Day 6: Tuesday, June 27

(Photos posted below) 

Today was a day, as Beth Razin says, of "outdoor adventure" and learning about the Israeli army.

The day began with a hike through the Golan Heights in the far northeast of Israel, next to the Jilabun River, which included some beautiful waterfalls. For those adventurous souls, we swam in an ice-cold pool of refreshing mountain water.

Segueing into a different mood, but also important to the Golan story, we visited Kibbutz El Rom and Har Ben-Tal to learn about the importance of this specific mountainous region to Israel's safety and security. We heard the story of one particular plattoon and the heroic soldiers who defended the valley from Syrian attack in 1973.

After lunch at the "Boorger Raaanch" (Burger Ranch, for those who don't speak Hebrew), we drove across the Hula Valley in northern Israel to the magnificant Manara Cliffs. A cable car took us half-way up the mountains where the Fellows chose to either take an "Omega" (zip-line) trip down, or to rappell. A fun time was had by all.

We then took the cable car to the top of the cliffs where, with a panoramic view of the entire area, we learned more about Israel's borders and geography.

Many napped on the way back to the kibbutz where, after a half hour break, we met for a fabulous barbeque dinner on the beach of the Kinneret while the sun was setting over the distant mountains.

To bring the day's activities together, we had the group participate in some simple army teambuilding exercises, and then had an amazing discussion on teamwork and what it means to be a leader. We juxtaposed what it means to be a citizen and soldier, American and Israeli.

These past two days have been more than exciting, as usual, and we look forward to more great times over the next few days!

The Satell Team