Day 12/13 - Lehava - Ariel
Erev Shabbat:
Our incredible first week in Israel concluded with an equally incredible Shabbat. We welcomed Shabbat in a minyan that we ran ourselves in the kibbutz’s synagogue, with the service being a lot more full of life and exuberant, before splitting off into our family groups. We were all hungry, and it was time for dinner. We headed to the dining area and were greeted by beautifully laid out tablecloths, and a wide variety of food waiting to be eaten. Schnitzels, chicken, fish, potatoes, salads and more; there was no chance anyone was leaving hungry. We all dug into our food, talking to each other and enjoying ourselves. It really was incredible to watch what a closely knit connection our group has achieved over time. We all had an enjoyable dinner, then we enjoyed free time and some team-building games. We all had a very meaningful tish, one that many of the mads said was their ‘best’ tish ever. After a long day, it was time for some rest, and we all headed to bed.
Shabbat Day:
A sleep in until 10:00 was just what our group needed, and some of us woke up even earlier to attend morning prayers and grab some breakfast. Rejuvenated, we began the day with a tochnit with our family groups on Syrian refugees and Israel’s involvement in supplying aid to countries around the world, which was an interesting topic given Israel is usually depicted as a ‘bad guy’ in the media. We went back to the shul to Daven a lively Mincha, before heading back for a Shabbat lunch where we all chilled and sang ruach songs. We were given more much needed free time, as after an intense week in Poland and a non-stop week in Israel, we were all in desperate need of a rest. After a well earned break, we all went to have seudat shlishit, where we played games and ate before leaving to shul for maariv and havdalah, where everyone got into the spirit, reflecting on their past week through the fire of the havdalah candle.
From then, Shabbat was over, and we all headed to a cruise on the Kineret. We arrived to a picture perfect view of the cities in the distance above the water at night, and everyone hopped onto the ship excited for what was to come. Once on, the two sides, Netzach and Lehava, regrouped for the first time in a while, and everyone caught up, before dancing to ruach songs and singing together. The time passed quickly, and before we knew it, both our sides began walking to a restaurant for dinner. The restaurant boasted a very fancy interior, with nicely set out tables that everyone rushed off to, so they could start eating as soon as possible. Ready to eat, the food started pouring in, with hummus and bread to begin, and chips and different meats as our mains. The food was very filling, and once again we left a dinner on IST with a full stomach. We said our goodbyes to the other group, and headed off back to the hotel, being told our curfew was minutes after we get off the bus. We all got off, and went to bed after a very relaxed but fun Shabbat.
