Kefiada- A summer in Israel!
Every summer students from New Jersery and Delaware travel to Arad, Israel to take part in an exciting program that brings together American Jews and Israelis. Participants spend approximately one month in Arad, working at a local summer camp, meeting Israeli government officials and soldiers, and traveling the country! If you are 18-26 and would like to take part in this amazing program give Federation a call at (856) 696-4445!
Kefiada participants enjoy a evening bike ride through the desert!
Kefiada 2009 The Blog...
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July 29, 2009 - Reflections. Camp ended last week, and I am spending my last few days touring Israel's north. I have traveled to Haifa [for a second time], Tel-Aviv, Tiberias, Tsfat and an array of small, beautiful towns in the Galilee; all of them were unique and flavorful.
This has been a terrific month, but our time here has gone by so fast. It feels like just yesterday we were arriving at Ben Gurion Airport and explaining to Jesse that there are indeed ATMs in Arad. I knew that with all of the activities we had scheduled the month would fly by, and it did, so I am glad we have this blog to document our many great experiences.
Before I left for Israel, everyone told me that the trip would change me and that I would come back a different person; I haven't reflected on this much, so I am not sure how I have changed, but I do have a much stronger connection to Israel. I have changed from this trip, but I also hope that, through my work in the summer camp, I might have also changed Israel in some small way.
Thank you to the Israel-P2K Partnership, to Kirk and Ofrah, for organizing the program, and for helping to create the summer of a lifetime for seven kids from New Jersey and Deleware.
- Steven Schimmel, Cumberland County
July 28, 2009 - End of Camp; On the Road - As our work in Arad came to an end, a few of us were looking for another Israeli adventure. What better way is there to explore Israel than by renting a car and driving around? On Sunday, Steven, Julie, Emily and I rented a car in Tel Aviv, and drove to Raanana, a city close by. We were hosted by an incredibly kind family - the son even took us to Herzilyah to see the beaches at night! We had a great time with them, and were reluctant to leave, but eventually had to get back on the road to head to our next destination - Ramat HaKovesh. This kibbutz near Kfar Saba had special significance to me, as my mother lived there when she was around my age. It was remarkable following in her footsteps, and meeting people she was friends with more than 25 years ago. Next, we went to the town of Zikron Yaakov for a bite to eat and nice shops to poke around in. Afterward, we went to Caesarea, a town named after Augustus Caesar filled with ancient relics of Roman rule. We finished the night in Haifa, eager to sleep, but looking forward to what the next day would bring.
The next morning, we spent some time checking out the famous Bahai Gardens, then drove over to Rosh HaNikrah, the water caves that lie on the Israel/Lebanon border. We all really enjoyed ourselves there, especially as the temperature in the caves was terrific compared to the heat and humidity all over northern Israel! Next stop - Sfat [or Safed, Zefat, etc...]. We caught this mystical Jewish city as the sun was setting. Although we missed the great art shops and famous candle factory, it was beautiful sitting around drinking coffee and speaking to the natives about their incredibly unique city. And now, I am sitting in a hostel in Tiberias, thoroughly exhausted, but excited to share my adventures with Jewish Federation!
Wish you could all be here!
- Lauren Romm, Southern New Jersey
July 21, 2009 - New Insights - On Thursday evening, the group was treated to a wonderful seminar with Neil Lazarus, who spoke to us about Middle East politics, Israel advocacy and Israeli society among other topics. He presented the information in a fun, informative way that kept us all very interested and asking questions. After his presentation the group parted ways for the weekend.
I spent my Shabbat in Arad, experiencing the warm Israeli hospitality. Another recent highlight is the bench. On Sunday evening, we met up at the Arad youth center not knowing what to expect. The only thing we had been told was to wear clothes we could get dirty. At the youth center, we met our leader for the evening, Eitan. He opened the evening by playing a beautiful song for peace on a clay flute, which hung from a necklace he wore. He explained to us the importance of using local organic materials and recycling waste products to make new things. Once outside, we split into two groups. The first group made papier-mache out of ripped-up newspaper, glue and water. The second group sifted dirt to remove the stones from the clay. Next, we mixed the watery papier-mache and dirt to get a thick brown clay. More sand was added, making it even harder to mix. We then applied the earthy mixture to the skeleton of the bench, which was made out of tires, garbage and chicken wire. It was hard work, and we were all covered in clay, but we had a ton of fun. It felt so good to be giving back to the community in an environmentally-friendly way, with a permanent sitting area. As the bench began to dry, we put our handprints in the clay as an everlasting testament to our time spent in beautiful Arad.
As our time here comes to a close, we are thinking about the great experience we have had here in this amazing city in the middle of the desert.
- Rachel Casey, Monmouth County
July 16, 2009 - Let the games begin! This week's excursion to Tel Aviv for the Maccabiah games was an incredible experience. I must admit, I think they are spoiling us with all of these great trips! After camp, we had a few hours to relax before hopping on our private coach. On the way to Tel Aviv, our driver suprised us with a DVD to watch: a 2002 Britney Spears concert. We all had fun singing along, especially Matt Bennett [Cumberland County], a former member of New Jersey's All-State Choir.
