Satell Trip: Day 7

Day 7: Wednesday, June 28, 2006

(Photos posted below) 

It's been a little while since we've updated you, but when you stay over in a Beduin tent and then spend Shabbat with a Dati (religious) family, it gets difficult to spend time on the internet. Anyway, from where we left you off was our trip to Tzfat on Wednesday, June 28. We walked through the twisting and turning streets, learning about old synagogues and the kabbalah (Jewish mysticism) as well as the Jews who fled there after their expulsion from Spain in 1492. One of the great stops was to shop at the candle factory that has some amazing candles that one would never dream of lighting.

From there we travelled to Beit Jann, a Druze village nearby, for a wonderful lunch and discussion with a Druze man. He explained some of the basic tenets of the Druze culture and religion, and how truly secretive it is.

Beginning our trek south, we stopped to pick up Lydia Aisenberg, our tour guide from the Givat Haviva seminar center, to explain to us some more details on the Arab-Israeli conflict. She showed us a map of the Green line (the pre-1967 borders of the West Bank and Gaza Strip) and took us to a point overlooking part of the security fence. She explained how the fence affects the Palestinian and Israeli populations both positively and negatively. An interesting point was that most Israeli-Arabs would rather stay on the Israeli side of the fence!

We ended our day at Kibbutz Givat Haviva playing some games and relaxing.

Satell Fellows looking at the security fence

A great view from Tzfat

Guy touring Satell Fellows through Tzfat

Lydia Aisenberg from Givat Haviva explains the Arab-Israeli situation in detail

The security fence