by Becky Dolinko and Maddy Chinn

Shalom from Israel! Our first week was filled with lots of fun, friends, new experiences, and most importantly…great food! After a busy week of travel, we couldn’t wait to celebrate Shabbat. To begin our Shabbat, we gathered together in our hotel for a nice camp-style service. We were so lucky to have Ezzy Fishbein to help songlead, to teach us new songs as well as sing old favorites. After services, we ate a wonderful Shabbat dinner, consisting of chicken, rice, potatoes, challah, and lots of fresh produce. Earlier on Friday, we visited a shuk, where we were able to purchase small gifts to complete a “secret Moses” exchange; we loved the Israeli snacks and treats we each received. We also had a unique opportunity to share some of our favorite Israeli dances from camp, such as Zodiac and Zieben Zieben, with our new friends.

On Saturday, we had the opportunity to rest and relax, as well as talk about the week’s Torah portion. The portion discussion allowed us to explore the ways in which Judaism has impacted us, and the ways in which we can further explore our Jewish identities. After more rest and a fun trivia game with our Israeli peers, we ended the night with havdallah. It was extremely special to close Shabbat with our birthright kehillah (community). We can’t believe that we only have a few more days on our trip, and we will take what we have learned and gained from this trip not only to our own homes, but to camp this upcoming summer.