So we started the day with another morning of volunteering at Merkaz Ilan. What was different on this day was the ability for a few of us to take part in a few classes of improvisation. These classes are offered to the participants once a week and allow them to partake in group activities which they don’t always have the chance to do. There were 2 sessions with 2 – 3 of us taking part in each class. It was a true eye opener as some people who we didn’t necessarily interact with on so many levels at the beginning began to open up in open group activities. To date we have made great connections through amazing interactions and different activities.

Following another great lunch at Beit Yatziv (my favourite shnitzel!) we made our way to Kfar Hanokdim near Massada. It was a bit of a drive but we were so excited to get off the bus to be greeted by the camels. We all had an opportunity to ride these huge animals- it was definitely worth the trip. We all named our camels with some strange names but definitely adding to the fun of the ride! (My favourites names were “Jafar ” and “Iago” a la Aladin!)

Traditional Bedouin dinner and culture was up next! We got schooled on the cultures and traditions of the nomadic Bedouin people. Who would have thought that the more coffee you gave a person who visited the tent the more you disliked them! (If you fill someone’s coffee cup all the way it means peace be with you now leave my tent!) I guess they haven’t met a lot of Jews. Pushing food and drinks on people is what we live for.

After a traditional dinner of rice, chicken, lamb kebab and amazing breads we made our way to a discussion with employees from the Jewish Agency leading a discussion about the Bedouin Settlements from the North to the South. Although we didn’t agree with each other the whole way through the discussion it was a great change of pace for the Israeli Mashav group as well for us Canadians. We learnt their ways of the land and their traditions as tribal people.

Today’s afternoon/night was a great change of pace and enjoyable. As we move into our last day tomorrow we look back at a memorable few weeks and forward towards our last day as a group! Tomorrow will be nostagic forsure as we have made some bonds which will never be forgotten and I believe that will also go on for years to come. Be’er Sheva has treated us well with great people, great volunteering oportunities and just a great sense of a connection between the Montreal Jewish Community the Beer Sheva B’nai Shimon region of the Negev! We definitely look forward to more success in the future.

Peace,
Howie

Today, as we awoke and had our daily breakfast we proceeded to the bus after having a great night. We then attended our daily volunteering program where we spent quality time bonding with the patients and doing activities with them. After volunteering, we went back to Beit Yatziv to have lunch and to rest.

After our rest hour, we did a great activity with the Mashav group. This activity was organized by Kefiada and consisted of team work and open discussion. We were split into two groups and were given a paper with the description of 4 potential candidates to make aliya, and as a group we had to select one individual to make it in and explain why. This activity created a very intense and meaningful discussion, as all individuals present were very vocal with their opinions. In the end we realized that it was very difficult and we could not settle on just one person- after all everyone should be given the chance to come and experience this wonderful country!

After this program, we continued on to an isolated area of the desert where we were guided through a monument to the Negev Brigade where we were given the opportunity to learn about the history of the battles that have taken place in the Negev. Following this activity, we all gathered around a campfire for the night where both Kefiada and the Mashav group participated. The Israeli group introduced us to one of their signature dishes they call “Poikus.” The most amazing part of this dish is that there is no recipe and you can never mess it up! (How great is that!?) They took veggies cut up, marinated meat, barley, rice, wine, beer, and honey and mixed it all together in a cauldron over an open fire. In one word- AMAZING! We were so happy to be able to share this experience of sitting outdoors under the stars with great food and great people. Now we look forward to making the best out of our last two days on Kefiada. Stay tuned!

-Robbie Martin & Sasha Jaslow

The Kefiada group started off Monday morning with volunteering at the Keren HaYesod rehabilitation centre for individuals with physical handicaps, whether it be from birth or from an unfortunate life-changing accident. After more than a week of volunteering at this centre, we have all created bonds and friendships with many of these people, and have shared many laughs and moments together. Learning their story and getting to know them is truly inspirational; and to be able to put smiles on their faces is truly rewarding and fulfilling.

The afternoon continued with the Kefiada group and the Beersheva Moshav group visiting Kibbutz Krammim. It is a Kibbutz that is truly unique in the sense that there is a coexistence between the religious and secular people, which is seemingly unusual in today’s Israeli society. They have put aside their differences and levels of belief and came together 30 years ago to form one community, Kibbutz Krammim. “Krammim” translated to English signifies “vineyard”, as its breathtaking view overlooks both the Jewish and Palestinian Bedouin settlements and serves as a median between these two places. We also learnt that the Kibbutz hosts a monthly Shabbat dinner for all its members, creating a community feeling amongst everyone.

