A Nation of Perseverance

Loud, daunting sirens go off. The same sirens people warned us about in case of a terrorist attack. How can anyone really be prepared for that? I was hanging out with friends in my hostel when I heard the rocket warning siren. Everything from that point on went by so fast. My friends and I barely looked at each other and said nothing. We all knew. We had 90 vital seconds to get down to the bomb shelter. The run down the three flights of stairs is a blur. Trying to catch my breath was a struggle. We got down to the bomb shelter and I awaited any news that could determine my fate.  

The sad thing is, what I went through last night is a standard for some communities in Israel. It was a reminder of the threat the Israelis constantly face. According to the IDF, over 450 rockets have been fired at Israel since the beginning of the year. Yesterday, 160 rockets were fired from Gaza and

today there were another 72 rockets fired. Coming to Israel for the summer, I knew the risk, but was doubtful I'd ever face it. At the beginning of the program, our madrichim showed us the bomb shelter in the hostel and told us what to do in case of a terrorist attack. At that time, it seemed like an earthquake drill I would practice in elementary school. This was no drill; this was my life.

Fortunately, the iron dome defense system was able to shoot down the rockets yesterday. To my friends and family, it is important to know that I still feel relatively safe in Israel. As scary as last night was, I trust the army to protect us. The IDF is well trained and are taking action against the perpetrators, Hamas. 

Today, I pleasantly strolled around downtown Jerusalem and the Old City. I saw tourists shopping at the Cardo, people praying at the Kotel, and Israeli citizens going on with their lives as normal. To me, that is strength. Even with the latest events, I have had the best summer of my life living in Israel. This experience has enhanced my love for Israel and my pride as a Jew. The Israeli people have come together during these tough times as a community like none I have ever seen. I have faith in the strength of this nation.  עם ישראל חי-- the nation of Israel lives! 

"Israel was not created in order to disappear – Israel will endure and flourish. It is the child of hope and the home of the brave. It can neither be broken by adversity nor demoralized by success. It carries the shield of democracy and it honors the sword of freedom." -John F. Kennedy 

-Camille Pilar Phillips

Shabbaton in the Negev

This past weekend, participants from four different Onward Israel programs united for a Shabbaton. We stayed in a town called Yeruham, located in the Negev desert. Yeruham was Israel's first development town started by the government for new immigrants. Historically, the town was a place of poverty. However, I saw a different side of Yeruham. The Yeruham I experienced was an advancing town with a supportive community and a bright future.

On Friday morning, the early risers piled into the buses at 6 a.m. to drive to the Makhtesh Hagadol, the astounding Great Crater. We stepped out of the buses to be greeted with the dry Israeli heat and nothing but dessert surrounding us. We walked towards the end of the cliff and what bestowed us was an incredible view.  This site is a geological masterpiece! The makhtesh is a geological erosional landform with steep rock walls surrounding a deep closed valley. The crater goes on for miles and you can't help but feel small overlooking this grand abyss.

Makhtesh Hagadol

Yeruham Lake Park

 

Yeruham camels

Later on in the day, we met Yeruham citizens who offered fresh perspectives and their personal experiences of living in Yeruham. First, we went to a local home and learned about Esther, Mas'uda, Miriam, Rivka, and Shula: Yeruham's culinary queens. They are  women with no or low incomes whom open their homes to tourists and provide them with traditional Yeruham food and hospitality. These visitors supply the women with an added income and all proceeds of their cookbook go to the New Yeruham Foundation for the Promotion of Education in Yeruham.

Afterwards, we met teenagers in the Robotics Club at the local high school. These students are fulfilling their dreams by challenging themselves to invent robots and compete with schools all around Israel. They spoke to us about both the obstacles and advantages of living in Yeruham. Although they don't live in Tel Aviv, a city known for its tech startups, the high school students of Yeruham receive special attention and opportunities since they are a smaller group of kids. It was incredible to meet such motivated teenagers that are striving for a future beyond any limitations Yeruham once had. 

Playing music with a member of the Indian Jewish community in Yeruham

It was insightful to spend a weekend in a different town in Israel. It reminded me that Israel is a beautiful country with a variety of landscapes and people.

Shalom for now!

