DAY ONE:
Hi mums, dads, sisters, brothers and any random stalkers :)
Welcome to the first day of the RADLETT ISRAEL TOUR BLOG!!!! Everyday we’ll be writing you guys an update of everything we’ve been doing in Jerusalem so you don’t worry about us too much.
So we all met up at Norrice Lea Shul and the 17 of us (including Dan and Zisie) then we waited for Joseph. And waited, and waited. He didn’t show up. In fact we had to wait a whole day until Team DJ joined up together again. So instead we had a group photo or two. Then we decided it would be a good idea to synchronise our cameras and then play some games. We tried Wa! but that was too mainstream so Dan introduced us to Suitcase Wa! and of course, that didn’t go to plan as well.
After a quick drive to the airport and we passed the security we were ready and waiting to fly. After about half an hour in to the flight my iPod ran out of battery so i started fiddling with the screen in front of me, and I discovered that we could watch some movies during the flight. Such a selection, The Devil Wears Prada, Up and The Blind Side were just some of the choices, in the end I went with Black Swan (sorry mum) and when that finished i was struck with the best idea yet, a video diary. So now once or twice a day I’ll be reviewing the highlights and funny moments of the day as well as asking the madrichim, chanichim or just any strangers about any thoughts on the day.
We than touched down in Israel which was greeted from applause by all chanichim and the odd madrich. Then after going through security and a small journey aboard the coach we stopped by a promenade which overlooked Jerusalem. We had a truly breathtaking view of the old and new city and we were welcomed to Israel officially. Then our stomachs were satisfied with late night pizza and drinks before heading to the hotel. After a quick orientation with our rooms we headed down to our ‘sikkum’ rooms for a debrief on the day. We discussed our favourite parts of the day and what we were looking forward to from the trip. We delved into our ’60 for 60’ books to read our first extract (It was read in memory of a yeshiva student who sadly passed away in a terrorist attack). We then had a look at all the photos from day one and then headed to bed for a long needed sleep .
After being promised a ‘sleep in’, we were woken at 6:45.... As you can imagine, we were absolutely thrilled. We head Joseph’s distinctive voice from the end of the hallway, telling us all to get up, and being so excited to see him, we all did.
When we joined the others downstairs, the boys were davening shacharit whilst the girls were having a ‘dmc’ (deep meaningful chat) with Aviva from Stanmore about the importance of trust within a relationship. We learnt a lot, and feeling stimulated we went to breakfast. Top notch. The croissants were divine, delicious enough for Joseph to steal 6 for the coach journey to Caesarea.
On the coach journey, after having all of 3 hours of sleep, it’s fair to say everyone had a shluf. When we all awoke we had arrived at our destination- S’dot team building activities. Although on paper this sounded quite dull and not dissimilar from things we had done in the past, it was not what we expected. We were given many challenges to face such as swinging like Tarzan across a muddy, wet puddle. Most of the group managed this beautifully, however there were a few special ones who fell in, making everyone, including Daniel Sher chuckle very much. Although a lot of fun, these activities proved to be quite different and involved thinking outside the box, however the bond of the group increased as teamwork was crucial in these activities, and we all got to know each other’s strengths and learnt to work as a unit. After these fun and challenging tasks, we were all blindfolded and taken to a room, where a candle lit Magen David sat in the middle of the circle in which we were told a beautiful and moving story about Israel and its history. It really made us appreciate how lucky we are not only to be on the trip, but to have Israel as the Jewish homeland.
Another coach journey, another shluf, but this time, the people awake were fortunate enough to experience many hilarious stories told by Joseph and Dan one of which included a ladybird and a humbug in a quest for love.
When we got off, we were surprised to find that we were at a beautiful beach situated in Caesarea. After the creative activities of the morning, we found many of the group members doing strange and creative pictures in the sand, which then sparked the idea to use our body parts to spell out the word TRIBE,(yep, that’s us) after failing RADLETT.
Then, we arrived at dialogue in the dark. The previously fun day took a slightly more serious tone to the day as we had an insight (without using sight) as to what it would be like to be blind. We were guided through various rooms and places, by a tour guide. All these places were very familiar to us such as supermarkets, bedrooms and it was surprisingly difficult to work out our surroundings. After an hour in the dark we got to meet out tour guide, who told us that she herself was visually impaired however if you want to do something, it shouldn’t matter what your disabilities are, you can achieve your dreams if you put your mind to it. She taught us that despite being at a disadvantage, there was a gift that she had a different outlook on life and showed us that we should be grateful for what we have. The majority of us found this experience deeply moving and were inspired by this concept. When we left the museum, we felt we had a different outlook on life, and appreciated our sight so much more.
good night!
Love Tash Gman and Ariella Koorlander
Please note: The blogs are written by participants and therefore the views expressed are not necessarily those of Tribe's.
How lucky we all are, it sounds amazing and you are only on day 2!!
ReplyDeleteKeep having the best time, looking forward to hearing and seeing all about today.