Everywhere except Dimona, Israel (Last 2 weeks of August 2009)

My last two weeks in Israel were very busy and I got a taste of most of the country. I was stationed in Jerusalem at my cousin Meli's apartment and together we explored the holyland. My Zionist education was vastly expanded during our travels; everywhere you go in Israel is a piece of Jewish history, modern and/or ancient. Every town and city I went to had its own unique character, but the greater feeling of community was found everywhere. I could list the many reasons that Israel feels like one big extended family or how Israel is the only place in the world that I am so excited to see lots of construction because I love to see the country grow, but instead I'll show some pictures of my journey with a couple captions :).

Acre- עכו
Ramat Hanadiv-רמת חנדיב (Meli and I in beautiful gardens)


Hiking in the Golan with pools to cool off along the way, later that day we went kayaking on the Jordan river.

Oh my gosh! Someone is trapped under this building! (Shopping in the Shuk Carmel in Tel Aviv)

Meeting McGill friends (Robin and Tommy) at a bar in Tel Aviv


Beach day with Sarah Weis in Ashdod (tip: never ask a beach ars to take your photo)

Tomb of the Patriarchs-מערת המכפלה in Hebron (this is where Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca and Leah are buried.) This was my favorite holy site and I understand why many Israelis are willing to fight so hard to keep it under Israel's control. It was much easier for me to feel a strong connection here opposed to the Kotel. The Kotel is not the Temple, but merely a retaining wall, whereas in Hebron, the site was more accessible and still intact!
View from Mt Carmel, Haifa- חיפה
Ma'or and I in Tel Aviv reminscing the days of USY on Wheels

Picture of Ben Guiron and Albert Einstein (on display at Ben Gurion's house). Way too much hair for one picture, perhaps a secret to their respective success.

Friends from the camp in Dimona celebrating our love for the Negev town at Jerusalem's beer festival. That night we sang the childrens camp songs with other drunk people and celebrated my last beer before I went to Egypt.

....
During my stay in Israel there were many points where I wanted to remain in Israel, many times when I asked myself if going to Egypt was the best idea when I could just study in Israel where I could live freely, safely and happily as a Jew and a woman. People had different reactions to my pending trip to Egypt, I was sometimes called brave and other times naive. I was asked what a nice Jewish girl like myself was doing living in an Arab country, so my next post about Egypt I guess will begin to answer that question.

(בשנה הבאה בירושלים)