Following the tour, we sat in a circle at the Kibbutz and played a game where we had to put four cards into a time capsule that define our Jewish identity the most. Some of the cards included photos of the map of Israel, the IDF, the israeli flag, the bible, Shabbat dinner, Tikun Olam, a passover Hagada, Herzl, the yellow “Jude” star sign and even “j-date” believe it or not. It was great to see everyone’s different reasoning and perspective and it really created an open discussion amongst the group. We quickly realized how difficult it was to choose only 4 cards.

What’s a better way to finish off an open discussion than with a paintball session! This proved to be a great experience between the Canadians and Israelis despite them having a significant advantage over us . Nonetheless, it was very entertaining and exciting. After paintball we all went for dinner to a pasta+pizza bar called “Bella” which was extremely tasty. Later in the night we all went to a club called “Draft” where we celebrated and danced together until the wee hours of the morning…

We are all looking forward to what lies ahead!
- Stephane Cohen

Planning to go on a trip to Israel is always very exciting and as young adults we all had very high expectations for Kefiada 2011. Most of us have already been to Israel in the past so we expected to try the same delicious foods, meet new people and visit familiar tourist sites but little did we know that this trip would open our eyes to so many new things that we did not even know existed!

On Wednesday, we started our morning with volunteering at the Keren haYesod centre where we met with the same group of people and continued bonding with them. We then, met up with the Israeli Mashav group and departed to Shomria, which none of us had even heard of before. We soon learned that the settlement was set up in this (at the time) deserted area  when the community of Gush Katif was kicked out of their own homes in Gaza due to the land negotiations and had no where else to go. This made us realize how many people are really affected by changing borders but it emphasized the Zionism bursting throughout the country. Instead of giving up, these people went through the challenging task of planting trees, raising livestock, building homes, setting up power lines, irrigation system and essentially bringing new life to an undeveloped area right in between Hevron and the Bedouins forcing everyone to coexist.

We continued to learn about Zionism as we moved on to Tor Hamidbar where we learned all about the urban kibbutz communities. This community was set up by young people to encourage other young people to stay in the area and help create a meaningful community structure based on both social and economical needs. The Ringlebloom Cafe is one of the sustainable initiatives that has come out of this movement. The Cafe employs youth at risk from the neighborhood to give them work experience and a chance at integration into the regular workforce. They also offer their profits to the youth-in-need organization which we found so inspiring. We can honestly say that we were very lucky to get a taste of their delicious home made breads, salads, pastas and desserts. We ended our night in Smilansky’s street festival where we walked around a nice atmosphere of outdoor shops and live music while spending time with our Israeli friends.

On Thursday, volunteering was slightly different because they held a bazaar sale where they sold the paintings and jewellery of those who attend the facility. We both bought several items because although you may not believe it, they are extremely talented people and their art work is both heartwarming and beautiful. We then left to Jerusalem, the symbol of the holy land, where we visited the Yad Vashem museum. One of the Israeli Mashav girls even found a picture of someone in her family who was in the Holocaust! We then had the opportunity to shop on Ben Yehuda street and even try the best shawarma in Jerusalem! We toured the old city and visited a stunning synagogue called the Hurva Synagogue because of the amount of times it has been destructed and reconstructed. (The direct translation of “Hurva” in Hebrew is destruction.) Today it stands tall and proud in the centre of the Jewish quarter.

Finally, we got to see The Kotel! We think that today we all felt a stronger connection while praying because after seeing the Holocaust museum and learning all about Zionism, it really got us thinking about how proud we are to have the state of Israel and be able to visit The Kotel freely.

Overall, the trip is going so well! We met so many new friends, learned tons of new things and feel so proud to be Jewish and to be connected to our roots. We are both so excited to continue opening our eyes to what Kefiada and Israel have to offer us. So far, it has definitely exceeded our expectations!! – Megan & Sally Saleh

Our arrival in Israel brought upon a series of fun, thrilling, spiritual and educational encounters. Our first few days in Tel Aviv was an amazing mix of new colors, sounds, tastes and smells. Spending time at the beach, trying our very first “shakshuka” meal, learning about the history of Tel Aviv through guided tours of both the Money Museum and Jaffa was truly an amazing introduction.

