A Very Relaxing Israeli Sabbath

Today was one of the most amazing Shabbats ever. After sleeping late and relaxing we had another nice service right on the beach of the Sea of Galille by our hotel that I helped lead. It was a great start to a very fun day. At the conclusion of our service, each bus broke into our groups to talk about our experiences so far in Israel. It was a cool thing to see that everyone is having similar feelings about the beauty and comfort of this country.

We all ate lunch and then it was relaxation all afternoon. I put on some sunscreen and we all were laying on the beach soaking up the gorgeous Israeli sun. It was a warm blanket that made us feel comfortable in our country. Really, everything about this place is more beautiful then one can imagine. This free time also allowed us to grow closer as friends with these people who we have, for the most part, only known for a week. After a rest in the sun, Steven, one of the staff, led a guided thinking/meditation session. It was based on footsteps and where our feet have been these past weeks, whose feet were those places before us, and how we will share these steps when our feet are back in the US. It made me think and wonder what I really will do. It helped me relate back to the importance of the places I have been and where I will be in the coming days. We all changed into nice outfits and had dinner before an incredible evening.

We all got in our bus and made our way to Tiberias to go on a disco cruise. Well the name is quite deceiving because it was not disco music but it was so much fun. So the boat took us around the Kenneret under the beautiful mid-east stars and moon. The city of Tiberias is right on the water and was all lit up. The lights of the city were stunning. We danced the night away on the boat. As the ride came to an end, we walked down the streets of Tiberias a bit and arrived at the Promenade of Tiberias, basically a boardwalk lined with kiosks of stores and food stands. I got this great frozen yogurt that was make your own flavor. I put in bananas and strawberries and chocolate and cookies and I don't even know what else. It was absolutely delicious though. As we got to he shore, there was a circle of guys and girls with guitars and drums singing Hebrew songs. Our whole group joined in and had such a great time. We sang Salaam as loud as we could and were dancing in the middle of the circle. We made a fool out of ourselves but the awesome feelings inside while signing a Jewish song on the boardwalk in Israel made up for it all. After a little more strolling we had to meet up with the bus and had to go back to the hotel. Tomorrow we will be moving to a new hotel as we are driving to Jerusalem. I think that tomorrow will be a very powerful day with the Old City and the Kotel along with a program with BBYO's sister movement in Israel, Tzameret.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry