Saturday: Not to much news for today. We had a lot of free time which was nice since we don't get much during the week. Got to do all my hw and do some laundry with my friend. I also got to help my friends out who were leading Havdalah tonight. Later this week we are packing up our stuff and checking out for our trip to Masada and Gadna. I know I'm looking forward to that, it's gonna be one crazy week and a half!

Let me start out by just saying Happy Valentines Day!!!!

Last night after classes were done and all, we went to Ben Yehuda Street for our weekly Thursday night outing. It was really fun just to walk around there for a bit with everyone. Finally got some shawarma, and it was good :D. Today we woke up a little later and did our next tzedakah project. We went to a factory that gives work to people with special needs and disabilities. Since we went on  a Friday none of the workers were there but it was still nice to know that we were helping them reach their quota. After that we went to a shuk outside of Jerusalem for some free time. Of course we all went strait for food. I got some little pizza thingys and some really good, fresh rugala. Oh and an iced chocolate from Aroma (pretty much a chocolate slushy). Then we came back to the Kibbutz and had a little down time which of course I pretty much slept for most of it.

For Shabbat tonight we (well the people who didn't go out this weekend) split into two groups. One group went to a service at a synagogue in Jerusalem, the other group went to one a little closer. I thought it was interesting to go to a service that wasn't our own and to join the people praying there. It was also pretty cool since the whole service was in Hebrew. I didn't understand a lot of it but when you hear words you know its fun.

And now I'm skyping with my friend (you can all probably guess which one hahaha).

That's all for now, but lots of super cool things to come in the next few weeks and I look forward to sharing them here with everyone!

In case you were wondering...

Tomorrow we have our first Jewish History test. That's a 3 hour test and essay. Sounds like we are going to be up studying all night! But on the bright side I have strawberries again...

The City of David

I know I haven't been doing the best job at posting these when they actually happen but you know, busy busy schedule over here!

Sunday:
So today we had our first full day Tiyul (field trip). For the first half of the day i got to have class outside in the sun looking out at the old city and the hills. When we did our mid-day prayer, it was really cool to be able to see the Temple Mount, the same place that all Jews all over the world are turning to as they pray, and we were lucky enough to be able to see it not to far away.
After lunch we got to walk around in the Jewish quarter of the Old City for a little while. Me and some of my friends walked around and got some shawarma (it wasn't the best but still worth it). Then we walked down to the City of David. I never realized how close it was. For the second half of my day i got to learn about King David and King Saul in the City of David. Learning about things at the place where they happened has a whole different meaning then learning in a classroom. We got to go through the ancient Canaanite tunnel under the city (it was a little to cold for the water tunnel). Then we ended our day with a little shopping and a short ride back to the Kibbutz!

After we got back I watched Atlantis in my friends room with some people and made cake in a mug and some quesadillas until I pretty much fell asleep and that was my day! :)

Weekly Update

Thursday: 

Just another school day in Israel. For Jewish History today we walked to a place known as Sataf and had class while hiking down the hill to our buses on the bottom. We got to see terraces that were built Into the sides of the hills for farming in ancient times and go through a little tunnel which led to the source of the water being used for agriculture. Then we came back to the Kibbutz and had our other classes. After they finished, we had dinner then went out to a mall in Jerusalem (a school week here is Sunday- Thursday so this was our "Friday" night). I walked around there with my friends Tessa, Ophir, and Ben. We went to Toys R Us and Aroma where we got some really good chocolate croissants :D. We were also debating getting a pet from the pet store but then we were told we weren't allowed hahaha. 

Friday: 

Today we got to sleep in a bit, and it was amazingggg. We had our first tzedakah project this morning. We went to a farm where they hire kids who aren't in school and give them a job and an education on life skills like financing and stuff. When we came back we went to lunch then had some free time. Me and a bunch of other people decided that we wanted to hike up the the Tel. It was maybe a 10 minute walk to the top of the hill and just wow. There were ruins from a bunch of different things like an old crusader castle and there was also barb wire from more recent times during the war of independence. On top of how cool that was, the view was stunning. It felt like we were on top of the world. We spent an hour or so climbing around the ruins then came back to get ready for Shabbat. After dinner and our oneg Shabbat, some of us went to the party. I went for a little bit then left and ended up going for a walk with my friend. We found some places with a really nice view on the kibbutz and saw a shooting star and befriended a cat which we then named Ginger and then went and hung out in the spice garden.

Saturday: 

Had another day to sleep in...yay! Me and my friend Tessa made chocolate cake in a mug today, and it was really really good. Since a lot of people went out this weekend, there are only 50 of us here. We did some hw in the street and hung out. We also got to see the little "chocolate factory"/chocolate store which is on the kibbutz. Now we know where to go if we want real ice cream!

The Old City

So this was Saturday but I guess it never posted so...here it is :)

Last time I was here, I was 9 or so. There are certain parts of our trip that I remember completely, but I don't really remember what it was like being at the kotel. So for me, this was almost like being there for the first time. Before we went in each of us was given a branch of Rosemary; the point of that was so that we would not only have the sights and the sounds of all around us at that moment, but we would also have a smell. When we walked into the old city, you could hear the Muslims saying their last prayer of the day. As we moved towards the wall our madraheem gave each of us a slip of paper which asked us to think about who we wished could be there with us. Although I've been to the wall before, this time I really could understand the meaning and know more of the history. It was really amazing just to be there. When we were walking out some of us were crying a bit, and everyone just had our arms wrapped around each other. We may have only been together for a week but we are already a family. 

After we went to a pizza place for dinner then to a Debbie Friedman memorial concert at HUC. Then we went to an outdoor mall for free time.

I walked around with my friends for a while. Some of the kids who had brought their guitars for the concert had started playing and the rest of us started joining in. It was really cool cause it just kind of happened. All of us with our arms wrapped around each other were just singing in the middle of this mall. Some of the Israelis even stopped to take pictures and videos of us. Overall it was a really nice night, and one that I'll remember for a very long time. 

שבת שלום

     Shabbat Shalom! 

Today I figured out how to get hot chocolate from the machine. It's not quite as good as in Australia but it's not too bad. I may now be able to survive this semester since (For those of you who don't know) let's just say that hot chocolate is my version of coffee. 

     We also had out first field trip. It's the first time we've left the kibbutz since our arrival. We did an archeological dig in the lower Judain  hills and found some pottery which is believed to be from the Byzantine era and the time of the second temple. Then we climbed though some tunnels which were used during the (some name that I can't remember) rebellion. We also took a tour of the grounds. The view is stunning, surrounded by hills on all sides and only one city with big buildings anywhere in view. It was a lot if fun and I'm looking forward to our next trip (which is actually tomorrow!) 

     Tonight we had our first Shabbat here. 

I'm not sure if the foods getting better or if I'm just getting use to it. 

Every Friday night the teens who live on the kibbutz throw a party (can't tell you where or what went down there but it was...interesting).