MBI is over, and everyone has either made it home or are enjoying a few last days in Israel.
I wanted to say that it was a pleasure organizing this trip and from the discussions I had with some of the MBIers yesterday it was a fun and meaningful summer.
I hope everyone enjoys the rest of the summer and I wish everyone a healthy and happy new year.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Finishing up
As MBI was coming close to the end, the chanichim had one more morning excursion on Thursday. First they went to Yafo (Jaffa) and walked around shuk hapishpushim (the market of knick knacks). Here they got to haggle with locals and buy lats minute souvenirs.
After the shuk, they went to an amazing museum call Machon Ayalon, which used to be an underground ammunition factory before the independence war. The Hagganah (defense force)convinced a group of people who wanted to build a kibbutz to building an ammunition factory. They dug out an enormous underground hole in just weeks, while the British thought they were building a kibbutz. 40 people would go underground daily to make bullets. The kibbutz took in laundry as its source of income, and the access to the ammunition factory was under a washing machine that slides to the side to reveal a ladder. All 40 of the original workers were trained to climb down the ladder in record time. They made 250,000 bullets without a single mishap, and bullets were the one thing the Israelis did not run out of during their war for independence. Visitors walk down the ladder and view the machinery while listening to the story.
Thursday afternoon they began the sikkum (conclusion). The last few days were a mixture of reflections and introspections of their experience of being on MBI. They also had discussions about what they were taking home with them from the experience as well as about the movement and how they want be involved in the ken and their machaneh. They also had more fun and serious peer led peulot by kvutzah.
Along with these activities they also had a regular Shabbat schedule including kabbalat shabbat, rikud, musicale and of course a final mesiba (party).
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
In and around the Judean hills
In the last 2 days the MBIers have traveled around the of the Judean Hills taking the history of the area. On Tuesday morning the group participated in an archaeological dig with the KKL. Here in small groups they were taken down into a cave and were given the opportunity to sift through remnants of Jewish and Roman artifacts. This was a unique experience and nice way to get some shade in the continued heat wave Israel is currently experiencing.
In the afternoon the group headed to their final hostel, Kfar Hayarok where they had some time to settle in and then a had a machaneh wide activity run by the madrichim. Then in the evening each kvutzah ran one of their peer facilitated peulot.
On Wednesday morning the group headed out to a hike in the area that included going into a series of caves that are also rich in history. This is where the Bar Kochvah revolt took place. The Bar Kochvah revolt against the Roman Empire was the third major rebellion by the Jews and the last of the Jewish-Roman Wars. The goal of the rebellion was to regain independence from the Romans, who had destroyed the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 70 C.E. These caves were the military headquarters for Bar Kochvah and his men.
After the hike they went to Tel Azaka. This is the famous place that is said to be where the battle took place between David and Goliath. The MBIers walked up to a look out point and were entertained by skits that the tour guides and madrichim(counselors) put on for them re-enacting the story.
This took the better part of the day and in the afternoon the buses either went to a near by beach for a bit or back to the hostel and hung out by the pool.
On Wednesday evening the kvutzot had another self facilitated evening. A good way to wind down after an extremely hot day.
In the afternoon the group headed to their final hostel, Kfar Hayarok where they had some time to settle in and then a had a machaneh wide activity run by the madrichim. Then in the evening each kvutzah ran one of their peer facilitated peulot.
On Wednesday morning the group headed out to a hike in the area that included going into a series of caves that are also rich in history. This is where the Bar Kochvah revolt took place. The Bar Kochvah revolt against the Roman Empire was the third major rebellion by the Jews and the last of the Jewish-Roman Wars. The goal of the rebellion was to regain independence from the Romans, who had destroyed the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 70 C.E. These caves were the military headquarters for Bar Kochvah and his men.
After the hike they went to Tel Azaka. This is the famous place that is said to be where the battle took place between David and Goliath. The MBIers walked up to a look out point and were entertained by skits that the tour guides and madrichim(counselors) put on for them re-enacting the story.
This took the better part of the day and in the afternoon the buses either went to a near by beach for a bit or back to the hostel and hung out by the pool.