-Camille Pilar Phillips

יהי זכרם ברוך- May their memories be a blessing

To be living in Israel during the tragedy of three Israeli teenagers, kidnapped and murdered, is indescribable.  Feelings of frustration, sadness, confusion, and guilt overcome me. The three Israeli teenagers- Eyal Yifrach, 19, Gilad Sha'er,16, and Naftlai Frankel, 16-were kidnapped on June 12th while hitchhiking home and were found dead on Monday in the West Bank.

For the past few weeks in Israel, the kidnapping has been on everyone's mind and in their hearts. There has been an unwavering spirit in Israel...whether it was from the IDF's Operation Brother's Keeper, the thousands of Jews who prayed at the Western Wall for the boys return, or individual acts of awareness for the cause.

Just one night before the tragic news of the boys' death, there was an event in Tel Aviv to bring the Israeli nation together. This was a benefit concert, sponsored by OneFamily, where thousands of Jews rallied in solidarity to show their support. There was an outpouring of hope and spirit at the concert, but less than 24 hours later, the fatal news was released. I was walking on Ben Yehuda street in Jerusalem, when I first heard the news playing on a television screen outside a restaurant. People crowded around the screen to hear the news that a search team found the three teenagers dead in a ditch. What followed was a solemn atmosphere and mourning throughout all of Israel. 

That night, a group of 50 of us in my Onward Israel program came together outside of the hostel for prayers and songs. We gathered around to make a big circle and in the center of the circle we lit three candles on behalf of the three boys. By sharing our thoughts and hugs, we comforted one another and grew closer. This intimate gathering preceded a grand ceremony for the boys' joint burial service in the city of Modiin.

Hundreds of thousands of Jews all across Israel traveled hours to attend the funeral.  Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin spoke at the burial service, giving their dearest condolences and powerful speeches. According to Haaretz, Netanyahu yesterday said, “[The teens] were kidnapped and murdered in cold blood by animals. In the name of the whole of Israel, I ask to tell the dear families — to the mothers, the fathers, the grandmothers and the grandfathers, the brothers and sisters — our hearts are bleeding, the whole nation is crying with them.”

Personally as an American Jew, I identify greatly with my religion and my people of Israel during this momentous time. At the funeral, I felt a fervent sense of purpose and meaning, seeing thousands of Jews united for a common cause.  I've never felt so proud to be a Jew and to be a part of a Jewish state that is strong against all odds. My prayers go out to the families of Eyal, Gilad, and Naftlali.

יהי זכרם ברוך-  May their memories be a blessing

A massive crowd marching toward the funeral to pay their respects to Eyal, Gilad, and Naftlali.

-Camille Pilar Phillips

Visiting the Father of Zionism

The sunlight radiated off the shiny black tombstone, as I stood at the grave of the father of modern Zionism, Theodor Herzl. Herzl was the focal point of our excursion Thursday morning- his achievements, ideology, and legacy.  Herzl envisioned a Jewish state and created the World Zionist Organization, which continues to foster Zionism among diaspora Jews. Mount Herzl is the site of Israel's national cemetery and at the top of the hill lies Theodor Herzl's tomb.  

Theordor Herzl's grave

 We watched an in-depth visual presentation and film about Herzl's life, in which each room of the museum displayed a different stage of Herzl's life. I was trying to understand how one man could have the courage to bring his dream to fruition.  Looking back over one hundred years since the First Zionist Congress, it is astonishing to see that Israel, a Jewish state Herzl envisioned, has flourished in such a short period of time.

 Later that day, we visited the graves of former prime minister Golda Meir and the political activist Ze'ev Jabotinsky. We discussed several quotations from each leader, and compared their views on matters such as government and poverty.  

Ze'ev Jabotinsky's grave

 As I stared at the tiny pebbles that adorned Herzl's grave, I recalled the scene in the film which showed thousands of Israelis paying homage to their founding father when the Israeli government relocated his body to the mountain which now bears his name, shortly after gaining independence. It was a meaningful experience to visit Herzl's grave and gave me a sense of appreciation for his contributions in building a Jewish state.

Shalom for now!

-Camille Pilar Phillips

The Illuminated Old City

A nighttime walk from the Kotel to the Jaffa Gate is usually a dark, twisting journey through narrow alleys and ancient cobblestone streets.  However, for two weeks, the Old City shone brightly at night.  The 'Jerusalem Festival of Lights' was an artistic display of structures in front of significant sites. 

