Hi Everyone!
We arrived safely back in Blacksburg Sunday night and have been slowly adjusting back into small town life and homework since then. We are all still excited and enthusiastic about our amazing trip and still thinking about all of the things we learned and people we met. The culture and pride New Orleans has is remarkable and being there made me think very hard about my definition of home and service. We all tried new things and took our service work very seriously. Getting up on scaffolding and ladders was terrifying but it was awesome to feel so accomplished after a long hard day of work. This photo is of some of our group and two of the amazing NOLA ladies we met and the French Market. They were so spirited and welcoming we had a great morning at their restaurant! 
Thanks,
Anna

Don't forget to check out our website. www.hillel.org.vt.edu

Now that we finished working with Rebuilding Together, today was a lot slower and more relaxing than we are used to. The day began with a 10am ride to Audubon Park (http://www.auduboninstitute.org/visit/audubon-park) where we strolled around and took some pictures of the live oaks, weeping willows, and Cyprus trees. In addition to the trees, some of the group members enjoyed climbing in the trees as well as bird watching. Eventually, we found a very old tree referred to as the Tree of Life where we sat down and ate our lunches and had our second to last group meeting where we discussed our definitions of home and community. 

The discussion wrapped up with a comparison of our trip and other alternate break service trips. We decided that the freedom to explore New Orleans at the end of the day really helped the entire group learn much more about the community than other groups we had met at the hostel. Without realizing it, we learned a lot about the history of the city as well as the effect that Hurricane Katrina had on the entire community of NOLA.

                After hanging out by the Tree of Life, our bus driver, Larry, showed us around the Lake and the surrounding neighborhood called Lake View. On the shore of Lake Pontchartrain (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Pontchartrain)  we were able to see the newly reconstructed bridge that spans 24 miles across. Afterwards, he showed us the largest of the 50 levee breaks from hurricane Katrina which has been rebuilt and is now closely monitored by the Army Crop of Engineers. 

We were also able to see a visible but faint yellow line above door frames to show how high the neighborhood had flooded. Much of the neighborhood consisted of empty lots.  Close by was a local shop for so called “snow balls”, which are comparable to slushies but with finer shaved ice similar to snow. There was a variety of unique flavors to choose from, including Thin Mint, Strawberry, Bubble Gum, Wedding Cake, Pink Princess, etc. A number of us also ate “stuffed” snowballs that had ice cream in the middle. They were delicious and a great way to enjoy a hot day!

Don't forget to check out our website. www.hillel.org.vt.edu

On March 14^th(PIE-DAY!), we got up at 7 AM and  packed our lunches for the day. Michael Callo led us in our daily Kavanah; we prepared for the day by concentrating on our breathing in order to ease our way into the day. Afterwards, we headed over to the work site for another day of painting Ms. Vivian’s new house. We painted both sides of the house, in addition to painting two coats of white paint on the latices. We all worked very hard today as Anna documented our experiences and took pictures of us posing as Rosie the Riveter in our paint stained bandanas. Anna even managed to take a picture of Jessica after she slipped and fell into a hole. Unfortunately we did not get the chance to meet Ms. Vivian, because she was unable to get a ride over to the site. However, we were able to get some pretty great pictures of the house which show all of the progress we’ve made. After returning from the work site, we listened to a speaker from the Gulf Restoration Network who presented an educational speech about the Gulf and all of the devastation it has faced in the aftermath of the BP oil spill. His speech opened our eyes to the importance of the many environmental issues which are threatening the Gulf of Mexico.  Science has shown that the oil levels will greatly affect the food chain and lead to the deaths of many beautiful sea creatures. While there is great deal of work left be done in the Gulf and all over New Orleans, we all feel extremely accomplished after our four days of work, and we look forward to spending some free time in the city of New Orleans.

-Jessica Lieberman & Alex Hilert

For more information on The Gulf Restoration Network visit healthygulf.org

Don't forget to check out our website. www.hillel.org.vt.edu

Last night we took a Ghost Tour through the French Quarter from a lovely local named Wendy. The stories we heard have had us on our toes as we've gone through today and this evening. Whether it is true or not, we heard some gruesome stories!

