Day 34 - Netzach - Savannah
Over 100 inspired IST students chose to wake up extra early today for sunrise Tefillah. In the freezing cold and darkness we woke to see the much anticipated magical sunrise Tefillah at the Kotel. We needed to dress warmly with our thermals, fleece, IST jumper and puffer jacket. We were met with high security due to Rosh Chodesh and the last day of Channukah.
The sky was a gorgeous deep sapphire blue with clouds covering the moon. It made for a magical sight.
Girls and boys separated as usual but we still said Shaharit over the fence together. Surprisingly, many more people gathered and it became quite crowded with the plastic chairs becoming very sought after. I was unaware that it was customary to say the Amidah at sunrise as silence fell suddenly at 6:32am. It was a beautiful time to reflect on our IST journey, especially how, sadly, it is coming to an end very soon. We (the girls) were then met with a reform Jewish women's group called ‘Women of the Wall’, who unforfunatley became surrounded by aggressive Hasidic men. We saw tension between two different Jewish groups. I still have a lot to learn about the reasons for this.
After meaningful prayers, we headed back on the bus but the dynamic shifted as all of us were more awake and alert! We then had a delicious buffet breakfast at Royal Jerusalem filled with authentic Israeli food like Shukshuka, hummus and Israeli salad but of course, the coffee station was the most popular! Then, Lehava went off to their day's adventures whilst we had a well-needed chill out. MASA then came to speak to us about the several programs on offer for us when we graduate from school. We broke into smaller groups lead by our madrichim in which we discussed several topics, such as whether or not we want to take a gap year and how to find reliable news sources, through using the example of Ausnews.
When the activity concluded, we had some chill time and then headed off to Gan Sacher Park. There, we met up with Lehava and had a delicious buffet lunch (hummus, salad, chicken, schnitzel, roast veggies, and fresh bread. Following lunch, we (Netzach) got the amazing opportunity to learn more about Magen David Adom by visiting the center in Jerusalem. We split off into buses where Bus 3 heard from Aryeh Myers (who came to speak to us at Moriah a few months ago). We had the privilege to hear really interesting information about the MDA, its goals and its operation process. The buses then switched and we were then lead by a group of teenager volunteers who showed us the inside of an MDA ambulance. There, we learned about the vital medical equipment equipped, the process of an interaction with a patient, and the differences between the white and yellow ambulance. After the ambulance tour, we switched leaders, learnt basic CPR through a doll and had a group photo to finish off.
To end the long day, we were all ecstatic to go back to Machane Yehuda for our final time, where we bought colourful pants and funny clothes, squeaky chickens (Joel Abrahams using it to practise his newly learnt CPR skills), snacks for the long ride home, and our presents for our secret Mystery Maccabee! Once we arrived back at the hotel, we sat around in our buses and exchanged our gifts whilst saying what we learnt about the other person. It was really interesting to see what we have each got each other based on our IST experience. My person was Leah Goldberg and for her gift, I purchased a hamsa bracelet.
Then, we had dinner and visitor time, which was a really nice time to reflect on our IST experience, especially how it is coming to an end very soon.
Today was a very special day starting with an unforgettable and unique experience of seeing the holiest site of the Jewish people surrounded by each other and the gorgeous sunrise. It was one of my highlights of the trip, despite the early start and morning grogginess. It was fascinating to learn how volunteering is such an integral part of Israeli culture which ignited a new urge in me to come back to Israel and volunteer in the MDA!
