Our First Full Day of Touring by Andrew Kupfer

In Independence Hall, Rothschild Blvd.
Tel Aviv

Wow! So today was such an awesome day. We packed up from our hostel in Old Jaffa and headed towards Independence Hall in Tel Aviv, which is likely to be the most historic building in modern Israeli history. It started off as the residence for the first mayor of Tel Aviv, which then became an art Museum after he died. The photos of the building from the 1920's showed sand dunes surrounding the house, which was insane since after we walked out of the building, we were on the grand Rothschild Avenue, lined with boutique shops and international cuisine. Afterwards, we arrived at the Birthright Israel technology center, where we learned about the innovations and start ups of the Israeli people. The coolest thing I saw there was a machine that made water by sucking the moisture from the air. That was neat!

Getting ready to pick carrots
Talmei Yosef

Falafel for lunch was a great snack for the two hour bus ride to the Salad Trail. This was the best part of the entire day! In the middle of a desert, where there was sand creeping into my sneakers, there were rows of greenhouses filled with tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots and herbs. I pulled a massive white carrot (which I had no idea existed) out of the ground and it took 20 minutes to eat the whole thing. It was the best carrot I have ever eaten! The most surprising thing about Israel was that although there are not any true natural resources,
the people and communities innovate
technology and grow food out of

Being warned about the Jabanero peppers
Talmei Yosef

nothing to sustain the country and enhance the State of Israel.

- Andrew Kupfer
Kibbutz Mashabei Sadeh
Negev Desert, Israel