All For the Kids

Days 27-29

2008-06-11T12:02:00.000-07:00

Day 27 – Ein Yorkeam to Nahal Mador

Having had a refreshing Shabbat in Jerusalem, we set off early on Sunday morning, and after 2 buses and 2 hitchhikes we arrived back where we left off. What we had facing us was the Carbolet – a knife edged ridge around the Maktesh HaGadol. We had been warned since the beginning by everyone we met that it was the most difficult part of the hike, so we expected the worst.

After a steep climb onto the ridge we walked along it for a few hours without any real difficulty, and after what was admittedly the steepest and most dangerous climb down of the trip, we came out the other side, wondering what all the fuss was about.

We made it to the campsite at Nahal Mador and were overjoyed to find many litres of water, keft especially for hikers. It is amazing to think just how valuable water is in the desert and the joy of discovery was greater than had we found lost treasure. We found so much that we even used a bottle each to have a much needed shower.
We made a camp fire and were soon joined by the group of Israelis we met on the way. They had far too much food and we were more than happy to help them consume it.

Day 28 – Nahal mador to Mitzepe Ramon

Up early and we were off again, but were soon hit by some of the hottest weather on the trip. It turned out to be a blessing as we arrived at Ein Aqev, a proper oasis in the desert.

We spent 3 hours there, swimming, eating and sleeping. Jeremy by this point was well used to washing his clothes in any body of water we could find, so he joined Yonatan and i in a laundry session and with all our clothes washed and hanging up to dry we had a good mid-afternoon schloff.

We woke up to walk another 10kms to road at Avdat, an archaeological area with ruins from the incense route times.
We finally reached the road just before sunset, filled up on food and water and decided that to make up some of the time we lost going to Sderot we would hitchhike the last 12 kms, which would have been horrible to walk along the road anyway, and arrived in Mitzepe Ramon where Brandon was waiting for us.

Day 29: Mitzepe Ramon to Har Sachronim

After a fantastic sunrise we set off into Maktesh ramon, Israel’s biggest and most famous crater.

After a long walk across the crater and a really tough climb out we were met with fantastic views from the top.

Brandon decided to sing for us and his beautiful chazan’s voice was heard for miles around across the crater.

As the heat of the day began to get stifling we found shade in a small cave and sat down for our usual lunch and midday schloff break.

Soon after lunch we hit a main road and decided to try to stop cars for water, rather than relying on finding some at the campsite. As we stood by the side of the road holding our empty bottles upside-down, we were all blown away by the kindness of the people here. Almost no-one drove past without giving us water, and on several occasions people drove past and actually took the time and effort to turn around to come back and give us water. All loaded up we carried onto our next campsite under a tree and soon how our fire for the night going with a pot of tasty vegetable soup on the boil.

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Day 35: Shacharut Ascent Camp ground to Timna Lake

2008-05-20T13:03:00.000-07:00

The tough climb up to the plateau was made bearable by listening to Jeremy’s stories from school and college days – which really kept me entertained. It can be tough spending a long time with someone, especially in these circumstances and being at such different stages in your life, but I think Jeremy and i have done really well. We have intelligent chats about life and Judaism, fun chats, stories and singing, serious ones when we need to clear issues and overall have got on well. Coming to the end of the trip we started reflecting back and looking forward

As it got hot we found a tree giving minimal shade and managed to create our own extra shade for a well earned schloff.

We arrived at the gate of Timna Park, where we were soon picked up by a kind worker and taken to the lake on the other side of the park. The lake is a touristy camping area with showers, large Bedouin tents, camels, donkeys and some people making pitot with humous, labana and sweet Bedouin tea. We were fed along with a group of German tourists, and once every thing hd been cleared away we had the place to ourselves – once again unexpectedly provided for in everyway.
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Day 36 - Timna to camp ground 15kms from Eilat.

2008-05-20T12:26:00.000-07:00

We woke up early, left most of our stuff at the campsite and walked back over Timna Mountain to the entrance of the park. It was a steep climb but the varied coloured rock formations made it quite spectacular.

We got a lift back to the camp ground and rested there until after 3pm before setting off again to find somewhere to sleep on our final night.

After a long walk through a wadi and up onto a plateau, we found a great place under a tree.

We all went to sleep not expecting what was about to happen. It started slowly and we thought it may pass, but soon the rain was falling heavily. Our final night in the desert was proving to be a test in itself, especially as Jeremy was sleeping outside and my tent isn’t waterproof.

Day 37 - Random Campground – Eilat

2008-05-20T12:12:00.000-07:00

We survived the night and set off for the final leg into Eilat. As the actual trail goes to Tabba, there are many different routes to take off the trail into Eilat, and we each decided on a different one, and agreed to meet in Eilat and walk to the beach together.
My route took me on what was possibly the hardest climb of the trip – up to a viewpoint where I got my first real glimpse of Eilat. It was a euphoric feeling which was short lived as I had to then descend the steep and treacherous route down the mountain and into Eilat. The 3kms up and down the mountain, which would normally take about 45 minutes, took me over 2 hours and then I still had another 5 kms to actually get to Eilat.
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I final arrived and met Jeremy who had already consumed 2 litres of chocolate milk and read half the paper by the time I got there. We met up with Yonatan and all walked triumphantly to the beach. WE certainly did not expect what was coming next. We had managed to arrival in the middle of a Gay Pride techno party on the beach, a little shocking after the peace and spiritual highs of the desert but most amusing none the less.

We moved down the beach a little and wasted little time in jumping into the sea at the end of an epic journey which saw us traverse the whole land, from the mountains in the north and ending up in the sea in the south.

We had a great Shabbat with the Hecht family, chief rabbi of Eilat and found free accommodation outside in the succah of a Christian youth hostel.

The fun was not over as Jeremy and I hilled out together in Eilat on Sunday. After relaxing by the pool in the Hilton hotel
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And being asked to refrain from playing the piano in the lobby
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We made our way to dolphin reef, for which we got free entry thanks to someone we met on the trail the week before in timna. A beer on the beach, a swim in the sea, a moving movie about releasing a dolphin in to the wild and a kosher chinese meal - before we finally parted and I went back to Jerusalem leaving Jeremy to relax in Eilat for a few days.
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WE MADE IT

2008-05-18T08:30:00.001-07:00

-Jeremy

More to come

Independence Day!

2008-05-18T08:26:00.000-07:00

A great performance titled "Made in Israel".

Another fun video from Yotvata about Theodor Herzl pondering the decision to make the Jewish State in Uganda. I personally would have named it "Jewganda".

-Jeremy

Day 27: Ein Yorkeam through the Karbolet

2008-05-18T08:12:00.000-07:00

Today was Makhtesh HaGadol. It is a geological erosional landform of Israel's Negev desert. One of five makhteshim in Israel, and seven in the world, it is the second largest, being exceptional in that it is drained by two rivers, the Nahal Ramon and Nahal Ardon. At the time of naming, Makhtesh Ramon (the largest makhtesh) was unchartered and so this was thought to be the largest.

Almost everyone we spoke to about the hardest day on the trail mentioned today instantly. This is known in Hebrew as the "karbolet", literally "cock's comb" but probably better translated as a knife's edge. For an hour or two we walked on a fairly sharp slant on the edge of the crater.

However, for all the hype that had been building for it, the actually walk was quite pleasant and not all that hard. It was incredibly beautiful though. We managed to run into a group of Israelis along the way who had just finished the army, and slept alongside them at a wonderful campsite in the middle of the desert, where we shared food and stories until the wee hours.

-Jeremy

Day 26: Sderot and Holocaust Remembrance Day

2008-05-18T07:06:00.000-07:00

We left the trail today from Ein Yorkeam to head to Sderot. Sderot has become a rallying cry for Jews around the world who are disgusted by the inaction of the Israeli government in responding to seven years of rocket attacks on Israeli territory. 40,000 people are supposed to be living in Sderot but in practice only about 10,000 are present. Somewhere around 2/3rds of all children in Sderot have a form of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome.

Since the Israeli disengagement from Gaza in the summer of 2005 Hamas has taken over the entire Strip, using former settlements, concentrated Arab civilian centers, and former "confidence building" joint Palestinian-Israeli water treatment plants to fire thousands of rockets into Sderot and the Western Negev. What was billed at the time as a measure to help solidify Israel's security situation has served as a tragic reminder yet again what can happen when concessions are heaped upon a group of people hell-bent on Israel's destruction.

We now have the absurd situation of Israel supplying fuel and electricity to the Gaza Strip which in turn gets used to fuel rockets that are fired back into Israeli territory. Even the people transporting these goods into Gaza are being attacked!

And yet Israel is once again accused of siege warfare and fomenting a humanitarian crisis when it is clear that Hamas is deliberately engineering the starvation of their own people for selfish gain. Classic "cut off your nose to spite your face" behavior we've seen over and over again.

Brandon is raising money for a charity in Sderot called Kids for Kids, and he arranged a visit to a local school to hand out teddy bears to the second grade children. Bradley did a great job of teaching them English songs and getting them involved in dancing and singing. Afterwards we bought some lunch downtown and spoke with many of the residents who said that they would gladly leave the city if there was anywhere to go. All in all a very rewarding, informative, and (thank God) quiet day 1 kilometer from the Gaza Strip.