At Ms. Vivian Mason's house today we began to add color. We had students up on two level scaffolding, extension ladders, A-frames, and even seated on the ground to paint the bottom of the lattices. The sun was out all day, with a pleasant cool breeze tickling our noses. We have been eating lunch across the street from the work-site along the sidewalk and in the grass. Today, Ms. Mason's neighbor who lives behind the area we enjoy our bagged lunches in came over to talk to us and offered us water. This is just one example of how friendly everyone we have met is, and we are always asked where we are from. The city is flooded with other Alternative Spring Breakers, and there is a lot of amazing work being done here. At the end of the day, we had completed the entire left side of the house and half of the back....with only minor paint spill accidents and students changing their hair color. ;)

This afternoon we were picked up by a car service driven by Larry, the same driver the group had last year. Larry drove us from United Saints Church where we are staying, and over to our tour of the Lower Ninth Ward. Larry was born and raised in NOLA, and he is very easy to talk to. Larry told us that the only time he has ever left New Orleans was because of Hurricane Katrina, and he was so homesick he had to come back. He said simply, "There is no other place like it." When we asked him about his concerns for future natural disasters he chuckled and responded that "Hurricane season is coming up and you don't know what the future holds." Larry commented on the progress that the city has made since Katrina and said that it is groups like ours that helped put the city back together.

We met Derreyl from The Sierra Club (http://neworleanssierran.blogspot.com/) outside of The Holy Cross Church, his long grey beard blowing in the wind. He informed us that he has not trimmed his beard since September; however, he has not shaved since 1972. Derreyl took us to the Industrial Canal Levee, Bayou Bienvenue, the Global Green Project homes, and the Make It Right Foundation community (http://makeitright.org/) ...AND THEN WE SAW BRANGELINA! ...Just kidding we didn't see Angelina, just Brad. Just kidding we didn't see Brad either. But we did play with an awesome puppy and a couple children with cool bicycles.

The Global Green (http://www.globalgreen.org/articles/global/115)  homes are sustainable, fashioning solar panels on the roof. As our engineers would say, they are Lead Certified Platinum. The Make It Right Foundation homes are as well. Most of the students were struck with all of the innovations going on. New Orleans is truly an amazing place.

As we twisted and turned through the streets of the Lower Ninth Ward we couldn't help but wonder how the locals felt about tours constantly coming through their neighborhoods. Derreyl and Larry both talked about how most tours are not allowed through, they are now mainly only volunteers and those involved with doing work for the city.

On Friday we will be seeing Larry again. We are looking forward to asking him more questions and learning more about the locals here in New Orleans.

Until next time!
Stephanie, Mark & Isabel

Please check out these pictures of us at the works site! Painting Khaki and White!

Don't forget to check out our website. www.hillel.org.vt.edu

Hello Readers,

After yesterday's relaxed introduction to the city, we finally got our hand's, feet, and pretty much every piece of our clothing dirty as we began our project with Rebuilding Together. We arrived to a nearly complete house, in a vibrant neighborhood which showed great signs of progress from the devastating effects of Katrina. The goal of our project is to paint the exterior of Ms. Vivian Banks' new house.  Her old house faced overwhelming damage from the hurricane and had to be demolished and rebuilt. In the process of rebuilding, Ms. Banks faced further difficulties when her contractors failed to rebuild her house and left with her money. Rebuilding Together stepped in to help make her situation right. It was great to feel truly involved in the rebuilding process. Many of us overcame our fears of heights as we braved ladders and scaffolds to prime the house for painting by taping off the ventilation,  windows, and storm guards, and by filling in the cracks with our trusty caulk guns. The rest of our group huddled under house, which is raised six feet above ground, and painted the lattice work. It was arduous work, but extremely fulfilling. We're all looking forward to meeting the owner of the home, and learning more about her life.

