curfew, the choir had a secret rehearsal to prepare a song for a very special girl's birthday the next day. The next morning we woke up bright and early, pumped for the day's hike down Har Carmel. If I had been surprised by the abundant life I had seen in the desert because of its description as a barren, inhospitable biome, I understood where this reputation came from in comparison to the Mediterranean jungle of the wild Galilee. Every square foot of earth was jam-packed with vegetation; the air was swarming with life. To give those of you who are more moved by numbers than poetic prose some appreciation for the incredible biodiversity of the region, I will provide you with this statistic: in New Jersey, the Garden State, there are about 200 distinct species of flowering plants; Israel, a country the size of New Jersey, has ten times as many. What accounts for this astounding biodiversity? Send us an email with your answer and if you're right we'll give you a shoutout in the next update. For those of you more partial to fancy writing, I will attempt to describe the countryside. We hiked under a canopy of twisting branches dripping with moss and brimming with leaves of all shapes. The dappled sunlight danced across the brown earth and the mottled gray stones of the path with occasional sprouts popping their heads up along the cracks. On either side of the path, a symphony of colors greeted the appreciative eye. The myriad of greens was peppered with the red poppies, tiny blue wildflowers, a hundred different yellows, and the violets of the thistle plants. The hike was a consistent downhill. Every fifty meters or so we would come across a steep drop or a cliff that had to be climbed down. At these points, the entire caravan would be backed up while all forty-eight of us went single file down each cliff. The beauty of nature surrounded us as we made our way down. It was a slow and relaxing hike until we got to the bottom of the hill. There we stopped in the shade under a tree to catch our breath. At that point Shani pointed out the only uphill of the entire hike: a sixty degree incline straight up to a peak of the Carmel. After about ten minutes we reached the top and were greeted by the breathtaking view of the Carmel. We could see the village where our hike began off in the distance and could trace our path down the wadi where two rises in the Carmel converged. The last stretch of the hike was an easy lope down the grassy slope. We finally reached the bus, exhausted, smelly, and sweaty. We were shuttled to a Druze village where a man hosted us all for a delicious lunch of pita, lamb sausages, humus, and other Druze specialties. He explained to us the basics of the Druze religion and their place in society. We returned to the hotel to shower and settle in to Yom HaShoah. Many television stations stop broadcasts for Yom HaShoah, others play holocaust programming; radio stations play sad songs. Before the evening came, we had one more celebration to fit in: Amanda's birthday party! The choir sung her the song they had practiced and birthday va'ad prepared balloons and a cake with candles. The next day was Yom HaShoah. We held a ceremony prepared by a committee of students in front of the Bahai Temple. We got to the location with time to wait until the siren went off to mark a moment of silence in remembrance. As we waited, we watched the cars driving in downtown Haifa. A tour group was taking pictures in front of the gardens. At 10:00 on the dot, the sirens went off. The eerie discord resounded with a haunting power that seemed to command anyone who heard, on behalf of the fallen, to remember. Time froze for a minute, and in that interminable span of time nothing moved and nothing made a sound. When it was over, it faded into the distance. Cars began moving again. We began moving. We performed the ceremony that our friends prepared and then met in subgroups. The attitude in Israel is that we must pay our respects on the day of remembrance, but then we must move on and live our lives. After the siren, the cars began moving again. If the millions who passed away were sacrificed just so that we could spend an entire day trying to relive the misery that stole them, what was the point? At this junction, dear readers, I am afraid that my knowledge of the full scope of events is limited, for at this point the daring Robinson Crusoes of Yam el Yam separated from the c
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