Sunday Funday July 12, By Ariella Shua

Today ICE Israel had a pretty awesome day. We started the morning by visiting a kibbutz at the border which separates Israel, Lebanon, and Syria. One of the members, who has lived there for decades, told us about the true history of Israel and Palestine. He explained how he had fought for Israel in 4 wars, and he would never stop protecting his homeland. He also taught us that the best hummus can’t be bought-it has to be handmade. Next we went rafting on the river. It took us a while to get the hang of how to use the paddles and maneuver the rafts (some of us never did learn how). But the whole experience was extremely fun and cooled us off. Finally, we went to visit the grave site of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. We took a look around the current Shul there. We also saw an ancient destroyed Shul right nearby, and we had the amazing opportunity to pray there with the gorgeous mountains surrounding us. It’s been less than a week since we got to Israel, but ICE is already proving to be an incredible and unforgettable experience.