You could feel the excitement in the air as soon as we walked into the stadium, the energy of the crowd was only matched by the excitment of the athletes, as they paraded around the track. The opening ceremony was spectacular, with synchronized cycling, performances by some of Israel's top singers, and a rousing speech by Shimon Peres. During the ceremony, I noticed the distinctly Israeli and Jewish elements of the program, particularly the emphasis on life, legacy and history. The program, and the games in general, is a celebration of life, a testament to those who came before, and a reminder of the generations of Jews who worked so hard to create a future for the Jewish people.
I left the games feeling proud to be a Jew, and excited to root for America at the games!
I must also mention that yesterday we visited the Earth Museum in Arad. It is a ceramic studio on the outskirts of town filled with beautiful sculptures and a wonderful installation of desert-inspired pieces. I would highly recommend a visit to anyone visiting the Arad region, and, take note, the prices in the shop are a bargain!
A few of us also took a rather unremarkable shopping trip to Beer Sheva; again, great prices and great shopping, but it felt more like America than Israel.
Tonight, we leave for Haifa for the weekend! Check back soon for updates...
- Steven Schimmel, Cumberland County
July 11, 2009 - Masada. We visted a lot of archeological, religious and historical sites in the first two weeks of our Kefiada experience, but nothing compares to Masada.
We arrived around sunset, after a bumpy ride through the winding roads of the desert outside of Arad. After gathering our bags, we made our way to a set of grandstands at the base of Masada for a light show. For those of us who had not been before, the show was an amazing experience! For those on their second or third visit, it was an opportunity to sleep. I personally loved the show; it provided a great historical background to the site and highlighted a variety of points that corresponded to the historical narration. When the show ended, we walked a short path over to our campsite: a tent with matresses, lighting, and toilet and shower facilities. My first thought: This isn't so bad! Ofrah arrived a short time later with supplies to make homemade pita! The guys had a blast smashing apart wooden pallets for firewood, and the girls enjoyed helping to prepare the pita dough for baking. Making the pita was a fun, but difficult experience. The dough has to be thin and without holes. Most of us ended up with something similar to pita. It tasted good, so we were happy. By 2 a.m., we were all tired and ready to settle down in the 95 degree tent. Despite the heat, we all slept well and were rested enough to make the dawn hike to the summit of Masada.
Watching the sun rise was truly a one of a kind experience. It was a sunrise like no other, and would have been magical if not for the obnoxious security guide screaming at us for being in a restricted area. It was a wonderful experience, despite his best efforts. We wandered around the site for a few hours, walking in out and around the various structures. I was amazed at the vastness of the site, and I sat and contemplated what it must have been like for the Jews to have watched as the Romans slowly create this massive ramp to the top of the walls. The spiritual and Zionist connection I felt at Masada with the history of our people and Israel will remain with me forever.
- Steven Schimmel, Cumberland County
July 9, 2009 - Camp has begun! I have put off writing this blog for a few days now, but because my parents came to Arad for the day and asked about it, I felt obligated. Although my parents only came to Arad for the one day, they were able to see everything here.
July 3, 2009 - Shalom from Eilat! This weekend has found the Kefiada crew in Eilat, the southernmost tip of Israel - the meat in an Egyptian/Jordanian sandwich. Our first thoughts upon stepping off the bus: "This is unnaturally hot!" It was 110 Fahrenheit, which might have been okay, if not for the fact that it was also so humid! A little sun does not bother us; we walked around town a bit until we found our hotel. The Adi Hotel is unlike any place I have stayed in Israel; it is gorgeous, with a big pond filled with koi in the middle of the lobby. That evening, we walked around the tayelet [Eilat equivalent of a boardwalk], and did a little shopping, eating and kibbitzing!
Today was a hoot! We all got spots on a boat that went out on the Red Sea. We did a little snorkling, with purple mountains in every direction, then went back on the boat for a huge feast of a lunch, and lounged around like royalty all day.
We will be back in Arad tomorrow evening, but, until then, we are going to enjoy the rest of our vacation!
- Lauren Romm, Southern New Jersey
July 1, 2009 - Hi again, Jersey/Delaware! As homesick as I am for a good Wawa hoagie, I am thrilled to be in Arad eating my "Domino" pizza and ice cafe. These past few days have been a whirlwind... I do not know why this is called "free time" because every second has been packed. We have had Kefiada orientation and met with the Israeli counselors, who are all really sweet. We have explored Arad, making friends, enjoying the nightlife, and planning trips [like to Eilat tomorrow!].
Jerusalem: As many times as I have visited Jerusalem, I have found that it is always different, depending on who you go with, what perspective you see it from, and how you feel about it. So, with that said, even though I had seen many of the popular sights of Jerusalem already, going with my Kefiada friends and our tour guide, Tzvi, added new significance to everything.
Yesterday was my birthday, and all the Americans and Israelis made it very special for me. There was A LOT of cake to go around, great company, and a lot of laughs. Thank you to all of you, if you are reading this, for making my day so much fun! More updates to come! Take care, USA!
