I gave blood today...

...it was my first time, even though I had the opportunity to at school earlier this year.  For some reason, this time, it just seemed more important.

The hiking trip in Yehudiya Nature Reserve was amazing: I got to meet and bond with quite a few people I didn't really know, and went on one of the most amazing hikes I've ever been on.  It's hard to want to give the Golan Heights back to Syria after seeing things like this:





Friday morning, we were forced to take a later bus to the central bus station because the first number 46 only let 4 (out of the 17 of us) on board.  Consequently, we were late for our bus that was going to the Yehudiya Junction, which would have literally taken us right to the park.  Instead, we took a bus to Tiberias, on the bank of the Kinneret, and, from there, had to take several cabs to Yehudiya (about a half an hour's drive).  My cab driver's name was Zaki, and we made a pit stop before we went anywhere in which he gave me ten shekels and had me go into a bakery to buy him a challah for Shabbat--which was actually very cool.  He also thought that I was the staff person for all the people on the trip because I was basically the only one who spoke Hebrew.

The trip itself was excellent--hiking and camping is always fun, especially when the campsite's floor is made out of thousands of tiny, prodding rocks that wake you up every twenty minutes.

All sarcasm aside, though, the trip was great.

Then, on the way back on Sunday (this time we actually got the bus that left from the park), I decided to spend Yom Kippur in Bat-Yam with my friends, instead of going out of town with my family.  I figured that I was already tired from the camping trip, and that it would be an experience to see how me and my friends would celebrate a holiday in Bat-Yam.  So, Sunday night, we went to an Orthodox shul near Eli Cohen 24 (previously known as Nathan's/Simon's/Scott's/BenJirik's/Aaron's/Ohad's apartment), which was absolutely terrible.  All the things that make a service to me, such as singing and the harmony of voices and a sense of community, were blatantly and repulsively absent.  To top it all off, the cantor started asking people to pledge donations to the synagogue after Kol Nidre ended (this was my limit, and I then decided to leave).

However, it was quite amazing to see the kids running and bicycling in the streets on Erev Yom Kippur (the night of Yom Kippur).  Nowhere else in the world does an entire country shut down for a day in the same way Israel does.  That night, after shul, me and some friends went out onto the ayalon (highway) and just walked around for a bit, savoring the silent and desolate atmosphere.  Although my religious experience with Yom Kippur may not have been a good one, it was holy in a different sort of way.

The next day, Nathan and I awoke at 12 and did nothing all day until the break fast at Emilie's apartment--which was delicious.  Afterwards, we went to an American bar in Tel-Aviv called "Mike's Place," because Ben Jirik was playing guitar.  It was amazing, and Idan Tishel (one of my camp counselors from 2007) was there.  The entire night seemed to be the culmination of the past 5 days or so, and I had an overwhelming feeling (one which I randomly get at times) that screamed to me "This is Year Course, this is the experience, and I can't believe that this is my life right now."  It was as many Hebrew words as I can think of for "positive adjective"--magniv, maksim, adir, madhim, nehedar, mitzooyan, achla, sababa, tov.

Then, today, I woke up and went to the Tsofim Siyur.  We spent the first half of the day in Shevet Dan (Dan Tribe, the local chapter of the scouts) playing games and making falafel.  Afterwards, we went to Holon to see the Bamba factory, where they make many different Israeli snacks (SUCH AS BAMBA).  After seeing how it was made and how sad the factory workers were, I may never want to eat it again.

We then returned and I went to ulpan at 4:30 to make a sukkah, which didn't end up happening.  At 5, however, people from Magen David Adom (Red Star of David, kind of like the Red Cross) arrived to set up the blood drive.  I donated blood for the first time ever, and it was almost an out-of-body experience.  To be honest, though, it wasn't nearly as bad as I was expecting.

In any case, after this, Nathan, Emilie, Cera and I went to Tel-Aviv to meet with Yossein, the leader of B'nei Barak Darfur, an organization devoted to helping Darfuri refugees in Israel.  We met with him and discussed several volunteer opportunities teaching children and adults Hebrew and English; he seemed fairly excited and I can't wait to see what we can do.

Then, the four of us came back to my apartment and watched a movie on Nathan's laptop.  It was a good night, if you ask me--but I need to start writing more often again, or else I begin to lose both funny and important details.  I hope all of you had an easy fast on Yom Kippur, and are having good times wherever you may be.