Our Second-to-last Day In Israel by Maddy Molyneux

Climbing down Mt, Arbel
Upper Galilee, Israel

Time has been hard to keep track of on this trip. While it is shocking to think that tomorrow is our last day, this morning feels like seven years ago, and it was difficult for me to remember how our day started. Eventually I remembered that we began our day with what most of us agreed was one of the best breakfasts so far. We then headed off to hike Mount Arbel. We did tefillah at the top with a view of the beautiful Kinneret. The hike down was steep, but we took a break in the middle to learn about the history of the mountain, and how it connects to the Jewish people going back 2,000 years.

After a hummus lunch, we headed off to a point on the current border between Israel and Syria. Overlooking the landscape and the fence between the two countries, we discussed past military conflicts, as well as the current civil war in Syria and Israel’s participation (or lack thereof). It was a particularly jarring and engaging moment on the trip. I think what made it unique to our other conversations about Israeli politics and its military, was that we could hear bombs going off in the distance. Not bombs being safely tested on an Israeli army base, but bombs killing real people in a real war. So, in a word, it was just that: more real. Ilan took time to answer any and all questions we had about the conflict, and we had what felt like a very adult conversation.

Our group discussing the history
between Israel and Syria
Mt. Bental, Golan Heights, Israel

Our last activity of the day was rafting on the Jordan River. We split into small groups, and drifted down the picturesque body of water. It was a nice balance between laughing and bonding with friends and observing the natural beauty of Israel. After dinner, we recapped the trip through original skits and then started to pack our bags. We are saving sad goodbyes for tomorrow afternoon, and look forward to one last day of carefree fun during our last few hours here.