TL-44-638 Update 1
Update from Staff Gene –It hasn’t even been 48 hours since our Pride trip landed in israel and we’ve already done so much! After a very late night arrival and passing through the pandemic safety tests at the airport, we headed to Tel Aviv to collapse into beds and get ready for the first couple days of exploring
So far we:
Visited the ancient city of Caesarea and learned about the multi layered history there
Explored the beautiful town of Zichron Yaakov
Visited the har bental lookout and learned about Israel’s changing borders while looking out over Lebanon and Syria
Went For a beautiful walk through the woods at Tel Dan where we visited the ruins if another ancient city
Went for a wild ride in rafts down a river in the Galilee
And of course we’re not just any Birthright Israel trip…we’re a pride trip! Every participant including staff and guide are part of the LGBTQ community which means we’re looking at Israel with a special lens from our dual Jewish and queer experience. We’ve already started a conversation about what it means to have these overlapping identifies and that’s a conversation we’re excited to continue throughout the trip
Below is a rafting trip report from participant Charles along with a bunch of photos attached –
A few words about my time with Nancy/Gavin/Gene Reuben on the river for the newsletter :
“I couldn’t have asked for a better group to tumble down the river with! Although we look like professionals, it was our first time tackling the roaring rapids of the backwaters of the Jordan river. Between Gavin’s guidance as our figurehead rower, Gene’s uncanny ability to steer us into the riverbank, and Nancy’s battle yell of “SABABA!!”, we were a force with which to be reckoned. Although precarious at times, we had a blast and learned that sometimes it’s best to go where the river takes you.”