One of the many highlights of the past few days was when we first met with our sister city group from Beer Sheva, called Mashav, who immediately welcomed us with open arms. On our first night together in Beer Sheva, we dined and participated in Karaoke, which made way for a meaningful bond between us. Since then, we have been lucky to spend a lot of time with them – time spent sharing personal stories, learning about their experiences in the army, and simply getting a taste of the “Israeli” way of life. They were nice enough to plan a fun activity similar to “The Amazing Race,” in which we grouped ourselves into Israeli/Canadian teams and raced to the finish line. During its course, we uncovered clues that taught us about interesting facts about Israel’s history all the while strengthening our teamwork abilities and learning the streets of Beer Sheva.

Another great experience, also shared with the Israeli Mashav group, was when we visited a museum that brought light to a community of Jewish Indians that had once lived in the city of Cochin, in India. I didn’t even know that this existed, and we were all pleasantly surprised to hear about this thriving Jewish community of Indian people. This group was said to have lived in a wealthy community, with several ornate synagogues dispersed throughout the space. We learned about their unique customs (keeping with essential Jewish values), the important role of women in their society, and the original methods that were taken in marriages. Following our tour in the museum, we had the chance to learn how to make Indian/Israeli meals, with several women holding mini cooking stations teaching us how to make some of their signature dishes. We were all pleasantly surprised at how good it was.

Finally, we have spent the past few mornings volunteering at the Keren HaYesod Rehabilitation Center, located in Beer Sheva. Going into it, we weren’t sure what to expect. The patients are physically disabled, either from birth or from accidents that had occurred at some point in their lives. The experience has been eye-opening to say the least. We quickly learned that it was easier to identify with them than we had thought at first glance. These people are truly inspiring and their stories have touched us all.

The journey has just begun… Well keep you posted!

-Adam Cola

Young Canadian volunteers prefer Negev’s capital

Sephardic, Ashkenazi Montrealers volunteer at centers for at-risk youth, mentally-challenged adults. Some of them take part in Shalit family rally. ‘Tel Aviv is fun, but we feel at home in Beersheba,’ one of them says.

Read more at Ynetnews

Bedouin Elegance-by Allie Busgang & Laura Elbaz

Our day began at the Beer Sheva summer camps, a good time as always. Afterwards we headed to the desert for a five star Bedouin experience. We expected to be sleeping in primitive tents and have limited bathroom access. Instead we were treated to a beautiful accommodations and a bathroom with a stunning view of the desert. We were greeted with authentic Bedouin tea and coffee. We rode camels and took in the beautiful scenery. We learned more about how camels keep cool than any of us ever wanted to know. After our camel ride we were glad to be given a great dinner and hang out in the trees and hammocks. We watched a beautiful sunset and gazed up at a spectacular night sky glowing with stars. We woke up the next morning covered in sand and ready for our spa day. We enjoyed the sun, the pools, saunas and lunch of the spa and were well rested as we set off for our Israeli homestays. It was a great weekend!

Amazing Race-by Lawrence Greenberg

Today was a typical day in Beer Sheva. We woke up and enjoyed a delicious breakfast. Then we proceeded to go to our respective camps for a morning of volunteering. As usual, we were all sad to leave our campers. Once back at Beit Yatziv, we had lunch and rested up for our early evening activity: the Amazing Race. It was run by our Israeli hosts, and we spent 2 hours running around Beer Sheva in three teams, getting to know our partnership city. It was a very close race until the end, and everyone enjoyed playing it. The day ended with an intense basketball game between some of the Israelis and Canadians. From running around to playing basketball with our friends, we got close with the Israelis and bonded with them. I had a lot of fun racing around the city with the Israelis and the basketball game at night was a lot of fun. I am really looking forward to our weekend together!

July 13th Birthday-by Elya Chalom

July 13th, once again in Isreal with Kefiada celebrating my birthday. This year though was slightly more special than the last, because at camp I got to celebrate my birthday with 2 campers (both from my group) who were also celebrating their birthday, it was a great experience!!!. After camp I got two different surprises from the Israeli group… it was  extremely touching to see people whom I just got to know over a week and a half, showing such enthusiasm and affection towards me on my special day. Another aspect that made this day so special, was that we ate at the Kochin’s (Jews from India). We learned about their culture and new beginnings in Israel after they left Kochin, India as we ate in the founder of the village’s home. His wife cooked up a feast and the food and ambiance was beyond amazing. Later that night, we all went (the Kefiada and Acharai group) out to the university bar Einstein. Everyone had a great time, the party was greatly coordinated by Itsik (merci encore). I had a great time, even though missing a lot of close people back home, this group really knew how to celebrate with me and make me feel at home !!!!