Borders

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I really have not understood the meaning of borders until I came here.
For this piece of land the size of New Jersey, borders mean everything.

And I dont mean toll booths.

Fences. Serious Fences. Barbed Wire. And sometimes walls.
And this is not far away. This is right over there. I could walk to it.

We spent a week up North- Haifa, Daliat Ha karmel (druze village), Tel Hai, Ramlah, Rehovot, Rosh Pina.

Driving on the highway... theres a fence right next to us. That's the west bank. Those buildings, Hebron. Another village. There's settlers. Its written on the fence in black graffiti, l'at l'at, habibi. Slowly slowly, dear.

In Tel Hai, we stayed in a hostel. There were lights beyond a mountain. Lebenon. So close I could touch it.

In Ramleh, we heard a blast in the distance. What could it be? Kesamim near Gaza? Far enough that we are safe, close enough to hear. The countries so small, but so full.

The north is beautiful. We played, we hiked, we learned. We went bowling. We walked around a village shared between both Jews and Arabs. We ate lunch in a Druze village. We hiked the rolling hills of Rosh Pinah. We explored the Bahai Gardens.

And we learned about different forms of energy. Solar panels, energy made from cow dung (believe it or not!), Hashmal (electricity), the concrete factory, biogas... energy energy! For a country so small, there is so much here. I still cant understand how a piece of land the size of New Jersey has its own culture, its own language, its own religion. I am baffled.

After the trip, I spent a few days at my friend Dror's house. We picnicked among second temple era ruins, next to the West Bank. Wine and borekas.

I am also baffled how it is 70 degrees on Christmas. And that the whole world doesnt stop. I never thought I would miss Christmas, until I really did miss it. We have class on New Years. I have a field trip on New Years day at 7:30 in the morning. Wish me luck.

Sleepy Shabbat approaching. I'm gonna take the horses our riding into the dates and dunes tomorrow. And maybe hit the pub tonight at kibbutz Lotan across the street. And dinner, challah, chaztilim, and hummos and chicken. Amen.

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Photos

Daliyat HaCarmel
Hospitality in a Druze Village

Our Own Hassan
Explaining about his Druze background

Shopping
I know how to shop at the Druze Village. Julia would be proud.

Moishe
The coolest bus driver this side of the borda'

Was once an Arab Village
In Rosh Pina

Comments

[Hiking In Israel]

http://israel-hiking.co.il
Nice Pictures You got. Really it was a good place to see. But for many people till don't know what is border. They want to know. Sure, with your posting, all will know the outline of Israel.