This Past Weekend...

Joanna Kaissar:
Yesterday we woke up at 3:00 a.m. and hiked up Masada, which wasn’t as hard as I expected, but it was very beautiful. When we got to the top we learned the story of Herod . It was very beautiful, we took lots of pictures. The hike down was actually a lot harder than the hike up. It was a lot harder. We finally got down and had lunch. We went to Ein Gedi and swam. We went to the Dead Sea which was really cool. When we got in it burned really bad. So we got out, put mud on ourselves and took pictures. It was fun. After that we went to this resort thing in the middle of the dessert and slept out there. That was incredible. We laid down and looked at the stars. It was actually a pretty good sleep. We had to cook our own meal. It was a fun amazing day.

Dan Makutonin:
Today we climbed Massada and it was really exciting. I’ve been to Israel twice and both times we climbed Massada. This time we went up the Roman ramp and that was a first for me and I really enjoyed it. Then we went to Ein Gedi and it was really hot but there was a waterfall and it was really refreshing, we had a long swim with the tour guide. After that we went to the Dead Sea. I’ve been there as well, and it was more fun because it was with my friends. We floated and then we swam in the pool. I really enjoyed the day. To top it all off we went camping and we made our own food and it all tasted really good.

Cody Selker:
Today we woke up in the middle of the dessert and we’re all very tired. Then we had a relaxed day camping and then we went shopping which was pretty fun but it’s so hot here it’s hard to stand the heat. We had Shabbat dinner which was good. Now it’s free time and it’s really boring. We’re all talking and ready to sleep in tomorrow. It’s been a pretty relaxed day and we’ve all been enjoying it.

Rachel Barr:
This morning woke up in the dessert and it was really peaceful. It was nice to be able to sleep outside under the stars. When we woke up this morning we had a gorgeous view of the entire dessert and a beautiful clear, blue sky. We had breakfast at camp. We packed up everything and left the dessert just as we had seen it before we came. We then drove to the Ramon crater where we had the opportunity to repel about 35 feet down into the crater. It was really an incredible experience. It challenged a lot of us. Almost everyone was able to do it. After that we drove to Eilat -- we had a little break for lunch but then continued to drive. We had some time to rest at the hotel before we had free time in the market. It was REALLY hot here today so many of us spent some time in the air conditioned mall. And then we had more time at the hotel before Shabbat. We had a nice Shabbat dinner and now we’re just having rest time. Many of us are going to sleep early.

Justin Kirschner:
Today was pretty uneventful. It’s really hot out. We woke up in the dessert which was nice, I hadn’t done that before. Then we went repelling which I’ve done before. It was fun but it was short. Then we drove to Eilat and it is so hot here. The pier is really nice and the Red Sea is beautiful. I’m excited for Saturday where we have a disco ball.