By Isaac Zalkind, NFTY in Israel Participant, Bus 7
Something I love about NFTY in Israel is the freedom. I’m able to experience the culture of Israel like I’m here on my own, yet still feel part of the family of my group. Two days ago we were in Jaffa, and were allowed to explore part of the city with our friends. We walked around, experiencing everything in the city. Going to an authentic restaurant, not a tourist trap, showed the true culture of Israel as we watched the chefs cook the shakshuka and the shawarma with true authenticity… until we ordered our meals in English. Being able to watch even a small piece of the community in action opened my mind to the thought of what’s more to be seen: what will Tel Aviv be like? Masada? The desert? With weeks left in our trip, I couldn’t wait to see what there was to explore. Later, on a hill over looking the city, just looking at all my friends the feeling I felt could only be described by one word: family.
Yesterday, we hiked the desert trail, supporting each other the whole time, bonding even closer together as we trekked along the trails of the Negev. After eating dinner, we circled up, to sing and pray as a whole, enjoying ourselves through the last song. Sleeping next to the boys under the stars as we all joked and laughed is something I will never forget as this chapter of my life continues to unfold.