Well, after 3 1/2 days apart, the IST'ers came back together after having such wonderful experiences. The community service volunteers helped pick onions in the field for the Leket Project which provides food for the needy in Israel. The students in Gadna had their culmination ceremony after being in the Israeli army for a few days learning about the army itself, the need for the IDF along with learning a lot about themselves and their mental toughness. Finally, the Sea-to-Sea participants finished off their nearly 30 miles of hikes with a dip in the Sea of Galilee. And after accumulating so much dirt & sweat that they cool water was much needed. The group all got back together on the beach along the Sea of Galilee and then enjoyed a "4th" of July BBQ all together (even though it was July 3rd). We will be spending the day in Haifa tomorrow and then splitting up again for home hospitality weekend. The next posting after tomorrow won't be until Sunday night :)
ISTers blog post:
"Now that I've showered and smell considerably better, I can reflect on my sea-to-sea experience. For me, it wasn't just a hike, it was four days of sweat, dirt, smiles and laughter. After hiking 45 kilometers across Israel with a group of pretty spectacular people, I feel accomplished and proud. Each step we took was full of enthusiasm & joy and every morning as we ate granola with the sunrise. We were all excited and even during the 7th hour of hiking in Day 2 you could hear the laughter and giddy footsteps of the whole group. We bonded over our collective grime and filth and I felt connected and comfortable with every person in the group. For the first time, there were no cliques, no gossip, no drama, and we all went on an adventure as one collective family. I am so glad I did sea-to-sea because I have never laughed so hard, sweat so much or been so close to so many people in such a short amount of time. Yala Balagan!" - Izzy Nathanson
COMMUNITY SERVICE
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SEA TO SEA
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GADNA
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