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After a very long flight and a late arrival, we finally got to our hotel in Kibbutz Amiad and got a much needed rest. Tuesday morning, we hit the ground running at 7am and headed up to Gadot overlook to see the strategic importance of the Golan Heights to the security of Israel. We also got to daven Shacharit right there, which made it a much better backdrop than our usual Beit Midrash:)

We then continued for a hike in the Banias, where the water is flowing after a very wet winter in Israel. Everything around us is in bloom, and it felt amazing to be outdoors. We then proceeded to Buk’ata, which is a Druze village in the Golan Heights (one of 4 such villages), where we ate the most delicious lunch.

We also spoke with Nusiba, a Druze woman who was a true warrior for women’s rights in the Druze culture. She explained to us what the druze religion is about and what life looks like for the Druze people in the Golan Heights, post 1967. It was both a delicious and interesting experience, and we were so lucky to have Nusiba open her house to us.

After lunch, tea and dessert, we took a Jeep tour around the Golan, off-roading and exploring off-the-track spots, orchards and cows. We once again saw what was left from before 1967, and how the Golan has developed in the past 50 years under Israeli control. The jeep tour was bumpy and fun.

We concluded the day at the BenTal mountain where we learned about the war in Syria, who are the major players and how that affects Israel. We were also able to see how close everything is and why it’s important for Israel to preserve its strategic spot on the Golan. We are all jet-lagged and somewhat tired, so tonight we’ll wrap up with a short evening activity, and welcome the rest of our group to Israel.

Tomorrow is a brand new day and we have much to see and do!