Birthright: First 24

Reality set in this morning as I grabbed a plate and peered over the shoulder of my new friend, glancing down the buffet to see what breakfast had to offer. This was like no other breakfast I had ever encountered; it started normally with eggs, but that was one of the last foods I recognized eating for that time of day. Contemplating the myriad of salads and vegetables, I chose to play it safe, only to regret my decision moments later when I saw how delicious veggies in the morning could appear.

Alas, I regress and should start from the beginning, but I must admit the first day was a bit of a blur as we arrived in Tel Aviv from nearly eleven hours in the air. We were greeted warmly by our sagacious guide, Barak, who after a brief orientation, had us organized, on the bus and ready to begin our journey. One of the first thoughts that crossed our naïve (not to mention jet lagged) minds was how similar the landscape appeared to the desert scenery of the southern United States. After a few street signs in Hebrew, Arabic and then English, it was apparent that we were no longer in Kansas anymore. Our drive to Mt. Arbel was chock full of interesting facts and viewpoints of this beautiful country. As we drove past Nazareth and other familiar names, it started to sink in that we were truly in the Holy Land, witnessing history come alive via Barak's anecdotes. On top of Mt. Arbel, we were led in a Shechiyanu, Hamotzi and Kiddush prayer to celebrate our good fortune to be together, and at last in Israel. Followed by the gorgeous view from the top, was a steep hike down the mountain, complete with the discovery of a cow in a cave. After a meditation, we were posed face-to-face with one of Barak's favorite questions, "shawarma, schnitzel or falafel" as we stopped for lunch. Lunch was followed by a visit to Kineret cemetery were we split into groups to have a discussion about the challenges the pioneers had during the first and second Aliyah. After an eye opening discussion and debate on the bus ride to the hotel, we checked in to the Ohalo Manor Hotel and had a traditional Israeli dinner complete with hummus and every kind of salad one could ever dream of. Following dinner, we continued getting to know each other with ice breakers until we were shooed off to bed knowing that the days would only get longer and packed with more wonderful experiences. Sleep and real bed were greatly appreciated knowing what was in store for us for the next ten days.

It is unreal as I sit here and consider the journey that started three days ago, taken me halfway around the world to experience the Holy Land, and has opened my eyes and heart. All of this, courtesy of complete strangers to whom I owe a debt of gratitude for this once in a lifetime opportunity. There is truly something magical about being here, in Israel, learning about my heritage and experiencing the land first hand. I want to write more, but there is a nagging sense that I need to sleep and prepare for the day ahead.

Until then, Laila tov, my friends.