As we took the bus back to Jerusalem for Shabbat we heard a siren which signaled the one-minute national silence for Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day. Everyone on the highway pulled over to the side of the road and stood by their cars. I couldn't help but make the parallel between this commemeration and what is going on in Sderot today. Never again will the Jewish people sit idly by while our own people are being murdered. We know too well how easy it is for the world to sit on their hands during genocide (see Darfur), so it's our responsibility to take any and all necessary action to defend ourselves.

-Jeremy

Day 19: Tel Azeka to Moshav Lakish

2008-05-02T05:23:00.000-07:00

We woke up to gale force winds and a beautiful sunrise, the moon also still hanging in the sky behind us. Packing up was no easy task, my tent almost got blown out to sea 30 kms away. Soon the 4 were down to 2, as Brandon and Simon chose to call it a day. Jonathan and I have had similar adventures, he too has been to India, Thailand and other eastern countries, he too has looked into alternative lifestyles, done plenty of hiking and living off the land, and has now come back to discover the beauty, wisdom and spiritual insight of Torah Judaism. So, conversation flowed nicely as we once again braved the terrible heat.Recently we have had the joy of meeting many Bedouin shepherds, who have been generous in sharing milk from their goats with us – a welcome treat in the middle of the day. At noon we needed to take cover from the heat – check out this video:

Traveling in general, but more specifically being on this trail, really helps you appreciate everything you have. Water is an essential and priceless commodity, and we fully appreciate each drop as if it were fine wine. We are not carrying any unnecessary item, and each thing really serves a purpose, means a lot to us and we really take good care of it. It shows me that if I just get down to the essentials of life, I could really be free from things clogging up my room and my mind, and I could really find pleasure and gratitude in all of the abundance which is thrown my way. It says in Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) ‘Ezer hu ashir?’ ‘Hasameach behelko!’ “Who is rich?” He who is satisfied with what he has!” I have everything I need and if just I focus on what I have rather than what I don’t have and think I need, I would surely be a happy man. Even on the trail where I am cutting down on consumption and eating small (yet tasty and healthy) meals, it is much more than the children in Malawi will ever see. They survive on one bowl of porridge and a few vegetables a day, whereas I am used to meat and 2 veg at least once a day. Makes you realise what you have, and what you have to give those who need it.
Anyway, back to the trail where we met a group of scouts who gave us oranges and water, where we had a shower from a hose on the side of the road and where a car stopped, reversed and gave us 2 ice-lollies, both of which I happily ate.

Finally we reached Kfar Lakish, a beautiful Kibbutz 60 kms south west of Jerusalem. After chatting to the Thai workers (great to have so many opportunities to practice my Thai) to find out if we could shower and perhaps stay with them, we set off to rendez-vous with Jeremy who was waiting at the front of the kibbutz having become National Ultimate Frisbee champion. After considering our options, a car drew up and asked if we would like a place to sleep. Not an offer we have ever said ‘no’ to! So they whisked us off in their car to their parent’s house, where we had warm showers, before Jeremy rustled up some matza-brai and omelette, which went nicely with the salad, cheese and several litres of ice-tea they brought out. What beautiful, hospitable generous people they were. It shows like so many times before on this trail that you don’t have to be religious to have a holy heart. Thanks Tal and Guy.
- Bradley

Day 18: Even Sapir to Tel Azeka

2008-05-02T05:05:00.000-07:00

Shalom l’kulam. My blog debut comes about because we were without Jeremy for 2 days after a wonderful physical and spiritual refuelling over Pesach in Jerusalem. This is because he was busy competing in the Israeli National Ultimate Frisbee championship – where he became an Israeli national champion, mazultov Jeremy.

After getting a bus back to the trail, Jonathan, Simon (another Englishman who was joining us for a day) and I embarked on our first ‘night tiyul.’ We climbed into the mountains on the outskirts of Jerusalem near Even Sapir, the path lit only by the light of the near-full moon and found a place to camp for the night. Camping out on a hill on the way into Jerusalem for Pesach, I realised that thousands of people must have camped on that very spot on their way into Jerusalem, to bring sacrifices and join in the festivities when the temple still stood. Now on the way out I was excited to be making my way towards the desert, where our ancestors were forced to flee just after Pesach 3000 years ago. I’ve never been attached to Israel or the Jewish people so much – I was always pulled east to the mystical Hilmalayas and mind and martial training of Japan, Thailand and Korea. However this trip is really helping me connect to this land and its people and history, which I am coming to realise is my land, people and history – and I am playing a role in the continuation of the story.

We arose early in the morning, were joined by Brandon, and were promptly hit by 2 days of Chamsin – heat wave. Somehow we managed to battle it out, invigorated by the rolling, forested hills stretching out for miles around, and the stimulating stories from Simon, who had a rough night having almost turned into a werewolf (for the full story - http://travelpod.com/z/gouldy/israel_nov_07/1209323820). At one point the heat was so bad we had to duck down into a village, Mata, just off the trail, to hose ourselves down and refill our water bottles. The trail to Tel Azekar wound down through forest paths covered in wonderful smelling pine cones, from trees that aren’t native to Israel at all. All these forests were planted by the JNF, what a great job they have done in bringing life back to the country. Nearing the end of a sweltering and exceedingly tiring day, we came out of the woods and were faced with Tel Azekar – and the steep ascent to its summit. I somehow found the strength to run to the top in time to daven mincha before the sun set over the Mediterranean. The view from the top was stunning, as we looked out over the field where David defeated Goliath. As we set up the tent and had a bit to eat, we too felt some of the the sense of achievement of the young man who managed to conquer the huge challenge facing him.

Days 24 and 25: MOFN to Makhtesh HaKatan and Ein Yorkeam

2008-05-01T05:10:00.000-07:00

A makhtesh is a geological landform regarded to be unique to the Negev desert of Israel and the Sinai Peninsula. Although commonly regarded to be "craters", these structures are more accurately described as erosion cirques. A makhtesh has steep walls of resistant rock surrounding a deep closed valley which is usually drained by a single wadi. The valleys have limited vegetation and soil, containing a variety of different colored rocks and a diverse fauna and flora which has been protected and preserved over millions of years.

Today we hit Makhtesh HaKatan or "The Small Makhtesh," possibly the most beautiful natural site I have ever seen. From the middle where we slept you have a perfect 360 degree view of the entire crater. The soil has amazing brilliant colors of yellow, orange and purple. These two days we walked with Yonatan, a fellow Shvilist from Meitar walking the entire country before he enters the Air Force.

These have been our most challenging days so far, with massive steep ascents and descents occuring frequently. The last, and most dangerous, is called Maale HaPalmach. This route up and out of the riverbed (Wadi) went straight up the side of a cliff up several ladders which were installed by the Palmach in 1944 as a route to Eilat.

The Palmach was the regular fighting force of the Haganah, the unofficial army of the Yishuv (Jewish community) during the British Mandate of Palestine. It was established on May 15, 1941 and by the war of 1948 had grown to three fighting brigades and auxiliary aerial, naval and intelligence units. Being a Palmachnik (Palmach member) was considered not only as performing military duties, but also as a way of life. Significant leaders of the Palmach include Yitzhak Sadeh, Yigal Allon and future prime minister Yitzhak Rabin and Defense Minister and member of the Knesset Moshe Dayan.

The Palmach was established by the British military and Haganah on May 15, 1941 to help the British protect Palestine from the Nazi German threat. They were also to assist Allied forces with the planned invasion of Syria and Lebanon, then held by Vichy French forces. British experts trained the Palmach special soldiers and equipped them with small arms and explosives. However, after the Allied victory at the Second Battle of El Alamein in 1943, the British ordered the dismantling of Palmach. Instead the whole organization went underground.

The Palmach contributed significantly to Israeli culture and ethos, well beyond its undoubtable military contribution. Its members formed the backbone of the Israel Defense Forces high command for many years, and were prominent in Israeli politics, literature and culture.

We slept in Ein Yorkeam last night, a beautiful desert spring with fresh water to swim in and wash our clothes. Tomorrow morning we're headed to Sderot to show our solidarity with the people living under constant rocket attack. We will be delivering gifts to the kids, over 80% of whom have some form of Post Tramatic Stress Syndrome. After that we'll hit the trail again Sunday morning.

Happy Trails,
Jeremy

Day 23: Meitar Forest to MOFN (Middle of @#%&ing Nowhere)

2008-05-01T04:51:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Negev Desert.

As you can see, we've left the land of kibbutzim, flowing water, and greenery. This is exactly what we've been training for. As a child, one of my favorite movies was Lawrence of Arabia, the story of a British officer during World War I that integrated himself into Bedouin society with the goal of establishing an independent Arab state from the Ottoman Empire.

Through this movie I began to romanticize the desert, with its sweeping landscape and bleak nothingness. And as we hit the Negev outside of Arad it finally dawned on me the importance of the desert as the birthplace and central theme of Judaism: the three relationships of man to man, man to himself, and man to God. As all that is tangential melts away in the heavy, beating sun, man is stripped down to these three core facets of existence. Petty desputes and infighting go by the wayside as internal dialogue and personal betterment occupy much of the time during these long hot hours.

There's nowhere to go but straight ahead.

-Jeremy

Day 22: Arad backwards to Meitar Forest

2008-05-01T04:28:00.000-07:00

To make up for the one and a half days we skipped going forward to Arad, we walked backwards in the direction of Meitar. The first site of interest we hit was Tel Arad.