With love,
Alex Hilert & Sam Costanzo


Don't forget to check out our website. www.hillel.org.vt.edu
For more information on Rebuilding Together New Orleans visit rtno.org

We're heeeeeeeere!!! The land of the Big Easy. The car ride wasn't too bad. No body crashed and we're alive!
After a brief introduction to the United Saints apartments (http://www.unitedsaints.org/), we unloaded, went out to dinner, and went to bed. None of us realized that the next day would be the time of our lives!
We woke up to the sound of the beating rain on our windowsill. What does this mean? After a state of confusion we were told that instead of starting our project with Rebuilding Together (http://www.rtno.org/), we would be participating with a new organization called Project Greenlight. Project Greenlight (http://www.greenlightneworleans.org/) is a nonprofit organization that installs green (CFL) energy efficient light bulbs to individuals' homes saving them hundreds of dollars a year on their energy bills and reduces their carbon footprint. It was a blast! We split into two groups and were assigned 3 different homes per group. After countless wrong turns and the beautiful scenery we finally arrived to each of our homes. This experience was the perfect introduction to the city of New Orleans! The people here are lively and even though we were there for less than an hour, they shared their own personal stories and really made us feel welcomed and excited to be here.
After our volunteering for the day, we came back to our apartments where we dove into an  important and informative discussion with the representatives from the Fair Housing Action Center (www.gnofairhousing.org). We were all enlightened as they described their goals of addressing discrimination in the housing market. We then reflected on all the experiences that we have had so far-- the people we've already met, the places that we have seen, the things that we have heard. It was a great way to try and process our time here so far. Now we are about to go discover the French market!
Don't forget to check out our website. www.hillel.org.vt.edu

The journey comes to an end

After 10 days of amazing adventures, beautiful bonding, and crazy carousing, it is hard to believe that such an incredible trip is coming to an end. The friendships built during this momentous journey are nearly indescribable. The sights, sounds, and smells are forever engraved as memories in our minds.

The weather was a major hinderance on the original plans today. We were supposed to go on a hike in the morning, but due to heavy rain, this was impossible. Instead went to a unique winery where they do not make wine from grapes, but rather liqueurs from different fruits and candies. Then we went to the beautiful and bountiful Baha'i gardens in Haifa. After a sudden bout of heavy rainfall, we decided to get back on the bus and go to a market area called Mircaz HaCarmel for lunch. We left at 12:30 for a presentation at the premier Israeli technical school, called The Technion Institute. After a short discussion of the undergraduate offerings, we were shown a presentation about graduate schools and transfer students. Many members in the group are interested in taking advantage of this exciting opportunity and returning to Israel to further their education.

This concluded our day in Haifa (Amanda's favorite city!). We got back on the bus to return to Tiberias for our final night in Israel. Once at the hotel, we had some free time before dinner to pack, then followed immediately by a concluding discussion. For this, we were each given "awards" written on paper plates. Examples included "Most Jewish Cheerleader," "Biggest Flirt," and "Cutest Couple." Next, we got into groups reenacting each day of the voyage. It was nice to be reminded of what activities we did during the trip!

We leave for the airport at 04:00 local time tomorrow morning and the official birthright trip ends with a 12 hour flight leaving Tel-Aviv at 09:00 and arriving at JFK in New York at approximately 15:00 eastern time.

It is sad to say good-bye to the holy land, but as Ivan said during our discussion today, "Do not think of this as the end, but as the beginning." We have taken with us close friends, sore faces from excessive laughter, and the comfort of knowing we all have a second home in Israel.

~Alexis Read and Alan Morrison

Triumphant Tiberias: The Taglit Special

Today provided an opportunity for a much needed day of rest. We were able to sleep in for the first time in a long time and spend the early afternoon enjoying the company of our fellow group members. Unsurprisingly, not everyone made it to breakfast. They missed out on some soggy pancakes and leftover stuffed peppers from the prior night, but they also missed out on the shining presences of their companions.

The afternoon consisted of various discussion groups. One of them was "Love Stories in the Torah," led by one of our group leaders Ivan. It was an interesting topic that shed light on an often neglected part of the Torah; the small stories that make it seem more like literature and less like a religious text. We learned about love between man and woman, man and man, father and son, and love of a man for horses (and women). 

