I'll Have a Falafel with a Side of Attitude, Be'vakasha

After visiting our sister shul in Ashkelon (a mere 20 miles north of the Gaza strip), we stopped for lunch in the suburban town of Modi'in, halfway between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.  Looking for an authentic spot to dine, the majority of our group headed toward the nearest Falafel/Schwarma restaurant.

There, we were greeted with some very authentic Israeli food, and some very stereotypical local hospitality.  Ordering the schnitzel platter in a "yeladim" size for my 7 year old daughter, and 2 schnitzel plates for my older sons, the Rabbi assisted with our ordering to ensure it was conveyed correctly.  But when I paid, all 3 schnitzels were the same cost - apparently there was no such thing as "kid size", even though it was pictured prominently above the grill.  I think that's known as the "Alef-Bet-and-Switch"!

Meanwhile, in the immortal words of Abe, every local "Tom, Dick, and Chaim" pushed right past our group, ordered their lunches, and were given their food immediately.

27 minutes after placing my initial order (and 10 local lunchers later), I reminded the man behind the counter that I was still waiting for our lunch.  Reluctantly, he began his preparations, and minutes later my falafel balls and the kids schnitzel were being prepared.

Truly a "taste of the local culture", far from the tourist traps of the bigger cities.

P.S.  It was the best falafel I had in Israel!!

-- Mark Putter

Amanda the Explorer

Today I went digging at the Beit Guvrin Caves. The place was 2000 years old. I used tools called a pick axe and a trowel. I found a lot of pottery, and a huge bone, and a snail shell. I passed up buckets with dirt and rocks so we could dump the buckets onto screens, and then shake the screens to look for more pottery and bones and shells that we missed before.

Then I went spelunking. I went down a lot of small holes, and then we actually got to pick a piece of pottery to keep. It was so much fun!

-- Amanda Putter

Sunrise at Masada

At 2:30 a.m. on Monday morning, six brave men (Mark, Alex, Jonah, Ron, Rabbi Stecker and myself) started a trek for Masada. The cab picked us up and we headed out. We caught up on our sleep in the cab, except Rabbi Stecker, who kept the driver awake and alert with conversation. We arrived at the mountain at 3:50, 20 minutes before we were supposed to.

We went to the ticket booth to show our vouchers and get our tickets to climb. That's when our adventure really started. A man there told us that we could start hiking up an hour before sunrise, which we heard was 5:13am. The problem was that we were misinformed and sunrise was actually at 6:13am, meaning we arrived an hour early (and missed an hour of sleep).

We relaxed at the bus station near the gate and talked about the stars, and stories of Masada. Soon, we were accompanied by a group of soldiers and a group of rowdy college kids. We waited for the opening of the trail for 20 more minutes, and then started our ascent up the Snake Path. It was very dark, so we used the flashlight app on Rabbi Stecker's iPhone to see the path (and the cliff). It was a long and strenuous 50 minute journey to the top, consisting of large steps and steep paths, but we finally made it to the top 15 minutes before sunrise.

We all pulled out our phones and cameras to capture the special moment. Finally, we saw the sun peek over the horizon with colorful beams of light surrounding it, and we all knew that our difficult trek was well worth it.

After sunrise, we went to a place by Herod's Western Palace which had ben used as a Torah study area, and we performed a morning Shacharit service where many of us led a prayer - we did most of the prayers except the ones that required a minyan (even though we were joined by a man who wrapped himself with Tefillin, and a few chirping birdies).  It was a great way to gather together and celebrate our successful adventure.

-- Josh Putter

Mud and Salt

Today we all went to the Dead Sea. It was so much fun. We couldn't stop floating.  It was so strange.  We put mud all over ourselves then entered the Dead Sea to rinse off the mud. When we were done our skin felt so soft. I was surprised that none of my bleeding mosquito bites burned .
There were piles of salt in the water and on the sand.

Later at night when I tasted the salt on the table at dinner, I thought it tasted like the Dead Sea.

-- Barrett Kanfer

Another Note in the Wall

The Western Wall - the epicenter of the Jewish Universe.  The direction in which every Jewish prayer is sent, be it from Great Neck or from the Old City of Jerusalem.  Last night, and then again today, we had the opportunity to experience this first-hand, with hundreds and thousands of other worldwide travellers who have made the journey to the holiest of all Jewish sites.

As is the custom for many, prayers in the form of notes are written and inserted into the cracks and crevices of the wall, and a direct connection is made between the individual and the sacred, as close as we can come today to the Temple Mount.

Thousands of tiny pieces of paper, inserted into the gaps between King Herod's massive stones.  Will each prayer be answered?  While that question remains, there is no doubt that as they are placed inside the wall, each prayer has been delivered, and has been heard.

-- Mark Putter

Why was this Shabbat Not Like Every Other Shabbat?

There are many special things about this group trip to Israel. Shabbat is one of them. This is because just like when we ask on Passover, "Why is this night different from any other", why was this Shabbat different from any other?

Well, the answer is... This shabbat is different because we are in Israel. We will all have memories but for me the highlights were the fun chef, the crazy games and songs, and the great food. Thankfully we had a private room or we might have frightened a couple of guests at the hotel with our jolly good time. There was a ton of food from the gefilta fish, to the veal chop, and so much dessert. There were also tons of games like air shooting freeze tag and find that song. There were also fun songs sung from crazy Sprout Lake originals to the good old Shabbat tunes. In the end I would have to say this is one of the most fun, memorable, amazing experiences I have ever had (coming in close second with camp.)

--Emily Citron

...Postus Interruptus...

...Excuse our brief "blog break" as we recover from our wonderful Shabbat and day-after trip to the Holy Land...more blogs to come!!