The First Shabbat
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
A few pictures
Some pictures from Workshoppers
exploring kibbutz-they found Har Tavor
Resting during tiyul
getting ready to hike
exploring kibbutz-they found Har Tavor
Resting during tiyul
getting ready to hike
enjoying the beautiful negev sunset
everyone loves tiyul
cooling down in the pool at Beit Shean
having fun in Tiberias
Friday, September 11, 2009
Update from Israel
Dear Blog followers,
I just wanted to update all of you about an incident which happened not long ago. 2 rockets were fired from Lebanon into the Northern area of Israel, and landed in open fields near Nahariya. There were no reported injuries. At this point there are no changes to the security measures, and all of the group are safe and acounted for.
For more information you can check haaretz.com .
Shabbat shalom to you all,
Leon
I just wanted to update all of you about an incident which happened not long ago. 2 rockets were fired from Lebanon into the Northern area of Israel, and landed in open fields near Nahariya. There were no reported injuries. At this point there are no changes to the security measures, and all of the group are safe and acounted for.
For more information you can check haaretz.com .
Shabbat shalom to you all,
Leon
The big arrival to Ein Dor
Dear parents and fans of workshop 59,
Hello to you all! It has been an exciting and intense first week of Workshop. The workshop group arrived in full spirits, albeit a little tired last week, and headed straight off to the historical city of Bet Shean. Their first few days were spent getting to know each other a bit better, as well as all of their new madrichim. On Friday, the group headed out to Tiberias, one of the closest big cities in Israel, that sits right on the Kinneret. The workshop group was split up into smaller groups, and embarked on a scavenger hunt around Tiberias - finding names of Israeli musicians, different brands of Israeli food and drinks, as well as getting to know a bit about the local culture. The group came back together at the end to examine their answers, and laughs were shared by all about their experiences. Then the workshoppers were given money and allowed to partake in one of the great eating experiences in Israel - shawarma! Unless of course they were vegetarian - in which case falafel provided a more than worthy substitute.
The group returned to Bet Shean in the afternoon, and had a bit of time to spend in the pool, which was welcome relief from the warm September sun. They did kabbalat shabbat together, and danced with gusto on their first Rikudei Am (Israeli dancing) session of Workshop 59.
The next day the workshop group finally found out their smaller kvutzot for their year, and their madrichim for the year. I will forward a copy of the kvutzot to Shani Bob, so for those who are interested in finding out which kvutsa their daughter/son/sibling/friend is in, you should contact Shani. On saturday evening, the group sat with me for a few hours to go through the rules and expectations of participants on Workshop - a good and serious discussion about what the movement and the co-ordinators of the program expect of the participants, and conversely, what the participants can expect of the program. The workshoppers took everything in good stead, and were very serious in their internalizing of the discussion.
On Sunday morning the group headed down to the serene and picturesque Masada youth hostel for their first times together as smaller kvutzot. They spent two days in peulot and having serious discussions, including working out their rooms for kibbutz, and the ever-important kuppah discussion.
On Tuesday morning, the group headed to the northern Negev desert, for a two-night hike in the beautiful and tranquil surrounds of Sde Boker. They visited the ruins of Ein Avdat, a historic Nabbatean city and one-time centre of trade route activity, and hiked their way through the awe-inspiring mountains of the desert. They camped out together, and spent some quality time with their friends singing and laughing by the campfire at night.
The workshoppers finished their tiyul on Thursday morning and arrived at the historic site of Ben-Gurion's grave at Sde Boker, before loading their stuff onto the bus and heading off to the North for their home for the coming 3 months, kibbutz Ein Dor.
The group arrived at Ein Dor safely yesterday evening and, after a thorough talk about the rules and expectations from the kibbutz and in regards to the Boneh program, were left to set-up their rooms, stick their photos of loved ones on the walls, and start making normal dormitory dwellings become warm and familiar homes.
This morning the workshoppers met with the North American mazkirut members and had a peula about their connection with the movement in North America during their time in Israel. They also continued their discussion about kuppah, and had a bit of time to get to know one of the more anticipated attractions of kibbutz Ein Dor - the swimming pool!
The workshoppers will be starting Boneh orientation seminar on Sunday morning, but have a chance to unwind and recharge during the weekend for another exciting week of learning, discovering, and unforgettable experiences.
I would like to wish you all a shabbat shalom, and a relaxing weekend.
Until next time,
Leon.