- Lauren Romm, Southern New Jersey
July 1, 2009 - Oh, Jerusalem! From Sunday to Monday we spent time in Jerusalem. On Sunday, we woke up early in Arad and took a one and a half hour bus ride to Jerusalem.
It was a beautiful drive up to the Mount of Olives in the morning. Here, we saw the entire city of Jerusalem, the Kotel, the Dome of the Rock and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. We toured the City of David, and went into the dry tunnels where British soldiers dug and met each other in the middle, with no technology! Next, we traveled to the Israel Museum and the Shrine of the Book. This museum houses the orginal Dead Sea Scrolls, combined into one. The history astounded us all, and it was amazing to see how they preserved and produced replicas of the scrolls! Later, we went to Ben Yehuda; where the boys wanted soccer jerseys and the girls shopped for jewelry. The hostel was beautiful, and we slept wonderfully except for the younger Israeli kids running around until midnight!
We woke up on Monday morning to the sound of kids running around; and a great Israeli breakfast of vegetables, hummus, eggs and tea. We went to Yad Vashem [the Holocaust Museum]. It was a deep and sad experience, with much knowledge gained at the end of the morning. There are so many stories to be shared from this sad time. Afterward, we had lunch with our whole group in a hostel where we were the only ones in the room with our own servers. The food was excellent, complete with Israeli salads, chicken, eggplant and rice. We ventured out to the Old City, Muslim quarter and Kotel plaza. The site of the Kotel calmed us all while we connected with our experience in Jerusalem so far. We saw the Southern Wall excavations and how the temple looked during the Second Temple period. The girls even went into the mikvah, pretending to purify before the sacrifice at the Temple! Next we saw the tunnels beneath the Kotel where the closest place to the Holy of Holies is located. We enjoyed the layers of history underneath the Western Wall, and the aspects of life that is revealed to us when researching history. While walking around the Old City, Jesse and Steven were excited to see Jerusalem at its finest. Jesse is thinking of growing payot! For dinner, we went to the popular and hopping street of Emek Refayim [Valley of the Giants], where we ate sushi and enjoyed talking about the day's activities.
On Tuesday, orientation started and the Israeli counselors were extremely helpful and excited to work with us at Kefiada. They say the campers will require many activities during the day, and need to be kept busy. We already planned America Day: full of red, white and blue pride! With Shimon and Ofra's guidance we feel completely ready to participate in Kefiada and take away fabulous experiences with the campers and other counselors.
We are now on our way to Eilat to experience the culture at the bottom of Israel and the Red Sea. What a great first week with much to come!
- Emily St. Lifer, Monmouth County
June 27, 2009 - Shabbat in Arad. Yesterday was our first full day here, and really the first we have had any down time since we arrived, so, naturally, given the 100+ degree weather, we went to the pool.
Arad's main recreation area and pool are in a complex called the "Country Club". It's very nice with plenty of shade, a huge pool and a clean, modern gym with locker facilities. We stayed there for most of the day, soaking up the sun and enjoying the pool.
Later last night, we celebrated our first Shabbat with our local host families. The consensus of the group was that our hosts went "all out" for us. Each family prepared, quite literally, a table full of food. I ate until I could eat no more, and then explained to my host family the American tradition of the "doggie bag". With full stomachs we ventured back home to relax.
We have been taking lots of pictures, and within the next few days a slideshow will be up... so check back regularly!
- Steven Schimmel, Cumberland County
June 26, 2009 - WE HAVE ARRIVED! Wow! I cannot believe we are in Israel. Despite being exhausted from our long flight, we are all very excited and energized to be here.
After kissing the ground at the airport, grabbing our bags, and getting money we made our way to a bus waiting for us with cold drinks; and boy were they needed, it was so hot... and we weren't even in Arad yet.
The drive to Arad took around an hour and half, and it was nice to see the Israeli countryside as we cruised along the highway. I was suprised to see all the farm fields in what seems like desert. Actually, it is very impressive, and a testament to Israel's efforts to reclaim desert land for agriculture.
Onto Arad... My first impressions of the city: Wow, this is truly a city in the middle of the Judean desert. It is a great place with everything you could want in a place to live: nice homes, plenty of recreation spots [including a swimming pool], and great pubs and restaurants.
Shimon and Ofrah are our program organizers, and they have done everything imaginable to make us feel welcome here. We even met the Mayor of Arad, who offered us all jobs teaching in Arad's newest high school.
Later in the evening, we toured Arad to see the post office, supermarket and mall. The scenery here is beautiful, especially at sunset when the mountains take on an almost painted look.
I should add... our accomodations are excellent. The boys have their own house, and the girls have an apartment. Nothing is better than coming home to a fully-stocked fridge and cool a/c!
- Steven Schimmel, Cumberland County
June 24, 2009 - TODAY'S THE DAY: WE LEAVE FOR ISRAEL!! Watch this space for photos and more of our Kefiada Israel experience. Our thanks to P2K|NJ Delaware!
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