The electronic light displays were each accompanied with music, which created a unique contrast between the neighborhood's archaic architecture and the progressive, modern beats and tunes.  This catharsis of old and new was also expressed through the architecture of the various light displays, which ranged from a structure of giant playing cards to a giant arch with Islamic designs.  The former, which graced the large open square in front of the extravagantly-rebuilt Horva Synagogue, expressed the rejuvenation of the Jewish quarter. Similarly, the mosque-like structure in front of the Jaffa Gate symbolized the multicolored identity of the Jaffa Gate section, which is a point of convergence of the Muslim, Armenian, and Jewish Quarters. 

Other displays seemed to have been designed for the purpose of humor, such as the large, florescent elephants horizontally 'climbing' the city walls through the edge of the Armenian Quarter.  An impressive lightshow across from the Migdal David fortress was a dazzling display of creativity.  The additional lights made the holy city even more magical, and put me in a spiritual mindset before I walked to Ben Yehuda Street for a delicious dinner of shawarma and french fries.  The pedestrian traffic to and from the Old City filled the stone pathway traveling to and from the gate, and the visitors then flooded the restaurants, shops, and cafes nearby the center of town.   

Shalom for now!

-Camille Pilar Phillips

Shabbat Shopping at the Shuk

The aromas of fresh bread and pastries wafted through the air as I eagerly walked through the shuk of Machane Yehuda.  The Jewish, open-air food market was packed, with droves of Jews rushing to purchase delicious fresh produce before the rapidly approaching Shabbat.  Although the sun was beating down on shopkeepers and consumers alike, the enticing sights and smells easily distracted me from the heat.  

 My friend and I walked side-by-side, sipping cool slushies, locally known as a barad, which comes from the Biblical Hebrew term for hail.  Cooled down by the refreshing beverages, we zigzagged our way through the long streets and alleys of the market, gathering a diverse assortment of Jewish foods.  Freshly-baked zatar bread served as a mid-afternoon snack to satisfy our growing appetites as we stocked up for Shabbat.  Our first stop was one of the dozens of small bakeries which line the main street of the market.  The baker and his son shouted out discount prices and stuffed rolls, baklava, and loaf cakes into bags after weighing them.  The distinctly middle-eastern theme of the baked goods was a refreshing change from the monotony of Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts pastries.  After buying three large challot for Shabbat, we decided to venture further into the side alleys of the shuk.  

The narrow side streets were lined with smaller vendors, many of whom solicited potential customers by handing out free samples.  A tray full of bite-size halva pieces led us into the shop where we bought a pizza-slice sized chunk of the chocolate-filled, sweet sesame desert. 
  
Our desert was comprised of bottles of Israeli-made Shabbat wine, gooey chocolate rugalach from the famous Marzipan Bakery, and heavy bags of gummies.  Freshly–cut salami and spicy sausages would fill our challah sandwiches, and cold ice tea and peach nectar would wash down our feast.  
  
Our final purchase was two and a half pounds of grapes, which a desperate fruit salesman gladly parted with as he closed his shop before Shabbat.  
  
The food was even tastier than it looked, and it truly enriched not only my meals but my entire Shabbat experience.  Furthermore, hours of hastily shopping with hundreds if not thousands of fellow Jews instilled in me a sense of nationhood and camaraderie with complete strangers.   Another aspect of the shuk which intrigued me was how so many of the businesses were run by families.  There was something harmonious about a family-run business dispensing goods before Shabbat, which is a time for families to relax and bond together.  
  
I look forward to returning to the shuk for all of my grocery needs! 

  
Shalom for now!

- Camille Pilar Phillips

Hiking in the Golan

For Onward Israel, our program coordinators plan weekly meetings and an excursion every Wednesday. This week, we talked about Israel's borders and how they've changed throughout a history of wars and treaties. My group got into a heated conversation about the Israeli Palestinian conflict, in which we discussed what Israel's borders should look like. This activity was a great way to learn about Israel's history and acknowledge the group's different reflections on Israel.

On Wednesday, the program took a two hour bus ride to go hiking in the Golan. It was a sunny day in Israel, and I was eager to see the natural beauty of Israel's northern countryside. The remarkable views of the hike was just half of the fun--we hiked to a natural pool of water where we went swimming under a waterfall! The cold water felt so good on this hot day, and the hidden pool surrounded by nature was picturesque.

Shalom for now!

-Camille Pilar Phillips