After a short break, we all gathered to witness two B'nai Mitzvot of two absolutely wonderful girls. We threw candy and lifted both in their chairs. It was a truly magical experience when they gave inspiring promises of commitment to the Jewish faith. Following this, all the birthright groups came together to share an enchanting Havdalla service. Being in the company of our fellow travelers was a surreal bonding experience that transcended the bounds of common human emotion.

At night we took over the city. We all went out for a warm family dinner celebrating our strengthened ties and the end of our second Shabbat. Fully recharged, with fresh falafel in our bellies and new resolve in our hearts, we set out for a night on the town to celebrate the B'nai Mitzvot. Because it was only about 9:30 at night, there was not a single Israeli in sight- the American birthright groups were forced to unite to make the bar feel right.


Blog by:
Daniel Drew
Nathaniel Weiner

Don't forget to check out our website. www.hillel.org.vt.edu

The Golan Heights

On Friday morning, we drove to Capernaum Vista Olive Farms in the Golan Heights, where we were treated to a special sampling of a multitude of olive oil products, ranging from flavored olive oils to skin care products that made our hands and faces feel like a baby’s bottom.  After our olive excursion, we got back on the bus with our skin a bit softer and our wallets a bit lighter and headed north.

Soon we arrived at the pickup point for our Jeep ride through one of the most high-tech kibbutzes in the Golan Heights, if not the world.  According to our tour guides, so many cows had been stolen from the farmers that they had found it necessary to install infrared cameras that detect suspicious motion even in the dark of night.  A quick picture message to their smartphones ensures that no cow is left for dead.  Or stolen.  It was a beautiful day, and the bumpy ride was a scenic high point.

After a quick ice cream break, we headed to a movie theater to view a movie about the Yom Kippur War and the Valley of Tears, “Oz 77”. It was nice to learn more about the history of the Golan Heights.

After lunch, we headed to the day’s final touring destination, the mountain of Tel Dan.  On top of one of the highest points in the Golan Heights, we could see for miles.  The sky was bright blue, and we could clearly see Mt. Hermon and the Syrian city of Kunetra.  We explored a bunker on the mountain, took some scenic pictures, and then headed back to the hotel to prepare for Shabbat.

Services, a wonderful dinner, workshops, and some fun games provided a relaxing way to welcome Shabbat.  It’s hard to believe that we’ve only been here for one week!  So much has happened since we touched down at Tel Aviv-Jaffa last Friday morning.  After reflecting on our amazing week, we relaxed and prepared to make the most of our remaining and now fleeting time here in Eretz Yisrael.  Shabbat Shalom!

Marty Strauss and Jenna Whisler

A day in Tzvat

1/3/13

6:30

Wake up call and rearrange rooms for the the following night after the soldiers depart the company.

7:00

Commence breakfast in the hotel restaurant.  Breakfast included eggs, omelets, pancakes with chocolate syrup and fresh fruits and veggies.

7:10

Surprise singing of "Happy Birthday" for Morgan!!!

9:00

We arrive at Tzvat and visit pay bathroom (2 NIS).  The view of the Galilee region is beautiful and we enter the ancient Synagogue of the town. We learn about the history associated with it and about Kabbala.

10:00

The group goes shopping in the ancient streets.  The shops were filled with wonderful works of art and jewelry.  The group shopped for about an hour and some people even tried fresh squeezed juice (mixtures of pomegranate, orange and grapefruit).

11:15

We climb up a lot of stairs to the park at the top of the town and get to work. Using pick axes and shovels we clear rocks and clean the terraces.  We discussed Tikkun Olam, the healing of the World, and the idea of leaving a better world for the generations of tomorrow.

12:00

Lunch in the City. We eat falafel, pizza, and shwarma from the various street vendors and continue to shop.

3:00

We walked up a trail to the view at the top.  There was a great sprawling tree and the sun was slowing falling in the sky.  This is where we parted ways with our friends, the Israeli soldiers, and we all piled on the bus together for the last time.  We stopped at a bus station on our return journey to the hotel and parted ways with our friends.