Tel Arad is located west of the Dead Sea in an area surrounded by mountain ridges. The site is divided into a lower city and an upper hill which holds the only ever discovered 'House of HaShem' in the land of Israel.

The lower area was first settled during the Chalcolithic period, around 4000 BCE. Excavations at the site have unearthed an extensive Bronze Age Canaanite settlement which was in use until approximately 2650 BCE. The site was then apparently deserted for over 1500 years until resettled in the Israelite period from the 11th century BCE onwards, initially as an unwalled piece of land cut off as an official or sacred domain was established on the upper hill, and then later as a garrison-town known as 'The Citadel'.

The citadel and sanctuary were constructed in the time of King David and Solomon. Artifacts found within the sanctuary of the citadel mostly spoke concerning offerings of oil, wine, wheat brought there by numerous people from David and Solomon's time and throughout the reign of the kings of Judah. In the Persian, Maccabean, Roman, and early Mohammadean eras locals continued to transport these items to the sacred precinct of the upper hill.

During the reign of the kings of Judah the citadel was periodically refortified, remodeled and rebuilt upon one another a number of times, until ultimately it was destroyed between 597 BCE and 577 BCE whilst Jerusalem was under siege from the Babylonian Nebuchadnezzar. Among the most fascinating artifacts unearthed from this time are ostraca from the mid-7th century BCE that refered to this citadel as the House of HaShem.

Habitation of Tel Arad and the upper citadel did not end with the Babylonians. In fact, during the Persian period (5th - 4th centuries BCE) almost a hundred ostracon and pottery were written in Aramaic and were mostly accounts of locals that brought oil, wine, wheat, and etc to the upper hill.

Several citadels were built upon one another and existed in the Hellenistic and Roman periods. King Herod even reconstructed the lower city for the purpose of making bread. The site lasted til the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and completely expelled the 'circumcised' in 135 AD. Tel Arad laid in ruins for 500 years until the Islamic period in which the former Roman citadel was rebuilt and remodeled by some prosperous clan in the area at the time and functioned for 200 years until around 861AD when there was a breakdown of central authority and a period of widespread rebellion whereupon the citadel was destroyed.

Brandon and I went off ahead of the other three and managed to lose our way at a tricky trail marker. We went way off the trail only to stumble upon a herd of sheep with no shepherd in sight.

And oh yeah, and a pack of guard dogs.

Brandon had warned me about Bedouin dogs, having basically been attacked by 20 of them a few months ago on a hike. As soon as they saw us approaching they began snarling and fanned out to surround us. They kept getting closer and Brandon and I waved our hiking poles and threw warning shot rocks. Eventually Brandon connected with a rock to the face and they left us alone. My heart was racing for about an hour afterwards.

The next bit of us getting lost was far more pleasant as we stumbled upon the Bedouin village of Djirat, receiving lemonade from a kind woman and an impromptu tour of caves used by hermits over 200 years ago. According to the tour, Djirat was an important stopover for Abraham on his journey from Hebron to Beer Sheva on his way to Egypt. Today they offer Bedouin feasts and tours. The man kindly gave us some za'atar (a spice like oregano) and sent us in the right direction.

Our stop for the night was Meitar Forest, where we slept on a beautiful ridge with a great view of the sunset.

-Jeremy

Day 21: Kibbutz Lahav to Meitar (forward to Arad for Shabbat)

2008-05-01T04:03:00.000-07:00

Our good friend Yochanan from Aish HaTorah joined us today on the trail at Kibbutz Lahav. We found another great trail angel with proper beds and an ample supermarket where Bradley proceeded to actually return a second time to get another chocolate milk drink out of a bag.

Shock! chocolate milk has been one of the offical drinks of All for the Kids. The fact that I tell Bradley constantly that the bottles are the same price as the bags has proved to be no deterrent from his choice of purchase. "It's just more fun to drink it this way," Bradley probably said at some point.

Today was a hilarious comedy of errors from the get-go. No sooner than walking out the gate of the kibbutz did we realize that the trail was the opposite direction. Yonatan spotted a cactus with the sabra fruit emblematic of the Israeli spirit (prickly on the outside, sweet on the inside). Bradley dove into his sabra with unbridled enthusiasm only to get hundreds of hair-thin needles all over his mouth and hands. HILARIOUS.

We made it to Meitar (more on this later) and took a bus forward to Arad for Shabbat, where Brandon had hooked us up with a family he knew from a few months prior.

The six kids and several more guests had us entertained deep into the night and following day with stories and board games. We even got to attend a special "Seduat Moshiach" or "Meal of the Messiah" which is a Chassidic tradition dating from the Baal Shem Tov. Much wine was imbibed and matzah eaten as we sang tradition nigguns (anthems without words) for several hours in the manner of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.

Sinai, the head of the house, explained one niggun that sounded suspiciously like the French national anthem by saying that Napoleon was so enthralled with this hymn that he bought the rights from the Baal Shem Tov himself. Check snopes.com to see if the story is actually true. His story is actually quite special in itself. He moved with his family from Brooklyn about five years ago to Arad, but for the first few weeks his house wasn't ready yet, so they stayed in a Bedouin camp!

-Jeremy

Day 20: Moshav Lakhish to Kibbutz Lahav

2008-05-01T03:41:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to the blog! I missed the two days following Pesach due to the extreme heat and tying up some loose ends in Jerusalem, so Bradley will have to add some thoughts about his time on the trail.

It was great to be back in Jerusalem for Pesach. As mentioned in the previous post, Pesach is one of the three main pilgrimage holidays in Judaism along with Sukkot and Shavuot, so it was amazing to be walking the path into Jerusalem at the same time of year as our ancestors have done for thousands of years.

I had the best prayer service of my life right before at shul Kol Rina in Nachlaot, which is a very inauspiscious location tucked away on a side street in a bombshelter. Every brand and flavor of Jew was present for the davening, making it a truly inclusive and joyous experience.

At around 8 PM I headed over to my friend and fellow ultimate frisbee player Dave's house for the meal, where we proceeded to eat, talk, and laugh until 3 AM. Each person was assigned a part of the Haggadah to read and extrapolate on, and the kids had some great skits for the four questions. The Masons are truly unique in that they eat all organic vegetarian, and the meal was absolutely amazing with charoset, spiced carrots, tabouli, quinoa, garlic spreads, and the piece de resistance: a massive lasagna with matza instead of pasta noodles. Delicious.

Recharged and ready to hit the trail, I proceeded to catch a bus to Kiryat Gat - a medium-sized city near Hebron - and hitchhike three times (including getting a ride from some police officers investigating a forest fire) to Kfar Lakhish where I waiting for Yonatan and Bradley to show up.

We didn't really have a plan on where to sleep for the night, but as fortune would have it a few friends of the original trail angels saw us by the side of the road and gave us a place to stay. We had matza brie, salads, and massive omelets. Did I mention how much I love trail angels?

The walk took us through beautiful sweeping wheat fields and through (yet again) herds of cattle and goats on our way to Kibbutz Lahav.

-Jeremy

P.S. A new karaoke Thai Songkran video is up for that day. Does anyone know how to flip the video in Youtube so it's facing the right way?

Day 17: Kibbutz Tzova to Even Sapir

2008-04-22T15:14:00.001-07:00

Short day, about eight kilometers. Made it back to the big city and immediately wanted to leave due to the massive overcrowding of tourists. It felt good to get a sense of normalcy back in my life again, but by now I have serious trail lust. These first weeks have been beautiful and awe-inspiring, packed with encounters with amazingly warm and friendly people. We hope this acclimatization up north will have been enough for the exciting and potentially dangerous challenge coming up next: the Negev. Till next time.

P.S. Video coming tomorrow hopefully.

-Jeremy

Day 16: Latrun to Kibbutz Tzova

2008-04-22T15:10:00.000-07:00

Dave is cruel to animals. He brought his dog and our favorite mascot Mooky on the trail with him. By the end of yesterday Mooky was staggering around and trying to stop in every shady area he could find. I’ve never seen a dog be so knocked out at the end of a day. The walk today was pretty easy though, mostly downhill through the Burma Road to Jerusalem.

The Burma Road was a makeshift track built by Israeli forces headed by general Mickey Marcus during the 1948 Siege of Jerusalem, inspired by the WWII route into China. In the opening phases of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the Jordanians surrounded and besieged Jerusalem by closing off the main road with artillery fire.

The citizens of Jerusalem were suffering with attempts to resupply and attempts to provide weapons led to failure. The "Burma Road" was a goat trail quickly widened by bulldozer. This unpaved road provided a new way into Jerusalem that was not blocked by the Jordanians. It was completed on the 10th of June 1948 and broke the siege on Jewish military forces and civil population in Jerusalem.

Kibbutz Tzova was a hiker’s dream. The founder of the Kibbutz was an avid hiker and after his death his son dedicated two new sleeping areas solely for hikers doing the Israel Trail. They had a fantastic supermarket and were unbelievably generous. Someone brought us milk, fresh vegetables, and lemon meringue pie in the evening, making my gluttonous food purchasing spree completely unnecessary. The six of us fell asleep that night within about ten seconds of our heads hitting the pillow, very satisfied and ready to hit Jerusalem for Passover.

