CSL in Israel 2013 is off to a fabulous start. Everyone is doing great and the trip is amazing. We spent the first day and a half in Jerusalem learning about the Old City. We walked through Hezekiah's underground water tunnel (45 minutes in a dark, very narrow tunnel but we all made it!!!), learned about the construction (and destruction) of the Holy Temples and life in early Jerusalem, and visited the Kotel. In the morning we hiked just outside Jerusalem. We learned about the Bar Kochba revolt against the Romans and crawled through the almost 2000 year old Bar Kochba caves. Then we headed south to the desert. We learned about David Ben Gurion, the first prime minister of Israel, and visited his grave. The below photo was taken from that site. What a view!! We spent last night sleeping under a sky full of stars. Our desert experience taught us about the Negev and the animals that live there, but also gave us time to bond as a group. Even though all participants were in Tusc 12, the group is a bit smaller, and we're all one year older!! S'mores, CSL cheers, and Wagon Wheel in the desert, preceded by an open discussion about ourselves and our goals for the summer, helped us reconnect and gel as a group. Today we hiked Ein Avdat canyon (words cannot describe the beauty), before taking a swim in the Neve Midbar desert hotsprings pools. Soon we depart further south for Eilat and our first Shabbat. We'll be staying at a kibbutz in the Negev, taking time to rest, relax, learn, and explore.
Joy Getnick
CSL in Israel