7:00

Dinner at the hotel.  Included a variety of beef, fish, amazing smoked turkey, and various other side items (mainly hummus).

8:00

We meet up with the group from the University of Vermont and discussed  Israeli polities and current events. 

Robin Roston and Jason Schwartz

Don't forget to check out our website. www.hillel.org.vt.edu

Hiking and Floating!

                     We woke up to a Bedouin breakfast and to a beautiful sunrise in the desert.  Afterwards we boarded to buses to go scale Mount Masada and see the ancient ruins that awaited us.  After a long trek to the peak of the mountain we were fortunate enough to see the rabbi on top of Masada who hand writes Torahs that are given to the military.  After wandering the top of the mountain we climbed down the snake route seeing a beautiful landscape as well as the Dead Sea we would soon swim in.

                       After climbing down the snake route we boarded the buses and drove to the Ein Geti Oasis.  Before entering the trail we had a packed lunch.  We were informed of the animals that lived in the area and were fortunate to see them such as Ibex and Hyrax.  We then went to a little waterfall to cool off and relax. After some splashing around we decided to make our way to the Dead Sea.

                        Arriving at the Dead Sea we all applied a mud to our skin that provided minerals and served as a natural moisturizer. We then proceeded to enter the Dead Sea and experience the unique feeling of floating effortlessly in the water.  At first the water seemed very cold but eventually felt warm after floating around even though it is the Israeli winter!  From our spot in the water we could see huge blocks of pure salt that was in the water that enabled us to float.  We were happily surprised to see the IDF fighter jets such as the F-16 and F-15's fly overhead as we ended our day in the desert.  

                       As we concluded the day we took a long bus ride to Tiberius where we will spend the remainder of the trip. Arriving at the hotel we ate a delightful dinner and all took much-needed showers.   Before we went to bed, our Israeli soldiers showed us how to celebrate a birthday in Israel, and taught us many entertaining games.

Grant Ribler and Sam Marcus       

A Day in Haiku Form

Daniel Goldeen and Ian Marcus

01/01/13

Early rise at dawn

First breakfast of the New Year

Packed and left hotel

Weitzman Institute

Modern Israeli research

We learned a lot there

Drove to the Negev

From the city to desert

Windy roads and sand

Camel and donkey

Rides at the Bedouin camp

Bumpy, stinky fun

Bedouin dinner

Tea, coffee, rice, and pita

Yummy in tummy

Nighttime starlit walk

Found the voice in the desert

We walked with caution

Bonfire yet to come

We have marshmallows to roast

Soon sleeping in tent

Don't forget to check out our website. www.hillel.org.vt.edu

New Years Eve in Jerusalem

We woke up and walked over to Mount Herzl, which is Israel’s national cemetery for the country’s fallen leaders as well as soldiers who have passed away during Israel’s wars. It is a beautiful cemetery, full of trees and other vegetation surrounding and covering the graves, creating an incredible juxtaposition of life and death. We paused at certain gravesites to pay respects to soldiers who were particularly interesting or famous and to hear their stories. Our first stop was Ivan’s friend that was in the K-9 unit with him in the Army. Next we stopped at a grave to learn about a soldier who heroically jumped on a grenade to protect his fellow soldiers from the blast. We also saw the grave of former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who was assassinated in 1995 by a man upset with Rabin’s efforts for peace with surrounding countries. Lastly, at the top of the mount on which the cemetery was built, we visited the grave of Theodore Herzl, a man who was instrumental in the creation of the Jewish state. Before we left the cemetery, we sat down to discuss the issue of anti-Semitism which we face in our own lives.

            After breaking for lunch, we walked to Yad Vashem, Israel’s museum for the Holocaust. The museum’s architecture was incredible, starting with a dark, closed triangular space, gradually transitioning into smaller rooms, moving uphill, and heading towards the natural light at the end of the museum. The museum focused on telling the personal stories of the Holocaust’s victims, to give the tragedy a personal feel for those learning its history. There was even a separate memorial outside the museum that spoke all the names of all the children who were victims of the Holocaust. We ended by watching a documentary that featured a Greek man telling his personal story of survival in the Holocaust.