-Jeremy

Day 15: Mitzpe Modi'in to Latrun

2008-04-22T15:01:00.000-07:00

Following the 1936-1939 Arab revolt in Palestine, the British authorities built a number of police forts of similar design (named Tegart forts after their designer in various locations; Latrun was chosen as such a site due to its strategic significance, particularly its dominant position above the old Tel-Aviv-Jerusalem highway passing immediately below the hill-line. That police fort had an enormous impact on the outcome of the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. As the last British troops departed from Palestine Mandate on May 14, 1948, the fort was occupied by the Transjordanian Arab Legion.

The Legionnaires used the fort to shell Israeli traffic on the highway and thus effectively imposed the Siege of Jerusalem. During early June, a rough alternative route was developed to its south that was nicknamed "Burma Road" after the American and British route into Nationalist China during World War II.

Just 10 days after the declaration of Israel, on May 24, 1948, the fort was assaulted by combined forces of Israel's newly-created 7th Brigade, and a battalion of the Alexandroni Brigade (where Ariel Sharon served as a platoon commander; he was wounded with most of his platoon and later recalled the decision to retreat to a nearby vale as the most crucial tactical decision of his life). The attack (codenamed "Bin-Nun A") failed, with heavy casualties. A week later, on June 1st, the fort withstood yet another attack ("Bin-Nun B"), even though its outer defences were breached.

Many of the Israeli conscripts were recent survivors of the Holocaust and were new immigrants; most were poorly trained. The equipment was also very poor, and artillery support was lacking. The results of the battle were mixed. The official combined number of casualties for both the battles was 139 (an extremely high figure for an assault conducted mainly by two battalions). While the Tel-Aviv Jerusalem highway was not secured, the two Battles of Latrun can be seen as a limited strategic success, since they contained the Arab Legion and allowed the opening of the bypass road, which lifted the siege from Jerusalem.

In the 1949 cease-fire agreement, the fort remained a salient under Jordanian control, which was in turn surrounded by a perimeter of no man's land. Under the cease-fire agreement, Jordan was not to disrupt Israeli travelers using this road; in practice, constant sniper attacks led Israel to build a bypass road around the bulge.

In 1967's Six-Day War, Latrun was captured by Israeli forces, and the main-road to Jerusalem was reopened. The Tegart fort became a museum and a memorial site known as Yad La-Shiryon, which includes a display of over 110 tanks and other armored fighting vehicles (including the Merkava and T-72 tanks), an amphitheatre, an auditorium, a synagogue and a war memorial for fallen soldiers of Israeli Armored corps.

In 1970, an intentional community known as Neve Shalom (Oasis of Peace) was jointly founded by Israeli Arabs and Jews on a hilltop south of the Latrun ridge with the stated goal of engaging in educational work for peace and justice. In 1977, the Israeli settlement of Mevo Horon was built between Latrun and the West Bank proper to secure the Israeli claim to the region. Because of Latrun's strategic location above the most traveled highway in Israel, there is overwhelming consensus in Israel that the Latrun Salient won't be relinquished as part of any settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Today's hike was nice because we got some fresh blood on the trail with us in Ari and Dave, two guys who study at Yeshiva Aish HaTorah. Conversation can get a bit stale with the same people for days on end, so I think their presence really invigorated all of us. You may remember Dave as “The Tour Guide”, but unfortunately this internet is really really slow and we’ve only been able to get the video of Tel Dan up on the site. The best thing about him joining the crew was the delicious
cardamom coffee blend he brought with him. Hits the spot.

-Jeremy

Day 14: Kfar Serkin to Mitzpe Modi'in

2008-04-22T15:00:00.001-07:00

Not much of note today, aside from Neot Kedumim. We had a trail angel there but it was about 3k off of the trail so we didn’t much feel like making the trek. Our trail angel, however, wouldn’t take no for an answer, exclaiming “But, but we have showers! You must come!”

So yeah, he picked us up and took us to a totally hidden but inspiring camping area. Neot Kedumim is a man-made nature reserve that showcases the environments that existed in biblical times. They have themed walking paths that highlight passages from the Torah, Mishna, and Gemara alongside diverse plant and animal life. They run lots of sleep-away camps and survival courses for children, and we were able to have some great conversations and guitar fire-circle jam sessions with the counsellors after the kids went to sleep. Several of them are getting a break from the army soon and might be joining us for part of the Negev Desert.

-Jeremy

Day 13: Herziliya to Kfar Serkin

2008-04-22T14:58:00.000-07:00

We bussed it ahead to Herziliya (after having already done the Netanya section with the Forgotten People Fund) and slept on the beach, which was refreshing and beautiful (save the sand lice that made my forehead look diseased). There’s nothing like a morning dip in the Mediterrean Sea to make someone not want to have to walk 25kilometers that day.

And well, we didn’t.

Brandon had a terrible case of nausea and had to drop out almost immediately and Bradley had a nasty case of food poisoning, even collapsing on the beach as he tried to make it to the water. He took some medicine and had a nap for about two hours before declaring himself ready and able to go. We got about 6k in when he casually exclaimed “One second, guys” and proceeded to throw up all over himself and the road. Food poisoning and dehydration are a pretty bad combination, so we had to throw in the towel and get a ride to our next destination and best trail angel yet in Kfar Serkin near Petah Tikva. The grandfather of the man we stayed with founded the town in 1934, and his grandson had the best hospitality of anyone we’ve met thus far. They had warm showers, drove us to the store, and even cooked us dinner and breakfast.

I took a few chocolate chip cookies for the road as we headed for Mitzpe Modi’in and our next camping spot.

-Jeremy

Day 12: Givat Olga to Zichron Yaakov

2008-04-22T14:11:00.000-07:00

I have never seen Bradley so happy in my entire nine months as his roommate. And that’s really saying something, because this man has more energy and passion than anyone I’ve met. Yesterday we finished at Zichron Yaakov junction, racing against the clock to catch a bus down the coast to Givat Olga for Shabbat. Much to our delight and surprise, the very first bus that passed us went directly there.

The Shabbat we had was truly something special, and was a testament to the generosity and kindness of Torah-observant Judaism. Bradley phoned his Rabbi in Tzvat to try and secure a spot for us at a Shabbat table, but on such short notice it proved difficult. This Rabbi in Givat Olga had six children and two friends already at his table and accepted without hesitation and with open arms four sweaty, tired hikers wearing mismatched clothing. He found us a few beds at a nearby yeshiva that was on break and gave us wonderful food and conversation. Bradley was absolutely beside himself with joy the entire time, singing songs and playing with the children the whole evening. It was a very small community of mostly Chabadniks, and Bradley found a way to almost immediately integrate himself with all the lively characters.

After a relaxing Shabbat and a nice dip in the Mediterranean Sea we decided for logistical reasons to hike backwards up the coast from Givat Olga through Caesarea to the junction we finished at the previous day.

We were running a bit low on water and worried we wouldn’t find any later on in the day, so Yonatan and I stopped in a tent of Thai migrant workers taking a break from picking bananas.

But we were a bit confused. Why were they drinking vodka and singing karaoke at one in the afternoon? Why were they watching porn broadcast simultaneously on two screens with surround sound? AHA! It must be Songkran, the massive three-day party celebrating the Thai new year!

Thai workers in Israel are not treated all that well, with middle-men extorting a lot of money that should be going into their pockets. These people come to Israel thinking they will make it rich and not have to work when they go home. It’s incredibly sad that many of these guys have a wife and family back home that they won’t see for 3-5 years. Thankfully new legislation was just passed that will attempt to correct some of these injustices.

Surprisingly enough, Bradley actually speaks fluent Thai, and was able to translate the dialogue for us. They put baby powder on our faces and splashed water around while we sang traditional Thai pop hits. And of course there’s nothing like taking vodka shots at 1 PM on a hot day to get the ol’ legs-a-pumpin’. They gave us gifts of bananas and beer and we left satisfied with the celebration and comfort we could give to these guys on what should be the happiest few days of their year.

-Jeremy

Day 11: Ein Hod to Zichron Yaakov

2008-04-22T13:34:00.000-07:00

I forgot to mention in yesterday’s post about Ein Hod that the neighbouring village of Ein Khud is home to pretty much the most amazing restaurant I’ve ever eaten in. My Israeli cousins had heard about this place via word of mouth. The town itself was hard enough to find because there weren’t any signs leading to it and the road had never been paved. Apparently the family that owns the restaurant does no advertising at all and the mother simply cooks whenever and whatever she feels like that day. My family and I were treated to a staggering array of 20 dishes consisting of numerous salads, stews, dips, chicken, lamb, beef, baklava, tamarind drink, and Turkish coffee. All this was only 90 shekels per person, which is about 25 dollars American.

What’s most incredible about this town is that the entire populace is descended from one man (and I assume several women) who refused to relocate to Haifa after the 1948 War of Independence. The Israeli government has been trying to get the people to leave the town since then, and only in the last few years have they even been put on the electrical grid. Anyway, just another amazing story in a country filled with them.

Today’s hike took us past the sculpture of a naked woman and man in a sardine can, out of Ein Hod (thank God), and through the Carmel Forest to Zichron Yaakov. The Carmel range is approximately 6.5 to 8 km (4 to 5 miles) wide, sloping gradually towards the southwest, but forming a steep ridge on the northeastern face 525.4 meters high. The Jezreel Valley lies to the immediate northeast. The range forms a natural barrier in the landscape, just as the Jezreel Valley forms a natural passageway, and consequently the mountain range and the valley has had a large impact on migration and invasions through the Levant over time.

