3 hours till we board

However in between landing yesterday and getting on the ship we have not been sitting around doing nothing.

First we went and got some postcards....you know who you are and if you should be looking out and then went and had a glass of wine, wrote postcards, and waited for Morgan to get here,

Morgan was here by 8:15 we had dinner and just caught up. It was a really nice evening but it was way to long of a drive so she spent the night. We had breakfast and as I type she is on her way back home so she can work tonight.

Morgan thanks for coming down

So that brings us up to date our bags are packed and now we wait.....

he is singing and changing the words

.

On Tour with Ashleigh and Morgan Aug 5 and you thought it was over

Tuesday, August 5th: Group 8 had a great flight to Prague. Upon arrival they learned that their flight to New York had been cancelled. They were booked on flights for tomorrow, checked into the Tranzit Hotel across the street from the airport, ate dinner and had a Banquet Part 2 with fun songs that Aliza and Tali their staff members wrote, and spent some extra hours together. All USYers and staff are doing well and will try and get some sleep before another day of travel ahead.

We will see them on Thursday ....

On Tour with Ashleigh and Morgan Aug 4

Monday, August 4th:Group 8 spent their final day in Israel at Yad Lakashish, Lifeline for the Old, and on Ben Yehudah Street doing some last minute shopping. They packed, hung out, and then got dressed up in their pajamas for their final banquet. Complete with dinner, t-shirts, and reminiscing, the group spent hours laughing about the summer they had together. Very early tomorrow morning the group will load the bus and head to the airport. They will say L'hitraot to their Israeli staff and head back to the States. We had a great time with Group 8 this summer and hope to see them in Israel again soon!

Notes from the front: the girls have given back their phone and are at the airport...waiting for the first let of their journey home.....they will be back with us very very late tomorrow night but we will be glad to have them back at any time. That also means that we will have more pictures!!!!

On Tour with Ashleigh and Morgan Aug 1

Friday, August 1st:Group 8 spent the day at the beach in Nitzanim! They went swimming, sun-bathed (with sunscreen of course!), and had a fantastic time. They then returned to Jerusalem to prepare for their final Shabbat together. Shabbat Shalom!

Sam was on Nitzanim beach while she was on Nativ in the spring there is a festival there called Bombamella... I wonder what the beach was like for Ashleigh and Morgan.

On Tour with Ashleigh and Morgan July 31

Thursday, July 31st:Group 8 spent the day with Danny Siegel doing "Tzedakah Day!" Some of the USYers went to visit a facility where elderly people make toys for children. The USYers sat with them, sang with them, and made some toys too! Other USYers bought school supplies to donate to the Rabbanit Kapach, who they then met. She is a very special woman who has spent her life helping others, and even won the Israel Prize for her work. This afternoon the group learned about some other Mitzvah Heroes who have spent their lives doing for others. This evening they played fun drama games together!

News from the front: Ashleigh had an awesome day..."Cause I spent it with the little old people". The girls are getting ready for their last Shabbat in Israel and they are not so ready to come home.....so we talked to Ashleigh as they were starting their Friday it will be spent at the beach and then about 4 groups will be together at base for shabbat. And on Tuesday night they will be home!!!! I don't think they are as excited about that as we are. So you will have to remember to check back next week to see the pictures they brought home.

On tour with Ashleigh and Morgan July 30

Wednesday, July 30th:Today, Group 8 spent the day experiencing the theme "From Holocaust to Uplifting." They began at Yad Vashem, Israel's National Holocaust Museum. They had a tour of the newly rebuilt museum, and then walked through the very moving Children's' Memorial. From there they went to Neot Kedumim, a biblical archaeological reserve, where the group learned about many plants that grow in Israel, made their own zatar spice, and planted trees in a greenhouse because it is the shmittah year and the land must lie fallow. This evening they heard a story and had a discussion with Jules Gutin, Director of USY, and played a Jerusalem Municipality game.

And Morgan has another hat!!!

On Tour with Ashleigh and Morgan July 29

Tuesday, July 29th:Group 8 woke up before the sun this morning, and drove to the bottom of Masada. They began climbing the Snake path and made it to the top with plenty of time to see the beautiful sunrise over the Jerusalem Hills. Although tired when they reached the top, the group davened a beautiful Shacharit after sunrise, and then had a tour of the ruins at the top. After hiking down the mountain, they ate breakfast, and then drove to Ein Gedi, where they had a nice walk to a waterfall, and then swam in the Dead Sea. This afternoon they returned to Jerusalem and had some hours to sleep, before gathering for dinner. Tonight they had the chance to buy custom silver jewelry from a well known artist called Hadaya.

