NC Hillel Blog

• "The Salad Trail," Ran's Kibbutz and More!

  Dec 26, 2017
  The Birthright December adventure continues hear about the "Salad Trail" and more!
  
  We are officially more than halfway through our trip to Israel which is extremely bittersweet. We kicked off an early morning with breakfast and a lecture about the complexity of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. All of us left with a more comprehensive understanding of the history behind the conflict and what is necessary for a solution. After loading the bus, we were on our way at a confusingly slow pace. As it turns out...
  
  

   
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• A Trip We'll Never Forget: Mount Herzl & Yad Vashem

  Dec 24, 2017
  Hear about students second day in Jerusalem on this winter's birthright trip.
  
  Today, Sunday, December 24th, was an amazing but emotionally taxing day! For us a hard day usually means finals or a tough day at work; but for Israelis, any day could be a hard day. Today we visited Mount Herzl, the burial site for Israel's most beloved: Their former leaders and the Israeli Defense Force soldiers. We were moved by...
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• Jerusalem!

  Dec 23, 2017
  The Birthright December adventure continues in Jerusalem!
  
  We started out the day by visiting the Old City of Jerusalem, including the Western Wall. Many people found the Wall to be an emotional experience, crying with joy when they witnessed and touched it. We found it interesting that there is controversy over the Orthodox Jews controlling access to the Wall. Going to the Western Wall was an unforgettable experience, but the true surprise came from immersing ourselves in the Shuk (Jerusalem's open-air market)...
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• The Birthright Adventure Continues

  Dec 22, 2017
  The Birthright December adventure continues in Tzfat and the Sea of Galilee!
  
  Today was just another day...OF ADVENTURE! We started off by visiting an artist in Tzfat named David Friedman who sees the world through lens of Jewish spirituality and mysticism. We visited his studio, and his explanations of the paintings blew our minds and opened our hearts- we can't wait to share it with you. Next we toured around the cobblestone streets of Tzfat (also spelled Zafed or Tsfat...there is lots of dispute over the correct spelling) where we learned that all of the details of the city have Jewish meaning; for example, you can find blue everywhere that is said to ward off evil....
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• A Letter Home

  Dec 20, 2017
  
  

  Birthright has begun! The first blog post is here!
  
  Hi Mom & Dad! 

   Just finished our first full day in Israel and we are never coming home! Just kidding!! The theme of the day was borders and security.  We spent our time exploring the Golan heights and even had a chance to taste some Israeli wine. #yolo #IsraeliLife...
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• Birthright Israel Extension | A visit to Ran's kibbutz

  Jun 9, 2017
  NC Hillel's post-Birthright extension students visited Israel Fellow Ran Laviv's kibbutz in the Negev for Shavuot! Read about their experience here.
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• Birthright Israel Extension | Day 1 at the Daycare

  Jun 9, 2017
  Today we officially started our birthright extension program! Our day started pretty early as we enjoyed breakfast in the hostel we're staying in (shoutout to the Abraham Hostel for putting up with us). After breakfast we had a 20 minute walk to BINA, the headquarters of the organization we will be volunteering with, for a few short orientation meetings. We met with a man and woman who explained the purpose of the BINA organization and how we would be helping. After meeting with the 2 representatives, we set out for lunch in the market where we would later be volunteering in. The group decided to divide and conquer lunch in the market. After lunch we found our way to the daycare program hidden between 2 of the shops of the market.
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• Birthright Israel | Jerusalem & B'nei Mitzvah!

  May 26, 2017
  NC Hillel's Birthright Israel participants enjoyed a meaningful day in Jerusalem, complete with a trip to the Western Wall, the Old City, and the shuk (open air market). Students who either haven't had the opportunity to have a Bar or Bat Mitzvah or who wanted to complete another one, were able to have one at a ceremony in Jerusalem. Read about their experiences here!
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• Birthright Israel | Journey through the Negev desert

  May 25, 2017
  Birthright Israel participants go on a journey through the Negev desert, visiting the Bedouin tents, going on a hike, and paying homage to David Ben Gurion at Kibbutz Sde Boker. NC Hillel students also got a personal tour of Kibbutz Mashabei Sade, where NC Hillel Israel Fellow Ran Laviv grew up. Read about their desert experience here!
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• Birthright Israel | Masada, the Dead Sea and Bedouin tents

  May 24, 2017
  Our Birthright Israel participants are making their way through the Negev desert! Check out their reflections on their trip to Masada, the Dead Sea and the Bedouin tents for some Bedouin hospitality.
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