Cohort 1: Day 5 in Israel: Shabbat and Community Week Opening Ceremony

 Saturday was packed with lots of great programs. We started out with a Café Dilemma--whenever we ordered something off the menu, it came with a big problem. We talked and debated about public utilities being open on Shabbat or the refugees of Sudan and what the Israeli government should do about them--should they make the citizens or should they deport them out of country or maybe do nothing at all and leave them the way it is now.

Then after the great breakfast we moved around the room to visualize where we stood on certain topics about Israel, from Zionists living in Israel to non-Israelis joining the IDF. We saw many different points of view on each different topic. After this active program we moved to a calmer debate about living in a country that is based on the religion or that of a secular country. We did this by analyzing to national anthems of both America (Pledge of Allegiance and the Star Spangled Banner) and Israel (Hatikvah).   

After a little break we spread out beads and picked certain colors based on our answers to certain questions. Each color represented a sect of Judaism. Most people were surprised by the results that they got and most people learned a little bit about a couple more sects, for example most people did not know about the Reconstructionist sect of Judaism. Then we split into groups and we began to debate about whether or not people should join the Macabees and possibly die or join the Greek culture and lose their religion forever to the Greeks. With one spectacular debate over we headed off to dinner to continue a smaller debate about the same subject. 

Then came my favorite part of the Shabbat Havdallah, not because it is the end but because it brings everyone together to the beginning of the week. Soon after we boarded the bus and headed to Kiryat Gat for the opening ceremony and to meet the families we would be staying with for community week. We all said our good-byes for the night and headed to see the wonders of staying in an Israeli household.

By: Daniel Balogh