Helping others and hearing both sides

Sunday, May 31st. Sfat, Yemin Orde, Givat Chavivam Barta'a (both sides of the green line)

Today was so packed. We started off the morning with a visit to Ziv Hospital. This hospital is special because they have treated about 1600 Syrians who were injured in the civil war there. 17% of the victims are children. It's crazy to think that these kids wake up in a hospital and hear Hebrew. They're shocked especially because their whole lives they were brought up learning that we are their enemies who want to kill them. They come in malnourished which is a heart breakers and they're able to get edible flood here. Technically were at war with Syria since there was a disengagement as opposed to a peace treaty. Because of this the patients cannot become refugees and stay in Israel if they are not undergoing treatment. Ziv Hospital brings patient from a complete בלגן mess to a controlled situation. How long will these patients get clean good and water for? Will they ever see crayons and clean showers again? They even get to play with Arabic ABC toys that are brought in. A lot of the patients can't read or write and are missing limbs. How are they to live? A lot of patients are separated from their parents and despite the kindness endowed on them in the hospital, all they want to do is go back home and be with their families. Despite the conflict, Ziv hospital continues to treat patients and give them the best care that they can. They keep politics out, don't ask questions or judge, and show that they care. This is the epitome of Tikkun Olam (repairing the world)

We actually had some time today to go to the artists quarter in the old city of Safed so here are some touristy pictures

We love mitz gezer

Our next stop was the Yemin Orde Youth Village which has become a second home for children from at risk homes including immigrants. The high school kids that come here come from really rough backgrounds. At Yemin Orde, children get to find who they are and become leaders. The mission is to take them from anger and make the most of their moments in a short amount of time (4 years of high school). This place doesn't want to institutionalize the kids, they want to make them feel dignified. They focus on the future and dream big.

We were also taken on a tour of the village and got to briefly interact with some of the students there. 

Our tour guide, an Ethiopian woman who now works in the village sat us down and told us about her life journey. Call me for deets, she was amazing. 

At another stop, we met Lydia Eisenberg, a 69 year old woman who has been living in Israel for the past 50 years on Kibbutz Givat Chaviva. The kibbutz aims to bring Israeli Jews and Arabs together through educational and social projects. This place concentrated on a curriculum of peace. We even had the opportunity to speak to an Israel Arab about his life in Israel. Amir is from Jahd village right by the green line. He has Israeli citizenship, pays taxes, has an Israeli ID and passport. He complained about being treated like a second class citizen. I'm not going to get into it but we hammered him with hard hitting questions and a lot of us weren't please with his answers. However, Lydia taught us that it's important to hear different narratives and to increase our tolerance for others. 

I'm in the Arab village of west Barta'a which is a town that was split in half when the green line was drawn. Coming to these areas of the country shows the people living here that we're willing to learn, and that we care. Literally standing on (and perhaps over) the green line, we stopped civilians in their cars and got to ask them about their lives here. It's important to hear different narratives and points of view and to increase tolerance. Thanks for showing us both sides of the story #hasbaraisrael

The east and west sides of the village are separated by a ditch

Walking on air

Shabbat May 29th, Sfat 

Had a crazy weekend in Safed. We arrived Friday and I got to go to the artist quarter shuk. Totally love the art there. I was pretty impressed with myself for knowing how to get around the Old City. We stayed in a stunning apartment with a Gorgous balcony view. 

We kicked off Shabbat at a shul with Carlebach minyan. There were so many people there that we poured out into the street and it was just as loud. It was so nice to see the diversity of types of Jews at this shul. It's something you don't get everywhere. 

We had a bunch of le'chaims at dinner and passed out for the night. 

Shabbat day was great. We had a session discussing the layout of Israeli activism on our campuses and everyone gave their input. 

Later we were guided on a mystical tour of Safed. We went to places like Rav Yosef Kairo's beit midrash, a Abuav shul, dogs bearing the neshama of Rabbi Nachman, a scenic viewpoint of Tiberias, and finally the very spot where Kabbalat Shabbat was founded. Our tour guides stories were super lofty and lit to say the least. I really appreciate the fact that there are Jews like that in the world. The people that live here seem to be floating on a cloud. Their priorities are their spiritual growth and their reality is viewed from a special perspective. Although they may not be rich with money, they most definitely are rich with everything else. 

