Dear NCSY TJJ Bus 4 Family,

Greetings from the NEGEV!

On Tuesday Bus 4 began our drive North, but not before we woke up at 4am to scale Har Tzfachot and watch the sunrise over Eilat. Although climbing a mountain at anytime of day is difficult, getting to the top of Har Tzfachot and seeing the beautiful sky made it worth it. Before leaving Eilat we stopped by the aquarium and got to see their new shark exhibit and their beautiful coral reef. Even though we’d been up since 4am, stopping at the aquarium was still well worth it!

Once we hit the road again we were tiiiiired! Many bus naps were had (sweet dreams!). While on the road North the Bus 4 Family made a stop at the Yotvata Kibbutz where we had scrumptious ice cream! After cooling off with ice cream we drove out to Ein Ovdat, a scenic canyon in the Negev Desert, where we stretched our legs from our long bus ride north and had a small hike (if there is such a thing). Afterwards we finished our drive for the day at Chan Hashayarot, a bedouin village where we would be spending the night in tents!

In Chan Hashayarot we had the chance to learn all about the bedouin people and experience how they live. We had a cultural dinner and heard from “Ibrim”, one of the bedouins elders, about making tea! The Bus 4 Family also had a chance to go Camel riding! Everyone had so much fun naming their camels (names which included Smelly, Mickey, and Salvador) and taking Camel selfies! Tuesday evening was also the ideal time and place to experience Jewish Meditation. Rabbi Dovid led us in several exercises to help us clear our minds and concentrate. Add on top of the exercises the still quiet darkness of the Negev Desert and it was truly an impactful experience!

We are all looking forward to learning about the Salad Trail and Sderot tomorrow! It should be a very powerful day where we can learn a lot about Israeli society and culture!!

Best,
Rabbi Chaim

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