News from the front: Morgan claims the the Dead Sea stings..... but her skin is as smooth as a baby's bottom. Ashleigh claims that she didn't think that such torture could end in something so beautiful. The girls have a week to go which is way soon and still not soon enough.

On Tour with Ashleigh and Morgan July 28

Monday, July 28th:Group 8 spent the day learning about the Second Temple period in Jerusalem. They began at the Israel Museum where they saw a large and intricate model of Jerusalem from the period before 70 C.E. They also saw the Dead Sea Scrolls. From there they drove to the Old City, went to the Cardo in the Jewish Quarter and then toured a Herodian Mansion that has been dug up and made into a sort of museum. After lunch they went to the walls surrounding the Temple Mount itself, starting at Robinson's Arch, named for the person who discovered it. It was beneath this arch that the marketplace next to the Temple stood where people would be able to buy food and animals during their stay on Pilgrimage Festivals. From there they walked across to the Davidson Center and the Southern Wall excavations. It is at the Southern Wall that you can see the gates to the inner part of the Temple. From there they went to the Kotel, the Western Wall, for mincha, concluding their day of touring. This evening they took their group photo and learned a bit of Talmud with Rabbi Paul Freedman, former director of USY.

On Tour with Ashleigh and Morgan July 27

Sunday, July 27th:After a fun and relaxing free weekend, Group 8 reunited in Jerusalem. They drove to the Latrun tank museum where they learned about the tanks used by the Israeli army. They then drove to the Harel mall where they ate Kosher McDonalds and had a chance to see some Israeli stores. Tonight they did a program on the Israeli army.

Notes from the front: Morgan called to say that during her Israeli army program her eye made contact with someones head. She warned that we should not be surprised if we see some pictures with a little black and blue around her eye, but other than that she is having a great time.

On Tour with Ashleigh and Morgan July 25

Friday, July 25th:Group 8 said their temporary good-byes this morning and departed for Free Weekend. Some USYers stayed at Agron and were excited to have time to relax and hang out with friends. Others were picked up by relatives and friends in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, in the north, and in the south. Everyone is excited to have some time to rest and rejuvenate for the coming week. Shabbat Shalom!

Notes from the front; Ashleigh went with Rebecca to a kibbutz and Morgan stayed on base. Pictures will be posted as soon as there are some

On Tour with Ashleigh and Morgan July 24

Thursday, July 24th:Group 8 spent their morning volunteering and enjoyed the opportunity to help others while in Israel for the summer. After lunch they drove to Yaar Ben Shemen for the mega USY Event. Dressed in blue and covered in face paint they participated in group bonding and ropes course activities. Competing against the other 9 USY groups with cheers and ruach, they danced and sang and had a great time. After a BBQ dinner, the group returned to Jerusalem for the Jewish Agency Event and concert tonight!

On Tour with Ashleigh and Morgan July 23

Wednesday, July 23rd:Group 8 davened Shacharit and ate breakfast on kibbutz and then hiked the Jilabun. From there they went to Kibbutz El Rom where the visited the Oz 77 monument on the very battlefield where the tanks clashed in 1973. There they also viewed a short film about the heroic Oz 77 Tank Brigade which fought against overwhelming odds to successfully defend the Golan during the Yom Kippur War. This afternoon they went to an overlook from Har Bental where they learned about the importance of the Golan Heights for Israel and viewed the area from the Gadot overlook. This evening they ate dinner and had free time in Tiberias before returning to Hanaton to prepare for the mega USY Event tomorrow afternoon!

On Tour with Ashleigh and Morgan July 22

Tuesday, July 22nd:Group 8 spent their day in the Upper Galilee. They began by going to the cemetery by the Kinneret where the famous poet Rachel is buried along with Naomi Shemer, famous for her song "Jerusalem of Gold." Then they hiked in Nahal Snir and enjoyed the water. They then went to Kibbutz Neot Mordechai, home of the famous Naot shoe factory! The USYers had a great time trying on and buying all kinds of different fun shoes. This evening the group went to Kibbutz Hanaton for a BBQ and swim party with USY Groups 3 and 5!

On Tour with Ashleigh and Morgan July 21

Monday, July 21st:Group 8 spent the day around the Kinneret. They hiked down the Arbel, a fortress from the Second Temple Period. They then cooled off from the hot day with a swim in the Kinneret! After that the group rode donkeys and each had a turn to drive and ride. They dressed up like ancient donkey drivers and learned about the history of Kfar Kedem. Tonight after dinner in Poriyah, the group did a program called "Café Dilemma" and discussed some of the questions they face as American Jewish teens.

