by Claire Dodinval and Hannah Klegon, from the OSRUI Birthright trip.

Tuesday was our first full day in Israel and it was a blast. After a windy morning in Tzippori, we travelled to the city of Tzfat. There, we explored the ancient cobblestone roads and visited a historic synagogue, which was amazing. Next, we dropped by a famous candle-making shop and learned how they have been crafting beautiful Hanukkah, Shabbat and Havdallah candles for decades. We also had the chance to explore different artisans’ stands.

One of the best parts of the day for both of us was definitely lunch. One of our fellow Birthrighters, and OSRUI alum, Dylan Singer, had previously been to Tzfat and recalled an amazing stand of Yeminite food. The meal we had was one of the most delicious things we have ever tasted! We waited one by one in the rain for an elderly Yeminite man to fry up fresh pitas. As soon as we approached his stand, the man picked what different vegetables he thought should be in our sandwiches. We crossed our fingers, putting our faith in Dylan, and out came the tastiest meal so far. We went to the back of the restaurant and sat at benches on a long table with the rest of the OSRUI members, enjoying each others company and eating our cheesy, zatar stuffed pita lunch, surrounded by colorful Yemenite tapestries. After our Tzfat experience, we cannot wait to find out what else Israel has to offer.  Wednesday we are venturing to the Golan Heights and it should be a fun filled day!