In mainstream Jewish, Christian, and Islamic thought, it is Elijah that is indelibly associated with Mt. Carmel, and he is regarded as having sometimes resided in a grotto on the mountain. In the Books of Kings, Elijah is described as challenging 450prophets of a particular Baal to a contest at the altar on Mount Carmel to determine whose deity was genuinely in control of the Kingdom of Israel. According to the biblical account, the challenge was to persuade a deity to light a sacrifice by fire, and after the others had failed to achieve this, Elijah poured water on his sacrifice, prostrated himself in prayer, and the fire fell from the sky, consuming the sacrifice; shortly afterwards, in the account, clouds gather, the sky turns black, and it rains heavily.

Finally, in this hike Yonatan proved himself to be a beast.

He’s been traveling the world for the last five years and sleeping outside for the majority of the last three years. He’s what we might call a minimalist, taking care to shed any excess weight in his pack that carries all of his possessions. While I’m generally a fan of moderation when it comes to material goods, Yonatan has really showed me how much I actually don’t need to survive and generally be happy. All I need is some brown organic tahini with garlic and ginger. It’s a valuable lesson.

-Jeremy

Day 10: Kibbutz Yagur to Ein Hod

2008-04-22T07:55:00.000-07:00

Mount Carmel is a coastal mountain range in northern Israel and the West Bank, stretching from the Mediterranean Sea towards the southeast. Its name literally means plantation of high quality trees, roughly equivalent to the garden, in reference to the richly fertile character of the hillside. The range was traditionally known as the vineyards of God, and archaeologists have discovered ancient wine and oil presses at various locations within it. The range is a UNESCO biosphere reserve and a number of towns are located upon it, most notably is the city of Haifa which is Israel's third largest city and is located on the northern slopes.

After passing a few memorials and monuments for Israel's War of Attrition of the late 60s and early 70s, found our way to the artist's colony of Ein Hod and the inviting cabin of Shmueli Hed, our next trail angel. It turned out we got there on the right night because there was a huge party going on at the Dada museum.

Plenty of wine was flowing as Israel's biggest collection of total freaks were on display wearing jester outfits, purple face paint, mullets, cross-dressing, and everything else. Bradley was shocked and horrified but I was just relieved to have a bit of libation to make the pain of the day dissipate. Today was also memorable because we picked up Yonatan, our resident expert hiker.

Ein Hod is a village south of Mount Carmel and southeast of Haifa in northern Israel. It is situated on a hillside amidst olive groves, with a view of the Mediterranean Sea and a twelfth-century Crusader fortress.

Before the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Ein Hod was the site of the Arab village of Ein Hawd. Most of the Arab inhabitants were displaced as a result of the war but some remained in the area and settled nearby. In 1953, Ein Hod became an artists' colony that has remained active until today.

The 700-900 Arab residents of Ein Hawd fled the village before the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, many of them settling in the Jenin refugee camp. A group of 35, members of the Abu al-Hija family, refused to leave. They established a new village, also called Ein Hawd, a little way up the hill. Attempts to dislodge them did not succeed, and they were eventually granted Israeli citizenship. Initially, the new village was not recognized, but in 1988 it joined the Association of Unrecognized Arab Villages in Israel and was recognized by the state in 1992. In 2005, Ein Hawd achieved full recognition, including connection to the Israeli electric grid.

Ein Hod became an artists' colony in 1953. The driving spirit behind the project was Marcel Janco, an acclaimed Dada artist, who kept the village from being demolished by the security forces and convinced the government to let him build an artists' colony there. Janco, born in Bucharest, Romania, was one of the founders of the Dada movement, established in 1916 at Cabaret Voltaire in Zurich, Switzerland, by a group of exiled poets, painters and philosophers who were opposed to war, aggression and the changing world culture. In 1922, Janco returned to Romania, where he gained fame as a painter and architect. In 1941, fleeing the Nazis, he moved to Palestine, and was one of the founders of the New Horizons Group (1948). He was awarded the Israel Prize in 1967. The Janco-Dada Museum, which opened in 1983, features Janco's work and explores the history of the Dada movement.

Ein Hod is now a communal settlement of 150 residents run by an elected administrative committee. Many Israeli painters, sculptors and musicians live there, and maintain studios and galleries that are open to the public.

-Jeremy

Day 9: Yehuda HaNasi's Grave to Kibbutz Yagur

2008-04-22T07:10:00.000-07:00

So I haven't quite written about the Trail Angels yet. Which is too bad, because these people are the most incredible part of doing the Israel National Trail. On the website of the Society for Protection of Nature in Israel is a list of 100-odd people who volunteer their services to hikers along the way. They offer accomodations (which varies from a spot of grass in their backyard to an entire guest house) including food, water, showers, and anything else we might need to refuel for the next day.

Too often you hear of Israelis that are fed up with the country for various reasons and question why someone with an American passport would willingly want to stay in Israel. Last year someone said to me "You know, the clubs and beaches are much better in South America, you should go there instead." Israel to me is about identity, about history, and about the proud Jewish people that have rebuilt this land about 2000 years of exile. That's why it's so great when these trail angels say how happy they are that foreigners are doing the Shvil. They love this country, despite it's difficulties, and would never dream of living elsewhere.

After the army many soldiers will head to southeast asia to go hiking and backpacking, while virtually none of them will explore the beauty right in their own backyard. It's a shame.

Tonight we stayed with our three Israeli friends that we met at the grave of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai at Kibbutz Yagur, directly underneath Mount Carmel near Haifa. A girl was working in Tel Aviv and gave up her empty apartment to anyone that's walking the trail. We had some delicious pizza and conked out early, eager to scale the mountain in the morning.

Yagur (יגור) is a kibbutz located on the slopes of Mount Carmel, about 9 km southeast of Haifa. It is one of the two largest kibbutzim (plural for kibbutz) in Israel. Its name is derived from a Palestinian village called "Yajur" nearby. There is a site with a similar name (Jagur) mentioned in the Book of Joshua 15:21, however that ancient town was located in territory belonging to the Tribe of Judah, far to the south.

Yagur was founded in 1922 by a settlement group called Achva. At first, the members worked drying up the swamps surrounding the Kishon River and preparing the land for permanent settlement.There were already some Palestinian villages in the area, one,called "Karaman", is still there today . They then established the various agricultural divisions, and the kibbutz began to grow. The economy is now based on diversified agriculture and industry.

During the British Mandate of Palestine, Yagur was an important center for the Haganah. On "Black Saturday" (29 June 1946), after receiving a tip from informants, the British army conducted a major raid on the kibbutz and located a major arms depot that was hidden there. The weapons were confiscated, and many members of the kibbutz were arrested.

-Jeremy

Day 8: Har Tabor to Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi's Grave or Yes We're Still Alive

2008-04-22T04:39:00.000-07:00

Hello avid blog readers (my mom and Bradley's mom),

We're quite sorry about the dry spot in blogging lately. It turns out that it's really hard to find internet access in the middle of the forest. Fortunately I have a few hours here in Jerusalem for Pesach to get the ball rolling again.

Day 8 consisted of three mountains in a row: Tabor, Yehuda, and Yonah. The good/bad thing about the Israel Trail is that often there are extensive detours off of main paths/roads that show you beautiful sights of interest. Har Tabor could've been a nice short switchbacked climb up for around two hours. Instead, they took us literally straight up and down the mountain in an hour and fifteen minutes. I was really really hurting by the end of this climb, which was made worse by the fact that it was right at the beginning of the day.

The good news was it was absolutely stunning once we finished.

The mountain is mentioned for the first time in the Bible, in Joshua 19:22, as border of three tribes: Zebulun, Issachar and Naphtali. The mountain's importance stems from its strategic control of the junction of the Galilee's north-south route with the east-west highway of the Jezreel Valley. Deborah the prophetess summoned Barak of the tribe of Naphtali. "Go and to mountain of Tabor and take with you ten thousand men of the Naphtali and Zebulun tribes". From the peaks of the mountain, the Israelites attacked and vanquished Sisera and the Canaanites.

In the days of Second Temple, Mount Tabor was one of the mountain peaks on which it was the customed to light beacons in order to inform the northern villages of holidays and of beginnings of new months. In 66 AD during the First Jewish-Roman War, the Galilean Jews retrenched on the mountain under the command of Josephus Flavius, whence they defended against the Roman assault.

According to Christian tradition, Mount Tabor is the site of the Transfiguration of Christ, during which Jesus began to radiate light and was seen conversing with Moses and Elijah. The scene is in the Synoptic Gospels, as well as alluded to in 2 Peter, but neither account identifies the "high mountain" of the scene by name. The earliest identification of the Mount of Transfiguration as Tabor is by Origen in the 3rd century. It is also mentioned by St. Cyril of Jerusalem and St. Jerome in the 4th century.[1] It is later mentioned in the in the 5th century Transitus Beatae Mariae Virginis.

In 1101, when Crusaders controlled the area, the Benedictine monks rebuilt a ruined basilica and erected a fortified abbey.[2]

Currently, on the mountaintop there are two Christian monasteries. In 1924, an impressive Roman Catholic church of the Franciscan order was built on the peak of Mount Tabor, Church of the Transfiguration. The church was built upon the ruins of a Byzantine church from the fifth or sixth century and a Crusader church from the 12th century. The monastery's friars have lived near the church since the Ottoman control in 1873.

