Well, the time has come to finally write about my incredible experiences in the holy land. I can't believe I'm home, I can't believe I went, I can't believe all the amazing things I did and places I went and people I met. If I tell you all now up front that I'm already planning my next trip back, that should tell you a lot about my experience.
As I wrote in my last entry, I went with a trip organizer called "Mayanot" - which means "springs" in Hebrew. I chose it because it had a relaxed enough definition of "Jewish" to allow me to apply, seemed to cater to less religiously educated people, but offered the most diverse-seeming experiences. Other organizers have different emphases, like more religious organizers, a group called "Israel Outdoors" that does a lot more intensive hiking, LGBT groups, etc... Mayanot seemed to be the best all-around non-focus general experience-Israel group. Turns out I was exactly right in choosing them.
Also mentioned in my last entry, every Mayanot group is sent with a Chabad rabbi, who is able to provide added insight when visiting religious sites, give educated insight to religious matters in discussion and history, and offer general spiritual support for anyone who wanted or needed throughout the course of the trip. Most participants in the group were reform, or had grown up with basically no religion whatsoever; a couple were like me, with only one parent Jewish; some were conservative and observant but not ultra-religious; some had grown up with Hebrew school, some not; some had had their bar/bat mitzvahs, others had not; it was a pretty diverse group. We had a great chemistry, and for the most part really got along with each other. Our staff was very well-rounded, perfect for each role they filled. In essence: all the pieces fell in well for us.
My parents took me to the airport around 2 hours before the meeting time, which was 4 hours before the flight. I sent my parents away early on - about an hour before the scheduled meeting time. I had no phone (besides my Israel rental, which wouldn't work until I was in the country), no contact with the outside world - though I was still in LAX, I was already on my adventure.
Eventually I found other Birthrighters waiting for the flight, and started getting to know them. A sort of impromtu icebreaker circle formed, we all started exchanging names and where we were from, while we waited for our rabbi - Rabbi Dov of USC's Chabad - to get there and start checking us in to get us on our way.
Icebreakers in the LAX terminal
We got to know each other really well over the next many, many hours - we had 2 overnight flights, with a 9-hour (NINE HOUR) layover in Madrid during which we could not leave the airport. We explored, bonded, napped, and talked a lot over that time.
The beginning of our 9-hour layover adventure.
Tapas!
Finally, after a lot of icebreakers and uncomfortable attempts at sleep on and off aircraft, the 42 of us (40 Birthright participants, a student staff leader, and the rabbi) landed in Tel Aviv around 5:00am, exhausted but extremely ready to start our day and jump in to experiencing the holy land! We met our social coordinator and our tour guide, Yonit and Alex, ate some breakfast sandwiches, and were on our way! I've rambled on far too much in this entry though, so I'll start the official Day 1 blogging with its very own entry.
Simcha, very excited to be off the plane and in Israel!
[As always, I do not put every single picture I take into this blog. To see the entire album of photos I took while on Birthright, go here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mtashalocke /sets/72157628872433827/ When I get to my extended, post-Birthright part of the trip, there will be a new album for those photos as well.]
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