During our free time a bunch of us went to the citadel which is an old crusader fortress. I wish I had a picture but it looks like a domed cave with an oculus (hole on top) that lets in enough light to set the mood. When we walked in it was pitch black and we were able to hear the echo of a group of people singers. After our eyes adjusted we were able to see that they were a circle of chassidish yeshiva boys pouring their hearts out in song. We made an outer circle around them, they picked the playlist and we sang for at least a half hour. The chamber filled up over time and there were about 50 people inside just singing together. So cheesy I'm sorry but it was so nice to see such a diversity of people singing together. 

Afterward, I took a couple of friends and we made our way to my relatives apartment nearby. It was nice to catch up and meet their new baby. 

After a great seudat shili and havdala we got to have a kumsitz on a mountaintop. What's better than beer, a fire, a guy with s beard playing guitar, and some Bamba?

Stay tuned

All over borders

Friday, May 29th. The Syrian Border/Sfat

Today we visited מסגב עם which is a kibbutz established in 1945 and it's located on הר נפטלי about 3000 feet up. Ari Benyakov started this kibbutz after moving from Cleveland and finishing his service in the paratrooper unit. He fought in the recapturing of Jerusalem, the war of attrition, the Suez Canal in 73, and the Lebanon war in Beirut. From the viewing point we were able to see Lebanon right in front of us as well as Syria in the background. There were Hezbollah flags like right in front of us. It's the only place where one can see Syria, Israel, the Mediterranean, and Lebanon at the same time. It's the same distance from Damascus as it is to Haifa and further out, the se distance from Tel Aviv and Beirut. 300 people live there. There are no dorms at the nearby college because it's too dangerous. Hezbollah tried to invade the kibbutz a couple of times but since security is so tight they weren't able to get in. Ari is proud about the fact that his kibbutz doesn't have offensive weapons. He reminded us that we don't have any enemies, its other people who have made us enemies. 

After that we went ATVing through the Golan

and ended our day in Sfat where we're spending Shabbat

Me and a Syrian shul

Shabbat Shalom

It's complicated

Thursday, May 28th. The Golan Heights, Kibbutz Chispin

We did so much today. I started off my morning with a 5k run in the Golan's dry heat. I basically know Kibbutz Chispin by heart since I had to circle it like 6 times.

Our first stop was the 77th Brigade Memorial on the Syrian border where we learned about the Yom Kippur war and got to see (and climb on) proper tanks that were in the battle. We also discussed the Iranian nuclear crisis. 

During our awesome lecture by Elliott Chodoff, a major in the IDF reserves, we heard a boom and saw smoke. Crazy to see the Syrian civil war happening in front of us! Still have to process that.

Our next stop was the building where the Syrian headquarters used to be. Now the building is used for military exercises. It was cool to think that Eli Cohen has been here. We went up to the roof to see עמק הבכא, or the Valley of Crying.

It has this name because hundreds of hundreds of Syrian vehicles were stopped there and the soldiers were left wounded and starving without aid for days. No one came to rescue them. The crying and screaming was so loud that the Israelis used the screams as a land mark to navigate around the area. 

Then we went to Har Bental הר בנטל where we discussed The Iranian crisis some more.

Our last stop which was the highlight of my day was the Druze village of Pekein. The Druze are indigenous citizens of Israel who are totally and utterly loyal to Israel and defend our country no matter what. They have their own religion which they describe as a mix of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. We ate at a restaurant that actually had kibbeh! It was sick.

Syked for tomorrow. Stay tuned!

Alfei Menashe

Wednesday, May 27th. Alfei Menashe

Landed in Tel Aviv on Wednesday in 112 degree weather. We really jumped into things and went to Alfei Menashe which is a settlement located on the green line (which means it was part of Jordan until 1967). We got to stand at a viewpoint which allows you to see the narrow 9 mile span of Israels width. This country is really so small and it was cool to see that in person. From this point we were able to make out Tel Aviv, Herzelia, Saba, Raanana, basically 2/3 of Israeli population. We learned about the politics involved with security fences. For the record, this blog will not discuss political views.

After a (healthy) dinner, we played some ice breakers and passed out 

Intro

As you might know I have become pretty active with the Israel club on campus at Brooklyn College. Being in this type of environment has inspired me to find a way to refine my skills as an advocate for Israel. 

This blog will take you through my time in Israel on the Hasbara Fellowships program. I'll be learning about how to successfully speak up for Israel through interactive workshops as well as hands on experiences. See ya on the other side