We ended up sleeping just outside of the modern city of Tzippori, at the grave of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, who redacted and compiled the Mishna over 1500 years ago.

-Jeremy

Day 7: Netanya and the Forgotten People Fund

2008-04-07T04:56:00.000-07:00

Today we met Anne Silverman, chairman of Forgotten People Fund in Netanya, dedicated to helping the Ethiopian Jewish community meet their basic needs.

FPF provides food vouchers for use at their local supermarket to insure that there is enough food in the house for the children to eat. FPF pays utility bills (water, gas, electricity) and city taxes to help the families through their difficult times. FPF pays school fees and provides scholarships for middle and high school students and college and university students, and sends technicians to repair electrical, plumbing and appliance breakdowns as the Ethiopian families’ budgets don’t allow for such emergencies.

FPF is an organization of volunteers. They have no office, no paid workers and no overhead! They operate out of their own apartments and thus are able to keep expenses to 1.5% of income from contributions. This means that 98.5% of the proceeds from donations go directly to their needy families. More important – FPF is a friend that the Ethiopian families can depend on. Having been disappointed so often by the bureaucracy of the social welfare system, they find FPF is a beacon of light in their darkest moments.

To help them with their absorption, FPF has launched a series of Nutrition Courses where the women are taught how to prepare healthy yet economical meals for their families, how to shop at the supermarket and downtown open market for the best value, and how important the combination of the food groups is for the nutrition of their children. FPF also distributes children’s multiple vitamins (kosher) which we receive from the USA and vitamin drops for babies (6 mos. – 3 years) to help ensure healthy teeth and bones during growth spurts.

We temporarily fast forwarded our walk today from Mt. Tabor and met them on the beach this morning, along with about 30 volunteers, to walk 10 km of the Shvil Yisrael as a fundraiser. I'm happy to report it was a smashing success! Many of the volunteers were American, British, and Canadian immigrants to Israel looking to help the poorest members of their community.

Anne made a good point today about the Jewish concept of Tikkun Olam, or "healing the world". Frequently we hear about the overwhelming number of Christian and secular NGOs that help the poorest of Third World countries, but rarely if ever do we hear about Jewish charities helping poor Jews. The world seems to assume that the poor Jew these days is a myth, when in reality even in Israel there is crushing poverty many places in the country.

The Jewish approach to charity is always to act locally first. Thus, a Jew is supposed to take care of his immediate family, then his village, his city, and so on in degrees of closeness. The best way for the Jewish nation to fulfill its goal of healing the world is to be unified as a people, and that means taking care of those Jews who are suffering right in front of us.

The world taking notice of how much we care for our own will do more to further this cause than any amount of propaganda could ever do, and only then can we truly be a light unto the nations.

-Jeremy

Day 5: Ginosar to Ein Porea

2008-04-05T16:08:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, I've been studying at Yeshivat Aish HaTorah in Jerusalem for the past 10 months along with Bradley. One of the classes I have during the day is called Intro to Gemara. The Gemara is the explanation, argumentation, and elucidation of the Mishna, which is the Oral Torah derived from the written text of what many (non-Jews) would call the Old Testament. The first books of the Gemara deals with blessings, or brachot.

In one of the Mishnas it says that the only blessing that takes precedence over the blessing for bread when having a meal is for something really really salty. When, the Gemara asks, would someone eat something so unbelievably salty? Only when eating something so sweet that one would have to heavily counterbalance the flavors. The Gemara then goes on to explain how the only thing that could be that sweet is the fruit of Ginosar, telling of Rabbis who would eat 10,000 fruits without gaining an ounce, or of flies dripping off of the sweet oil on their foreheads.

Anyway, that's where we started.

After the rough day we had yesterday, the walk today was the perfect recipe. We walked all the way to the top of Tiberias from sea level and through the Swiss Forest.

Just an unbelievably quiet, peaceful, and beautiful walk winding down to the beach resort of Ein Porea where we headed back by bus to Tzfat to celebrate Shabbat.

Shavua Tov to all of you and here's hoping that the next week is as exciting as the first one.

-Jeremy

Day 4: Shimon bar Yochai to Ginosar and the Sea!

2008-04-05T15:46:00.000-07:00

It feels so good to say that after four days we made it to the shores of the Kinneret. Today was an absolute scorcher that saw Brandon succumb halfway to dehydration and head back to Jerusalem at the first road crossing. We basically sprinted the first two hours of the trail today to get ahead of the schoolchildren going in the same direction. The terrain became very difficult as we had to scramble up from the bottom of the riverbed of Wadi Amud to the ridge above. Bradley made the trip easier by telling me harrowing adventures of people nearly dying on cliffs such as these.

We met a beast of a Dutchman named Metzger around halfway through who "grew up on the Bible" and was very fascinated with the State of Israel's redemption after the Holocaust. He told us he was hiking 40 km a day on the Shvil and this was his 11th time visiting Israel after working on a kibbutz in 1974. He also has the quote of the trip so far. When asked whether he had been on adventures such as this one before he replied: "I like walking. I do it often."

The rock formations and cliffs were amazing though, with the sign telling us that this wadi was home to prehistoric man and structures and strata all the way up to present times.

Today was incredibly hot though. In what was surely a preview of the Negev, we had to stop for an hour in the shade to escape the heat due to general woozyness.

But oh my how the payoff was worth it. We broke off from the main trail to wind to the Sea of Galilee at Ginosar, through banana plantations and wheat fields.

And finally, success!

-Jeremy

P.S. All pictures should be up on my facebook account soon but I think I'll open a flickr one as well for those who don't like creepy social networking sites.

Day 3: Bar-Am Forest to the Grave of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai

2008-04-05T15:36:00.000-07:00

Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai lived in the era of the Tannaim (scholars of the Mishnah) in the area of what is today Israel during the Roman period, after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE. He was one of the most eminent disciples of Rabbi Akiva (spiritual leader of the Bar Kochba revolt), and is mainly associated with the authorship of the Zohar, the principal text of Jewish mysticism. Legend has it that when he died his soul ascended to heaven in a great pillar of fire. On the anniversary of his death, hundreds of thousands of Jews ascend upon his gravesite in Mt. Meron and light massive bonfires to commemorate this experience. It is also a custom dating from the time of Rabbi Isaac Luria for Jewish parents to bring their three-year-old sons here for their first haircuts.

And so this was our destination for the day, giving us our first major landmark to look forward to. We had the most amount of traffic today, running into school group after school group doing field trips and day hikes.

Bradley loves to entertain kids by singing crazy Chassidic songs and dancing in the middle of the trail. It was very hilly today, but seeing Shimon bar Yochai’s grave in the distance gave us a new breath of fresh air.

Finally we made it to the grave, grabbing some ice cream and davening mincha. Matthew bade us farewell and we staked out a prime camping spot. There were hundreds of teenagers camping in the same area, while they were on a three month jewish history tour of Israel from the D.C and Atlanta areas of the US. Thankfully they had some food left over for us, and after a hilarious miscommunication of intentions where the staff thought Bradley (a 30 year old man with a beard) was really trying to pose as an American teenager, we settled in for the night, singing songs and lighting a decent fire.

-Jeremy

Day 2: Moshav Yiftach to Bar-Am Forest

2008-04-05T15:05:00.000-07:00

After a much needed night of sleep and a morning of heavily taped feet, we set off for our next destination, the Bar-Am Forest.

Today was absolutely stunning, as the trail wound through forests and bunkers left over from the 1948 War of Independence.

We hit the Naftali Ridge today, south of Kiryat Shmona, and the Metzudat Coach memorial at the UN compound in the Upper Galilee.

Bradley managed once again to find us a place to stay as we found a kibbutz worker who secured us (what looked like) a transient crack den to sleep for the evening. Promises of an open pub night proved to be unfounded because kibbutz outsiders were not allowed. Kibbutz Bar-Am is one of the few remaining "old school" kibbutzim around Israel. How? Nobody actually has any money of their own here. Socialism, it's fantastic!

-Jeremy

Interview with Matthew

2008-04-05T15:01:00.000-07:00

Matthew had pretty much every gadget and food item known to man. He gave us some great advice for the days ahead.

-Jeremy

Day 1: Tel Dan to Moshav Yiftach

2008-04-05T13:46:00.000-07:00

Our 1000 km journey started off in Tel Dan. We agreed to do the walk from north to south for several reasons:

1: Elevation. The overall elevation from Tel Dan to Eilat would drop off considerably. Staring up from Eilat into the Negev Desert on Day 1 was not such an appealing prospect.

2: Acclimitization. Mistakes are much easier to correct up north where there is a much higher concentration of kibbutzim, moshavim, scattered cities, and places to buy food and get water. If we miscalculated distance or places to stay we could adjust on the fly, whereas in the Negev there are many spots where there is simply no way to get water in or out from the trail.

And screw up we did.

The day started innocently enough with Brandon being interviewed live for Channel 2 News.

We met a fellow Shvil hiker named Matthew (from Lynwood, Washington, about 30 minutes from my hometown) and managed to get a short interview with him at the start. He proved to be quite an amazing addition to our team for the first two days as Brandon was struggling a bit to keep up with the group. He regaled us with great stories of his hiking adventures around the world.

