Ein Gedi And Sde Boker Today!

Today MBI started their day at Ein Gedi where they left off yesterday. In the morning they took a tiyul (hike) through this Oasis that hugs the western edge of the Dead Sea. In the Jewish tradition we hear about Ein Gedi in the Bible where the story of David escape into the desert is told. According to the bible after learning of King Saul's anger toward him, David flees to Ein Gedi and hides in a cave called Dudim. The cave is said to be located in or near what is now called Nachal (creek) David. Today, the group experienced the Oasis, in full there are springs, waterfalls, Ibex, water flows into the Dead Sea eventually. Even before the 1940's Jewish youth movements hiked Ein Gedi in an effort map southern Israel and walk in the footsteps of their ancestors. Today, MBI had the opportunity to renew this tradition.

Learning about the geology of Ein Gedi.

After they finished their time at Ein Gedi they left for Sde Boker, another location in the Negev (desert). The hostel and educational center where the group is staying sits on a beautiful cliff overlooking a Wadi in the middle of the Negev (desert). The kibbutz nearby, Sde Boker, is down the road from the hostel. This Kibbutz is where Ben Gurion called home before he died in 1973. This is also where he is buried. He left his home in Tel Aviv to work on the Kibbutz to be a dugma (example), because he believed that if the Jewish people could excel in the desert, then they would be able to succeed anywhere in the State of Israel.




All the different machanot (camps) represented on MBI sat together when they got to Sde Boker for mishpachot, the time of the week when they spend time with their home camp and reflect on the week and how MBI has been for them. Here they are sitting together....

After they finished their time at Ein Gedi they left for Sde Boker, another location in the Negev (desert). The hostel and educational center where the group is staying sits on a beautiful cliff overlooking a Wadi in the middle of the Negev (desert). The kibbutz nearby, Sde Boker, is down the road from the hostel. This Kibbutz is where Ben Gurion called home before he died in 1973. This is also where he is buried. He left his home in Tel Aviv to work on the Kibbutz to be a dugma (example), because he believed that if the Jewish people could excel in the desert, then they would be able to succeed anywhere in the State of Israel.

This will be where MBI is located until Sunday when they travel to the north to stay Sunday night at a youth hostel in Peki'in. We have confirmed the group will be staying at a youth hostel there through Wednesday. We have rooms there for everyone as well as classrooms for peulot (educational activities). Then, Wednesday night we have confirmed they will be staying in the Golan Heights with Chan El Al, where they will be staying in large tents, similar to the ones they slept in at the Bedouin tents. Like stated yesterday, once the itinerary has been completely updated, after shabbat I will post it and send it out by email.


Over Shabbat I will not be posting on the blog or answering my email, but I encourage you to call the emergency phone (917-822-2330) if you would like to speak with me or have questions about this post or anything else.

Shabbat Shalom,
Jeremy