KATE & ZACH
Top 50 Things we loved about our Israel Trip.
Sep
15
2016
Zach and Kate and their parents joined the Cincinnati Jewish Federation Mission to Israel. After their incredible adventure, they managed to narrow down their top 50 favorite experiences on the trip*. From exploring the markets to dancing together to just being with family – they had a blast!
- Being with family
- Ice Cream!!!
- Making New Friends
- Going on the Archeological Dig (Temple Mount Sifting Operation)
- Finding jewelry at the Dig
- (Zach found an Arabic pendant, probably modern day but they still tagged it and took Zach’s picture)
- Water Tunnels, especially the first one (Park Alona)
- Nisan (our awesome bus driver)
- Our hotels
- The room snacks at the hotel, especially the kibbutz, they gave the best treats.
- Having our beds next to each other
- Going on the cable car to Masada
- Going down the cable car early with just Rabbi Kamrass
- Breakfast with the family
- Jeep ride (off-road tour through Golan Heights)
- Feeling at home
- Buying our very own first piece of art in the market (Nachalat Binyamin arts fair)
- The waterfall (Nahal David in the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve)
- The Lightshow (Night Spectacular at the Tower of David)
- Staying up late every night!
- Taking pictures of Rabbi Karen
- (Zach insisted on taking daily pictures of Rabbi Karen. Fortunately, she obliged and found the unflattering angles taken from below humorous)
- Dancing on stage in Netanya
- (that was Kate as Zach was dead asleep in his mom’s lap)
- Going in the Dead Sea with Daddy (just Zach)
- Having the fish suck our feet at the Dead Sea place
- (fish pedicure where the garra ruffa fish remove dead skin)
- Falafel
- Scavenger hunt in Tel Aviv
- Exploring food markets
- Long overnight plane rides
- (Definitely NOT their parent’s favorite!)
- Dancing at the Jerusalem train station
- Playing with those nice ladies at the airport on the way to Israel
- (They are referring to Ms. Beth, Ms. Suzette and Ms. Danielle at JFK)
- The cool playground at Sarona
- The Kibbutz playgrounds
- Rafting down the Jordan River
- Daddy almost falling out of the raft. That was sooooo funny!
- Seeing the art in Tsfat
- Beautiful buildings in Jerusalem
- Saying prayers together when entering Jerusalem & the yummy challah there.
- Wise Temple at Mt. Scopus
- Awesome hotel and Kibbutz pools
- Shabbat with family and friends in the glass building
- (Wise Temple at HUC Blaustien Hall)
- Scavenger Hunt at the Tower of David
- Seeing the city while walking the ramparts
- Not being scared like our mom while walking the ramparts.
- (Kate was very encouraging and patient with her mother’s glacial pace in the more open sections)
- Trying new fruits like dates, guavas and the red prickly thingy that tastes like a large grape (a pitaya)
- Visiting the Western Wall and its tunnels
- Uri (our guide)
- Zoo
- Playing in the Mediterranean Sea (in Netanya)
- Riding some crazy donkeys & dressing up in costume (Kfar Kedem)
- The Children’s Museum at the Israel Museum (Youth Wing)
- Being Jewish
- Ice Cream
a. (Reminded them that it was said already but they wanted to keep it in as they usually had it 2x a day there!)
* Items listed in the order as dictated to their Mom. Parentheticals are parental explanations/edits.