Hello to you all! It has been an exciting and intense first week of Workshop. The workshop group arrived in full spirits, albeit a little tired last week, and headed straight off to the historical city of Bet Shean. Their first few days were spent getting to know each other a bit better, as well as all of their new madrichim. On Friday, the group headed out to Tiberias, one of the closest big cities in Israel, that sits right on the Kinneret. The workshop group was split up into smaller groups, and embarked on a scavenger hunt around Tiberias - finding names of Israeli musicians, different brands of Israeli food and drinks, as well as getting to know a bit about the local culture. The group came back together at the end to examine their answers, and laughs were shared by all about their experiences. Then the workshoppers were given money and allowed to partake in one of the great eating experiences in Israel - shawarma! Unless of course they were vegetarian - in which case falafel provided a more than worthy substitute.
The group returned to Bet Shean in the afternoon, and had a bit of time to spend in the pool, which was welcome relief from the warm September sun. They did kabbalat shabbat together, and danced with gusto on their first Rikudei Am (Israeli dancing) session of Workshop 59.
The next day the workshop group finally found out their smaller kvutzot for their year, and their madrichim for the year. I will forward a copy of the kvutzot to Shani Bob, so for those who are interested in finding out which kvutsa their daughter/son/sibling/friend is in, you should contact Shani. On saturday evening, the group sat with me for a few hours to go through the rules and expectations of participants on Workshop - a good and serious discussion about what the movement and the co-ordinators of the program expect of the participants, and conversely, what the participants can expect of the program. The workshoppers took everything in good stead, and were very serious in their internalizing of the discussion.
On Sunday morning the group headed down to the serene and picturesque Masada youth hostel for their first times together as smaller kvutzot. They spent two days in peulot and having serious discussions, including working out their rooms for kibbutz, and the ever-important kuppah discussion.
On Tuesday morning, the group headed to the northern Negev desert, for a two-night hike in the beautiful and tranquil surrounds of Sde Boker. They visited the ruins of Ein Avdat, a historic Nabbatean city and one-time centre of trade route activity, and hiked their way through the awe-inspiring mountains of the desert. They camped out together, and spent some quality time with their friends singing and laughing by the campfire at night.
The workshoppers finished their tiyul on Thursday morning and arrived at the historic site of Ben-Gurion's grave at Sde Boker, before loading their stuff onto the bus and heading off to the North for their home for the coming 3 months, kibbutz Ein Dor.
The group arrived at Ein Dor safely yesterday evening and, after a thorough talk about the rules and expectations from the kibbutz and in regards to the Boneh program, were left to set-up their rooms, stick their photos of loved ones on the walls, and start making normal dormitory dwellings become warm and familiar homes.
This morning the workshoppers met with the North American mazkirut members and had a peula about their connection with the movement in North America during their time in Israel. They also continued their discussion about kuppah, and had a bit of time to get to know one of the more anticipated attractions of kibbutz Ein Dor - the swimming pool!
The workshoppers will be starting Boneh orientation seminar on Sunday morning, but have a chance to unwind and recharge during the weekend for another exciting week of learning, discovering, and unforgettable experiences.
I would like to wish you all a shabbat shalom, and a relaxing weekend.
Until next time,
Leon.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Address on Kibbutz
Here is the address on kibbutz. Any mail or packages for workshoppers can be sent to this address through mid-December. Address for the second half of the year will be provided when the cities are assigned.
Habonim Dror/Tavor Accommodations
Kibbutz Ein Dor
D.N. Yizrael 19355 Israel.
Habonim Dror/Tavor Accommodations
Kibbutz Ein Dor
D.N. Yizrael 19355 Israel.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Workshop has officially begun!
Hello Workshop Families,
Workshop 59 has officially begun. After a long but very exciting day at the airport in NY the workshoppers have landed in Israel. After retrieving all of their luggage they met the madrichim (counselors) and enjoyed dinner while waiting for their British peers to land before heading to their first hostel in Beit Shean. They will be in Beit Shean from September 2-6, after which they will head south to the Masada youth hostel. On September 8 they will begin a multi-day hiking trip where they will help build their campsites and sleep under the stars. After the trip they will head to Kibbutz Ein Dor where they will get settled into their home for the next 4 months.
I will be in Israel from September 5-September 22. I will have access to email though I can also be contacted by phone at 011972-52-580-7124
Please let me know if you have any questions and feel free to contact the office throughout the year with any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Shani
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