Updates from Israel

DAY 1 UPDATE! After safely arriving in Israel and playing luggage Jenga to fit all our bags on the bus, we first headed to Ceasarea National Park where we enjoyed some beautiful views.  We then enjoyed lunch on our own at Zikron Ya’akov (pictured schnitzel baguette) We then drove to Hanadiv gardens before returning to…

Howdy y’all! We have arrived in the Holy Land! Excitement is rumbling through the group. Our students are so incredibly kind and courteous to one another. We’ve already shared some good laughs together. Good vibes all around for bus 166!

The sun sets over the vista, and we gather too begin our prayers. Amir, our tour guide, introduces us to the concept of the sabbath bride, the idea that we are welcoming in the holiness of the day, to take us into a space above our day to day routine. We gather to celebrate a…

Our Bama and friends crew is elated to arrive in Israel!  

We began our final day in the old city of Jerusalem. Walking around, absorbing thousands of years of history, and getting folks to connect with the city.  We got to see and spend time at the Kotel/western wall. For most, it was a very relaxing time to connect with themselves. The group also explores time…

We awoke to the sounds of a new week in Jerusalem. What freshness will this new week bring? What possibilities, joys adventures are to be awakened in our last few days together?  We began with breakfast at the hotel at 7:30, before departing on our bus with Captain Waseem navigating our way. We arrived at…

Shabbat is a time to discover (or rediscover) oneself.  We had time to relax and recharge today, with options programs such as yoga, meditation, journaling, discussions, and a dance workshop. After lunch, we all rejoined to discuss Jewish identity, antisemitism, the Holocaust, and discrimination in general. Finally, we had a geo political discussion followed by…

Friday March 31st- wow what a day!  We began our day waking up at 5am for Coffee & cake. This was followed by hiking Masada. We explored Masada  – the Ancient mountain-top fortress. We had 17 participants have bar/bat mitzvahs. Beautiful speeches and testimonies of why they are doing this today. We Descended Masada –…

Day 4, are you ready for more? So, we woke up and ate a tasty breakfast. This fueled us to have the energy for fun ice breakers with the Israeli peers who joined us. We had a lovely tour in Jaffa. Beautiful Landscaping, stunning architecture, rich history, and outstanding graffiti. A lovely time indeed. We…

Day three, you already know me!  We began the day with a tasty breakfast. We learned about Social Diversity and statehood talk with Sheikh Bader Kasem. It was very engaging for the participants. Following that, we dived into the Druze experience with an upgraded lunch that was beyond tasty. Following lunch, we had a tour…