In the first two hours we seemingly came up against every obstacle all at once. First, we had to navigate through a herd of bulls scattered across our path.

Next we hit a rainstorm and a large stream with hidden barbed wire across the path that almost ended our trip before it started.

Soon we hit our first moshav along the way as for the first we could see the city of Kiryat Shmona in the distance. The trail markings were a bit spotty and we ended up on the wrong side of a rather large security fence. Matthew, being eagle-eyed, spotted a way under the fence.

The next few hours were fantastic as we ascended the hills overlooking Kiryat Shmona and had lunch at the Kfar Giladi memorial cemetary.

We had planned on stopping at Mishkenot HaRoim for the night to camp, but we completely miscalculated how much time we had left, along with the mistake of leaving our camping gear in the support car. By this time we had hit a massive driving rainstorm and doubts were creeping into our head about whether we'd be able to make it to a road crossing before nightfall.

Thankfully though, we managed to hit a road crossing just after nightfall and we made our way up the road another kilometer to Moshav Yiftach where we were invited to stay in the gym and use their locker room showers. In the morning we were treated to cake and tea by the staff. Relieved to have survived Day 1, we knew the planning could only get better from here.

-Jeremy

Ask David the tour guide

2008-04-01T00:44:00.000-07:00

Day 1 in Tel Dan

P.S. I know updates have been slow so far. We're dealing with some language barrier issues from our support team. Expect a ton of new videos up in the next two days.

-Jeremy

Bradley in Tiberias

2008-03-30T13:18:00.000-07:00

Aish.com features Bradley this week

2008-03-30T12:11:00.000-07:00

Bradley Cohen, 30, has ascended the Nepalese Himalayas, camped in the dangerous wilderness of the Chinese Northern Korean border, and weathered summer typhoons during his hike across a Japanese island. But today he climbs the peaks of an even more arduous, unmapped terrain -- seeking his own Jewish identity in the heart of the Old City of Jerusalem...

Read more at http://www.aish.com/spirituality/odysseys/All_for_the_Kids1.asp

The Night Before

2008-03-30T10:38:00.000-07:00

A brief update on our status before the hike. Includes a beautiful view from atop Tzfat.

Antiquity and Middle Ages

Safed is not mentioned in the Bible. The Canaanite city of Zephath (Judges 1:17) is located in southern, rather than northern, Israel. There is a legend that Safed was founded by a son of Noah after the great flood. Safed is sometimes identified with Sepph, a fortified Jewish town in the Upper Galilee mentioned in the writings of the Roman Jewish historian Josephus (Wars 2:573). It was mentioned in the Jerusalem Talmud as one of five elevated spots where fires were lit to announce the New Moon and festivals during the period of the Second Temple. [2]

In 1289, it is said that the chief rabbi of Safed, Moses ben Judah ha-Cohen, went to Tiberias to pay homage to Rambam.

In the early 16th century, the Ottoman Empire under Selim I conquered Palestine. Under the Ottomans, Safed was part of the vilayet of Sidon.

In 1491, mention is made that the rabbi in the town had to supplement his income through a grocery market. After the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492, many prominent rabbis found their way to Safed, which became the key center for Jewish mysticism, known as Kabbalah. Among the prominent kabbalists who made their home in Safed were Isaac Luria (Arizal) and Moshe Kordovero. Besides the kabbalists, Safed also attracted numerous other Jewish scholars and spirtualists, including Joseph Caro, the author of the Shulchan Aruch and Shlomo Halevi Alkabetz, composer of the Sabbath hymn Lecha Dodi. The influx of Sephardi Jews made Safed a global center for Jewish learning and a regional center for trade throughout 15th and 16th centuries.

A Hebrew printing press is established in Safed in 1577 by Eliezer Ashkenazi and his son, Isaac of Prague. [3] It was the first press in Palestine and the whole of the Ottoman Empire.[4] It was also the first printing press of any kind in Asia.

The 8,000 or 10,000 Jews in Safed in 1555 grew to 20,000 or 30,000 by the end of the century

Modern era

Prior to 1948, about 10,000 of Safed's 12,000 residents were Arabs,[5] most of whom left in 1948. Among the residents who became refugees are Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and his family.[6][7]

In 1974, 102 teenagers from Safed on a school trip were taken hostage by Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine while sleeping in a school in Maalot. Twenty-one of the hostages were killed.

Day 1: Tel Dan

2008-03-29T22:02:00.001-07:00

Before we start the walk on Monday, here's a little Wikipedia info on our first day. Video of the site to come soon:

Tel Dan ("Mound of Dan" תל דן in Hebrew) is an archaeological site in Israel in the upper Galilee next to the Golan Heights. The site is quite securely identified with the Biblical city of Dan, the northernmost city in the Kingdom of Israel, which the Book of Judges states was known as Laish prior to its conquest by the Tribe of Dan. Due to its location close to the border with Lebanon and at the far north of the territory which fell under the British Mandate of Palestine, Tel Dan has had a long and often bitterly contested modern history, most recently during the 1967 Six-Day War.

Finds at the site date back to the Neolithic era c4500 BCE; from the remains found, which include 0.8m wide walls, and pottery shards, it appears that the site was occupied in Neolithic times for several centuries before being abandoned for up to about 1000 years.

Within the remains of the city wall, close to the entrance of the outer gate, was found a fragment which seemingly was originally from a stele. This basalt fragment, the Tel Dan Stele, contains an Aramaic inscription, referring to one of the Aramaean kings of Damascus; most scholars believe that the king it refers to is Hazael (c 840BCE), though a minority argue that it instead refers to Ben-Hadad (c 802 BCE). Very little of the inscription remains, but the text appears to contain the letters 'ביתד וד' (BETD WD; the "WD" is at a slight angle, with a sizable gap from the "BETD"), which most archaeologists agree refers to House of David (Beth David in Hebrew; Hebrew script from the era is vowel-less), which would make the inscription the first time that the name David has been found in any archaeological site dating before 500BC.

-Jeremy

Moment of Truth

2008-03-29T12:20:00.000-07:00

So this is it. It's the night before and Bradley and I are putting the finishing touches on packing and making final arrangements with the support driver. It's been a marathon for Bradley but more like a sprint for me having come on board only about a month ago.

With everyone's support we've been able to raise about $6000 so far which is definitely an excellent start. As we continue the walk I'm sure things will pick up even more, what with all of the pictures and videos we'll be jamming this thing with over the next 40 days.

On a personal note, this walk will be the culmination of a tremendous spiritual journey that I've undertaken over the last 9 months. My yeshiva, Aish HaTorah, has armed me with the tools necessary to live a truly fulfilling life, and for that I'm most certainly grateful. The quiet solitude of the trail will hopefully give me the chance to reflect on the direction my life is heading in the near future. This experience in the Old City of Jerusalem has included devastating lows, but it's in these moments of pain that I've been able to grow the most as a Jew and as a human being.

With that, we're off to raise some money, walk the same land our ancestors did thousands of years ago, forge friendships, and experience Judaism in a totally new way.

Shelachem B'Ahava,
Jeremy

In the Newspaper Again!

2008-03-29T11:59:00.000-07:00

This time Bradley has been labeled a missionary in an issue of North London News. Who knew we were converting people along the way?

We're in Haaretz!

2008-03-18T06:23:00.000-07:00

-Jeremy

All for the Kids in PresenTense Magazine

2008-03-16T01:21:00.000-07:00

http://www.presentensemagazine.org/mag/?page_id=238

-Jeremy

"Spotlight On" the Ethiopian Jewish Community in Israel

2008-03-09T06:06:00.000-07:00

Today we're bringing you some more information about the Israeli Ethiopian Jewish community we're raising money for, as well as some of their hardships and challenges. From www.fpf.org.il

Who are the Ethiopian Jews?

The Ethiopian Jews were discovered by Prof. Joseph Halevi in 1877. Prof. Halevi had heard about the "Falasha" (which means stranger), as the Ethiopian Jews were called, from manuscripts and first hand reports of men who had traveled in Ethiopia and met these Ethiopians who practiced the religion of the Jews. Because they were considered "falasha" (strangers) by other Ethiopians (Christian and Moslem), the Ethiopian Jews moved into the north of Ethiopia in the area around Lake Tana and the Simien Mountains - the area now known as Gondar Province - so that they could live in peace and practice their religion without persecution. Halevi lived with the Ethiopian Jews for a year and was most impress- ed with the way in which they observed the holidays - Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, and especially Passover, when the women destroyed all the dishes and pottery they had used all year and made new dishes and cooking pots from clay for the coming year. He also learned about the Ethiopian Jewish day of mourning called the "Sigd" which took place 50 days after Yom Kippur (like a second Yom Kippur). All the villagers would gather together at the highest point in the mountain around them and pray all day for G-d to bring them to Zion. For the Beta Israel, as the Ethiopian Jews are known, Zion was Jerusalem.

Halevi's student, Yankel Faitlovitch, followed in the footsteps of his teacher, and went to live among the Black Jews of Abyssinia (as Ethiopia was called then). He trained the young Ethiopian Jews to become teachers and leaders. One of his students, Yona Bogale, eventually became the leader of the Ethiopian Jewish community, and Yona and his family were among the Beta Israel who arrived in Israel during "Operation Moses". He died in 1987, much disappointed that so many Ethiopian Jews had been left behind and were suffering in Ethiopia.