Notes from the front: Morgans named her donkey Clarissa and Ashleigh named her donkey BarBar Hay Hay the 3rd... he girls are having a great time and they do say they miss us but they don't say they want to rush home.

On Tour with Ashleigh and Morgan July 20

Sunday, July 20th: Group 8 woke up in Hanaton this morning and after Shacharit and breakfast went to the mystical city of Tzfat. Among the many people who came from Tzfat are the prominent kabbalists, Isaac Luria and Moshe Kordovero. Besides the kabbalists, Safed also attracted numerous other Jewish scholars and spiritualists, including Joseph Caro, the author of the Shulchan Aruch and Shlomo Halevi Alkabetz, composer of the Sabbath hymn Lecha Dodi. The group had a tour of the city and three of the synagogues, and had an opportunity to go shopping at the famous candle factory. After lunch at this beautiful place, they went to Acco, a city in the western Galilee, which was used by the British as a prison mainly for political prisoners, and as a location for a gallows. Jewish underground movement activists, such as Zeev Jabotinsky and Shlomo Ben-Yosef, an Irgun activist, were jailed in the citadel-prison of Acco. From there they drove to Rosh Hanikra where they walked through the beautiful grottos created by the water hitting the rock for hundreds of years. After a special mincha service for the fast day of the 17th of Tammuz, the group rested for a bit, before ending the fast and eating dinner.

On Tour with Ashleigh and Morgan July 18

Friday, July 18th:Group 8 spent the day in the Carmel. Their first stop was a lookout point over Haifa from which you can see the port and the sea. Then they hiked in Nachal Kelach, and saw more of the gorgeous northern part of Israel. They ate lunch at the Usfia Druze Village where they were hosted to a delicious kosher Druze meal. It is in fact one of the food highlights of the summer. They heard an explanation about the Druze religion and were interested in this small community with unique rules. They then arrived in Poriya where they will spend Shabbat and part of next week. They prepared for Shabbat with decorations, new songs, and looked their best for Kabbalat Shabbat. They are excited to have a day for rest and relaxation. Shabbat Shalom!

Samantha will tell you that the Druz food is delicious and Poriya is her favorite place for shabbat... we will have to wait and here what Ashleigh and Morgan have to say

News from the front... we did hear from Ashleigh and Morgan they are in love Poriya and want to run away and live there forever. Sam would probably go with them. Morgan did report that Ashleigh did a great job on Minha and that she will be leading Schacrit on Wednesday. Sunday is the Fast of Tamuz and they will be going to the Lebanon Boarder... we will be waiting for news from the front.

On Tour with Ashleigh and Morgan July 17

Thursday, July 17th:Today, Group 8 spent time in Tel Aviv. The group began at the Hall of Independence where they learned about the settling of Tel Aviv as a city, and sat in the very room in which David Ben Gurion declared Israel an independent state. They then visited Kikar Rabin, the place where Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin gave his last speech and was assassinated in 1995. They heard about Rabin, saw the memorial, and discussed the impact that this assassination had on Israel and her people. Tonight they ate dinner and spent the evening in Tel Aviv.

On Tour with Ashleigh and Morgan July 16

Wednesday, July 16th:Group 8 woke up in the Bedouin tent this morning. They ate breakfast and davened Shacharit and then left for a hike in Ein Ovdat. From there they drove to Sde Boker, former home of David Ben Gurion, the first prime minister of Israel. They walked through the "hut" in which he lived, and visited his grave and the grave of his wife Paula. From there they drove to Tel Aviv, toured Old Jaffa and walked along the Mediterranean Sea.

News from the front: This Shabbat Ashleigh and her 2 other Far Westerns will be leading Mincha , other than that the girls are having fun and as always practicing the fine art of sleeping anywhere they get a chance.

On Tour with Ashleigh and Morgan July 15

Tuesday, July 15th:Group 8 began their day at Kibbutz Ketura where they did a seminar on life on kibbutz and discussed some of the dilemmas that face kibbutz members. After swim they drove to the Bedouin tent of Mamshit. They rode camels, were treated to Bedouin hospitality, ate dinner, and had a bonfire.

Notes from the road: I spoke with Ashligh this morning Morgan was practicing the fine art of sleeping wherever and whenever you can.... the
camel rides were great she named her camel Shlomo and she thinks Morgan named her camel Rhonda we will have to wait until I talk to her to find out why.