One of the most fulfilling aspects of the
Yahel program has been its apparent adult quality. I have been on so many trips
to Israel that are completely prearranged and do not allow much flexibility in
the schedule. Contrary to this, my Yahel experience has completely broken many
of my preconceived notions of an Israel program for young adults. This has been
done primarily through granting the participants a largely independent routine
and instilling many teamwork and confidence building measures.
Many of these beneficial components were found
in my retreat to the North this past weekend. The two Yahel groups from Lod and
Rishon L'Zion spent last Shabbat at Yarok Az, a moshav (farming community) in the Gilboa Region of Northern Israel.
We began the retreat with a productive day of hiking down a mountain and
through a river. The mountain hike was very challenging. It was over three
hours long, and it was very rocky and steep. However, we got to look over a
beautiful valley and learn about a region that is important in the Bible as a
site of many famous battles. The water
hike was a lot more fun because we were up to our heads in water, so it was a
great way to cool off on a hot day. There were also tunnels that we could go
through very fast along with the current, which was a great thrill.
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| Taken by my friend Alex with a selfie stick |
The bulk of the retreat took place at the
moshav, where we were able to form most of the schedule without the staff. This
was great because we really got to do exactly what we wanted and feel
accomplished when things went according to plan. One of the things each group
took charge of was planning the meals for the entire retreat. The Lod group in
particular was responsible for cooking Friday night dinner and Saturday lunch.
It was challenging to cook big meals for 20 people, but our group was able to
delegate tasks very well and everyone pitched in to make delicious meals. Additionally,
both groups worked together to plan our Shabbat experience. Each person was
able to contribute their preferences, and we had a very meaningful day with a
variety of activities. From this component, I gained a lot of confidence in my
creativity and ability to brainstorm effective programming.
Another essential component of the retreat was
our many teambuilding exercises. The group spent half a day performing tasks
such as creating a ground-based map of the world and a timed relay race that
were designed to improve our ability to work well in a group. I greatly enjoyed
these activities because they taught me about different roles I have when I am
in a group and how to implement those roles to the best of my ability. For
instance, during the relay race my team was far behind the others, and I needed
to find a balance between taking charge of the situation and working with my
team to come up with a productive solution. I also learned about the importance
of communication in order to achieve a successful result. This was especially
apparent during an activity in which we needed to carry people through
different levels of a ropes course without touching the ropes.
This week has been short so far, but it has
already been very eventful. I went to a host family for Sukkot dinner and
lunch. The food was delicious and everyone was very kind. I look forward to
seeing more of the hospitality this community has to offer.
Tomorrow is a big day with starting Ulpan and
looking at potential volunteer placements, so I'm signing off for now. L'hitraot!
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