            We then took a short break for dinner and to pack for the next day’s excursion to the desert before visiting the Maale Film School, the world’s only Jewish film school. We watched two short Jewish films about issues that many Israelis and other Jews struggle with in the life, and we had the opportunity to talk with the producer of one of the films. Finally, we celebrated the New Year out on the town at a pedestrian mall in Jerusalem, giving each of us a New Year’s Eve we’ll be sure to remember for the rest of our lives.

~Louis Glazer and Lesley Read

Don't forget to check out our website. www.hillel.org.vt.edu

Tel Aviv

We woke up early for the first time today, and we were all somewhat tired because of that.

We went to Tel Aviv and admired all of the beautiful architecture while waiting for our soldiers to show up. When our soldiers arrived, we showed them our drawings of what we expected them to look like, and we did some icebreakers to get familiar with their names. They are all in our age group and they are all very polite and fun.

After meeting our soldiers, we went to Yitzhak Rabin Square and talked about political assassinations and the reasoning behind Rabin’s assassination. We also discussed its effect on Israel and its people and how we connect to that as Americans.

We then drove to Independence Hall and learned a lot about Tel Aviv and its founding. We also learned about the history of Israel and the hardships of the people.

We went to Jaffa and wandered around the marketplace for lunch and shopping. There was a flea market there that some of us wandered in to. The soldiers came with us and showed some of us around.

Shakked then took us on a small tour around Jaffa. She told us about how important Jaffa has been to Israel. We were also able to reflect on how much Tel Aviv has grown. It was a nice, long, day.

Brittany Vitner and Brett Gallahan

A Day of Rest in Jerusalem

Upon awakening in the holy city of Jerusalem we felt refreshed and ready for a quiet day of reflection and contemplation. Breakfast was early for those of us who slept through dinner the night before and was filled with great coffee and an interesting assortment of Israeli foods such as avocados and cheese. Our group activities started in the morning with optional yoga or a discussion with a local rabbinical student in Jerusalem. Afterwards, we feasted on lunch and in the afternoon we went for a walk and saw many of the government buildings such as the Knessett, the home of the Israeli parliament. We then concluded the walk with the Wohl Rose Park of Jerusalem where we played a fun game and had a stirring Hillel discussion about the uniqueness of being a Jew. We returned to the hotel where we are about to embark on a night of fun with new friends. Katelyn Flippen and Daniel Diner

Bus #1039 Overlooking the Old City of Jerusalem for the first time!

Welcome to Israel!

We started our trip at Newark Airport at 9.15am. After being interviewed by El Al officials, we sent our bags away, went through security and then boarded the plane. On the Boeing 777 we found out that everybody was assigned to random seats. There were a lot of Hassidic Jews aboard which was a cool culture shock. The flight lasted a daunting 10 hours.

When we landed, we went straight to Jerusalem on a bus to start our first busy day. There was little nap time and much to do. We started by stopping at a street ledge that overlooked the city of Jerusalem. We said the shehechianu, took pictures and danced. After getting back onto our tour bus, we headed straight to the old city. What a remarkable experience that was.

The city was hustling while getting ready for Shabbat. We toured the old city and saw the old ruins of the original market and city centers. Afterwards we arrived at the old temple in which our tour guide gave a very interesting brief history of the temple and the plaza’s significance and how it shifted hands through different people throughout the years. Next stop…the Western Wall!

Beautiful, historical, breathtaking and powerful are words that describe this landmark. Many of us wrote notes or said prayers in front of the wall and bestowed our wishes and prayers within. We later continued our adventure to the shuk which was impressively busy. The alleyways were crowed with people young and old getting ready for Shabbat. The market included fresh fruit, fish, falafel, candy, spices, breads and desserts. This market was hoppin’!

By this point everyone was exhausted. We headed to the hotel, lit the Shabbat candles and got ready for the Shabbat dinner. Now we are ready for bed!!

~Michael Callo and Jennie Cohen

Don't forget to check out our website. www.hillel.org.vt.edu