On Wednesday evening the kvutzot had another self facilitated evening. A good way to wind down after an extremely hot day.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Return Travel Day information
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Back to Jerusalem
After a challenging and fun weekend the MBIers finished up Machenh Tnua Achot, cleaned up their campsite and bade farewell to their new Israeli friends. The group headed back down to the Jerusalem area to the KKL campsite Nes Harim. After dinner they had a preparation peulah for Yad Vashem, the national Holocaust Memorial Museum. All of MBI watched the movie Gattaca. The film is about a society in which people are categorized as inferior and superior based on their genetic makeup and according to your genetic make-up you are predestined for a certain kind of lifestyle including your job. The main character is dissatisfied with his place in the world and has bigger aspirations for himself so he assumes the identity of someone else in order to achieve his dream of space travel. The basis of the peulah was to explore what a world looks like without shivyon erech ha'dam (equality of human value). Following the film each kvutzah had a short discussion about the concept of shivyon erech ha'adam.
Today MBI went to Yad Vashem had a guided tour through the museum. The museum which was which was recently renovated has a unique design. The building is a long triangle that at the end there are windows piping light and a promenade with a beautiful view of Jerusalem. In order to reach the promenade you have to criss-cross through each section of the museum, which spans from before the Holocaust looking at communities, through the end of the war exploring the many difficult topics and some of the more inspirational tales of righteous gentiles and the youth movements role in the war. The tour tries to focus on some of the aspects of the Holocaust and then ends by discussing the importance of Israel in our history as the Jewish people. The tour was followed by a processing discussion within the kvutzah with madrichim. This was a emotionally moving and important experience for all.
Following the museum the group headed to Har Herzl (Mount Herzl), a national cemetery in Jerusalem, named for Theodor Herzl, the founder of modern political Zionism. The cemetery was created as a burial place for national figures and fallen soldiers. Each group walked through the cemetery and the stories of some of the figures buried there such as Hannah Senesh and Yitzhak Rabin.
In the coming week there are several "peulah slots" which have been left unplanned. This was done intentionally to give the chanichim the opportunity to plan activities for themselves. This afternoon was set aside as planning time. Each kvutzah sat down and talked about the kinds f things they would like to do and then broke up into groups to plan the peulot. This is a really good opportunity for them to learn how to plan and execute a peulah for their peers. It also gives them a chance to contribute to the experience and take responsibility over what they would like to do in their last week.
After dinner they had a fun activity with all of MBI. Each kvutzah was given a genre of music and they had to pick a song and create a performance with dance and costumes to perform for everyone.
Today MBI went to Yad Vashem had a guided tour through the museum. The museum which was which was recently renovated has a unique design. The building is a long triangle that at the end there are windows piping light and a promenade with a beautiful view of Jerusalem. In order to reach the promenade you have to criss-cross through each section of the museum, which spans from before the Holocaust looking at communities, through the end of the war exploring the many difficult topics and some of the more inspirational tales of righteous gentiles and the youth movements role in the war. The tour tries to focus on some of the aspects of the Holocaust and then ends by discussing the importance of Israel in our history as the Jewish people. The tour was followed by a processing discussion within the kvutzah with madrichim. This was a emotionally moving and important experience for all.
Following the museum the group headed to Har Herzl (Mount Herzl), a national cemetery in Jerusalem, named for Theodor Herzl, the founder of modern political Zionism. The cemetery was created as a burial place for national figures and fallen soldiers. Each group walked through the cemetery and the stories of some of the figures buried there such as Hannah Senesh and Yitzhak Rabin.
In the coming week there are several "peulah slots" which have been left unplanned. This was done intentionally to give the chanichim the opportunity to plan activities for themselves. This afternoon was set aside as planning time. Each kvutzah sat down and talked about the kinds f things they would like to do and then broke up into groups to plan the peulot. This is a really good opportunity for them to learn how to plan and execute a peulah for their peers. It also gives them a chance to contribute to the experience and take responsibility over what they would like to do in their last week.
After dinner they had a fun activity with all of MBI. Each kvutzah was given a genre of music and they had to pick a song and create a performance with dance and costumes to perform for everyone.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
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