How has the life of the Ethiopian Jews changed in Israel?

For many of the Ethiopian Jews, the absorption process has been very difficult. The hardest hit by the move to Israel are the elders of the community. Most of these seniors never learned to read or write in Ethiopia as they had been farmers who lived off the land with their families. Learning Hebrew, adjusting to life in a small, crowded apartment in the city where there is no way for them to work as farmers - the only life they knew - and just living among so many white people have been almost impossible hurdles for them to overcome. The young children go to school, speak Hebrew among themselves and Amharic (the Ethiopian language) only to their parents and grandparents, and consider themselves Israeli.

For those who arrived as teenagers or in their 20's, the transition was extremely difficult. Many had not had high school education, so it was decided by the Israeli government that these young people would be sent to boarding schools to accelerate the learning process. Unfortunately, the Minister of Education at that time was from one of Israel's religious parties, and he decided that these young people had to go to religious (parochial) boarding school, where the emphasis is on religious instruction and not on academic subjects. As a result, many of the high school graduates at that time were not properly prepared for college or university, many students dropped out or opted not to matriculate, nor had they received proper job training to make them employable.

Today, 10 years down the line, the situation is improving. Ethiopian high school students no longer have to go to boarding schools nor do they have to attend religious schools. More students are attending colleges and universities. Last June, the first Ethiopian doctor graduated from the Hebrew University, and the first Ethiopian female social worker graduated from Tel Aviv University. Two Ethiopian lawyers graduated from Haifa University and several Ethiopian teachers graduated from the Teacher's Seminary in Tivon and the Schools of Education at Haifa University and Bar Ilan University. Progress is being made, but it is slow as these students all have to depend on scholarships since their families can't afford to pay for their children's education. 90% of the Ethiopian families in Israel live below the poverty line, so it is a daily struggle for them to make ends meet.

What can Israelis learn from the Ethiopian community?

The most important lesson that the Ethiopian community can teach Israelis is tolerance. While there was euphoria in the country when the Ethiopians were first rescued and brought to Israel, the fact that the Ethiopians have had to take jobs as blue collar workers and menial laborers has led to them being considered low class by many Israelis. They suffer from discrimination because they are black and poorly educated. But Ethiopian families are close knit, and the whole Ethiopian community responds as it did in Ethiopia when one of their members dies or gets married. They still celebrate their "Sigd" by going to Jerusalem and holding their fast day in the hope that those Ethiopian Jews who are still waiting in Ethiopia to come and join their families in Israel. In spite of all their problems, they are optimistic that life for them and their children will improve. They are fiercely loyal to Israel and extremely proud of their sons who have served and died in the Israeli army.

Shooting in J'lem

2008-03-06T12:50:00.000-08:00

Sad news here in Jerusalem. Eight yeshiva students were murdered here tonight and many more wounded at Yeshiva Mercaz HaRav. Please keep these kids in your prayers, and remember that there is in fact a large difference between operations in Gaza aimed at stopping the daily barrage of rockets on 1948 Israeli territory, and walking into a yeshiva study hall to spray bullets at high school kids learning Torah.

-Jeremy

Songtime at Kuunika

2008-03-05T06:35:00.001-08:00

Jerusalem is my Home at Kuunika

2008-03-05T06:09:00.002-08:00

All for the Kids covered in UK's Jewish Chronicle

2008-03-05T03:50:00.001-08:00

Bradley is profiled in Great Britain's largest Jewish newspaper.

http://www.thejc.com/home.aspx?ParentId=m11s18s180&SecId=180&AId=58367&ATypeId=1

-Jeremy

"Spotlight On" Bet HaYeled

2008-03-04T04:23:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the official All For the Kids blog! Over next few days we'll be giving you some deeper insight into the foundations that we're raising money for. Today's "Spotlight On" comes from Yitz Feigenbaum at the Bet HaYeled Merav Children's Group Home (MCGH).

When was the MCGH established?
In the early 1990s, the members of Kibbutz Merav began to consider several options for long-term educational and social programs. By 1994, the decision was finalized to open a family-home for children from distressed backgrounds. In September of 1994, the Merav Children’s Group Home opened its doors.
Where are the children from?
The children of the MCGH (also known in Hebrew as “Bet Hayeled” or “Betaynu”) come from all over Israel. Social service agencies faced with children from dysfunctional or non-supportive families have turned to MCGH, via the Israeli Family court system, and placed children with us.
Where and what is Kibbutz Merav, and what is its relationship to MCGH?
Kibbutz Merav is a religious community in the north of Israel, located on the Gilboa mountain range, about 25 miles south of the Sea of Galilee. Sixty families currently live on Merav, which was founded in the summer of 1982. The children of MCGH are a major priority of the kibbutz. The community has sponsored major funding efforts on their behalf, and has allocated both housing and manpower for the care of these youngsters.
Where do the children live?
The young people of MCGH live in a two-story home on the kibbutz, with rooms that house one or two children each, in separate boys’ and girls’ wings, a dining area, separate meat and milk kitchens, areas for recreation and study, and an apartment for live-in National Service girls.
How old are the MCGH children?
The children currently in the MCGH home are between the ages of 7–18. Most of them have been with the program since its inception in 1994, and have grown up in Merav. The home itself houses 10 children, from grades 1-12.
What happens to the children when they finish high school?
So far all MCGH graduates have served either in the IDF or in the National Service framework. We are currently evaluating options for the return of these young people to Merav after serving their country.
Are the MCGH children religiously observant?
The children come from backgrounds that are at least familiar with the basic framework of traditional Jewish life. In the framework of MCGH, the children all adhere to a religious lifestyle, and learn to respect the observant way of life.
Where do the children go to school?
Most of the children attend the nearby Sdeh Eliyahu religious day school for grades 1–6. Once the children reach junior high, the MCGH program directors work with each child to best match each boy or girl with a suitable secondary school—some continue in Sdeh Eliayu through high school, others attend the yeshiva high school in Beit Shean, or the girls high school in Tiberias.
What types of extra-curricular activities do the MCGH children participate in?
Here, too, the MCGH children integrate with the rest of the Merav youth population. Sports activities, art and music classes, and participation in youth movements, both on and off Merav, are the types of activities the children take part in. The MCGH children also are provided with Bar and Bat Mitzvah preparation, as well as individual celebrations, on the kibbutz.
Do they need tutors?
Tutors are available for the MCGH children both on and off the kibbutz. Over the years, numerous kibbutz residents have served as tutors for the children in such subjects as English, math, and Judaic studies, and when necessary, the children have also been provided external assistance with their schoolwork.
Do they visit their parents?
Most of the children from the group visit their parents on occasion, but this is obviously a very sensitive issue, and must be monitored carefully, as well as legally. Some children’s family members visit them on Merav, while others never see their families at all. Whenever it is possible and safe, we encourage visits between the children and their families.
What is the relationship between the MCGH children and the families and other children on Merav?
All of the MCGH children have “adoptive” families from the Merav community, where they can spend free time. The integration with the children of Merav is all-encompassing—they go to school together, play together, and attend activities together. The open, accepting atmosphere of Merav and its children has been a major reason for the success of the MCGH program.
Are there any plans to expand the program?
The population on Merav is continually expanding, primarily due to the upcoming completion of the first stage of the new neighborhood on the kibbutz. As the Merav community grows, we hope to expand the program, and bring in more needy children to the MCGH framework.
Who oversees and gives accreditation to the MCGH program?
Bet Singer – Kfar Yechezkial Children’s Home is the main agency connected to the MCGH. The Bet Singer Foundation is associated with the Ministry of Labor and Welfare. MCGH itself is licensed by the Ministry of Labor and Welfare.
What’s unique about the MCGH program vis-à-vis other similar programs?
The MCGH program is unique in both its size and its environment. Our program is designed for a relatively small group of children within a larger healthy community. It is our firm belief that this unique model, which we refer to as “community adoption,” is what allows the children to achieve such dramatic improvement, as we have seen in the youths here on Merav.
Does the MCGH receive any financial assistance from the government?
The government provides a minimum stipend for the very basic needs of each child. In addition, we provide supplemental services and equipment to the children, to aid them as they grow and mature within the MCGH framework.
What are the current private funding needs?
As the MCGH children get older, the funding needs become more demanding. At present, funds are needed to help pay for clothing, psychological counseling, meetings with social workers, and tuition for private religious schools.
What type of staff does the program have?
From day one, the joint MCGH program directors Irit Zucker and Yitz Feigenbaum have worked with the children of the group home, serving as surrogate parents, teachers, guides, and friends. In addition, there are always two National Service girls who work exclusively with the group and live at the MCGH home, often staying for a full two-year term of service.
Do the children have any responsibilities in the MCGH household, or on the kibbutz in general?
The children split up and participate in the tasks and chores of the house, as children of any family home do. In the kibbutz community, they take on responsibility just as the other children of the kibbutz their age do—some work a few hours in the petting zoo, others volunteer to work with younger children, either as youth counselors, or in other frameworks, still others take on the responsibility of working in the kibbutz dining hall during community events.
Who is Aliza Malka?
Aliza was one of the original MCGH children, who, together with her older sister, came to Merav in September of 1994. In a terrorist attack in August 2001, she was murdered by Palestinian gunmen, when she and some of her friends from MCGH were returning to Merav from nearby Beit Shean where they had gone to eat pizza. She was only 16.