Since Rabbi Benji’s ‘2000 years of waiting we are returning to Israel’ speech, the overall mood has transformed! I’m writing this sitting on the plane about to land in Tel Aviv, but it hasn’t hit me. Just yesterday we were all contemplating whether we would return to school when we got back home, but sitting on this plane wondering what Israel will be like (for some) and reconnecting (for others) still contains a sweet sense of surrealism. We all had an idea what the plane ride would be like and what emotions would be flowing through us, but on behalf of the IST family and theJewish people I can honestly say it is unreal. We have grown accustomed to long flights; customs and 5 hour bus rides… So why should this feel any different!? Maybe because the plane food is shockingly better then anything we had in Poland (see food glorious food), the pilot was welcoming us onto the plane and asking where we were off to in a thick Israeli accent. Or maybe it’s the Israel flag we see proudly printed on the wing. I don’t know exactly but I feel like I’m going home.
Arrival: We met our madrichim; Miriam and Shiloh. Miriam is an amazing interactive tour guide and her enthusiasm is inspirational. Shilo is our ‘tank,’ looking out for us at every pitstop. Once packing our bags onto the Wifi and smell-free bus we head up north. Dinner was incredible (yet again see food glorious food). I swear Polish people must have no taste buds. After, we cruised over the kinneret, it was amazing! We danced on the deck under the moonlight (sounds so romantic). It was a great way to spend our first night in Israel.
We made it, “Everywhere I go, I go to Israel!”
Ash