INSTAGRAM CONTEST!

levi@mayanotisrael.com May 3, 2013
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Welcome to the Mayanot family! If you are travelling to Israel with one of our Taglit-Birthright Israel trips this summer, you can win cash just by posting on Instagram!

In order to win, all you gotta do is post a great photo from the trip and tag it with our hashtag, #MayanotIsrael and tag us, @MayanotIsrael.

The photo that gets the most likes by September 2nd will win $500!

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Mayanot 408 Photos!

levi@mayanotisrael.com March 14, 2013
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Mayanot 411 – the fun continues…

levi@mayanotisrael.com March 11, 2013
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After the great privilege of waking up in Jerusalem for the first time we made our way to the Southern excevations and the city of David, once again Brian blew us away with his expert guiding and even helped us conquer our fears as we waded through the water and darkness.

Then finally, notes in hand, we at last headed to the ancient Old City of Jerusalem and the Western Wall. That long waited electric magical moment came at last, our hands touched the ancient stones and for many the tears began to flow as everyone soaked up the incredble energy of being at our faiths holiest location.

After the girls finished up their connecting time with the Wall and many of the fellas took the opportunity to put on Tefillin, it was time for something very,very special – our late comers Bat Mitzvah girls and naming ceremony.

Minus the shmorgasboard, themed party, flowers, photos, braces and pimples we celebrated loud and we celebrated proud.

Mazel Tov to the Bat Mitzvah girls Caitlan, Marina, Kelley, Jen, Elise and Dena. Also we congratulate the new identities of Oriah, Avigail and Elisheva aka Marina, Caitlin and Elise.

The speeches were powerful and moving, the dancing and singing was energetic and heartfelt and all in all it was a very special experience which we were all privileged to be part of.

From then we headed off to the Shuk (marketplace). What a sight seeing the hustle and bustle, the rush for Shabbat, the colors, the smells, the sights and the sounds of one of the busiest places in the Jewish world. Lunch and lots of shopping was the order of the day including our “Mysterious Maccabbee” present buying for our bonza bus buddies. So we shopped and we would have dropped but not with the Western Wall on Friday night waiting for us!

Showered and smelling and looking good in our Shabbat best, we headed off full of gaiety and felicity of spirit ready to experience Shabbat at the Kotel. What an experience it was, singing and dancing with our friends and strangers alike. Praying, swaying, spirits soaring and voices roaring, a truly uplifting night.

When it was all over we took a lovely stroll back to the hotel through the beautiful Jerusalem night, streets and neighborhood, taking it all in as we schmoozed away with our new friends. All the walking certainly worked up an appetite as we came back and dug into our Shabbat meal. After the meal it was off to our activity room as Dena and Gavin impressed us by recalling the entire picnic menu from day 1! This was followed by the “Stump the Rabbi” session, an open chat about anything and everything…

Then finally most of the crew called it a night…

More details on Shabbat day coming…

Over and Out –

Mayanot Four Eleven : Israel, a Slice of  Heaven…

Cheers

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Mayanot 539 and 411 – Havdallah!

levi@mayanotisrael.com March 10, 2013
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Mayanot 411 – A slice of heaven

levi@mayanotisrael.com March 10, 2013
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Thursday, the group is awesome, the weather is awesome, Israel is awesome, life is awesome…
Our day started off with a very pleasant visit to an organic Kibbutz, perhaps Israel’s most famous organic enclave and also the home of Racheli’s aunt and uncle who we enjoyed meeting. We spent a couple hours at the Kibbutz listening to a great tour all about organic farming in Israel from a bouncy friendly woman named Sara. She took us to feed her donkeys, humorously bombarded us with interesting fun facts and literally taught us about the birds and the bees.
Our schedule was flipped around due to the big news that our dear soldier/pilot friend Dor had arranged for us to visit his army base. This was really a major, major coup…it’s an opportunity that almost no tourists or Birthright trips ever have.
Dor showed us a PowerPoint presentation (in what felt like a war room)  all about his helicopter known as the Yassur which costs about 80 million dollars, pimpin’ ride Dor!
We heard many stories about the Yassur and the soldiers who operate it and have sadly lost their lives in the process of training and war. We all got the chance to actually sit in the helicopter as well. Kudos to Dor and our great Israeli staff for pulling off the visit.
At long last we headed towards Jerusalem, we entered listening to famous Jerusalem songs from the legendary Jewish rock star Shloime Baitz and also some guy named Mattisyahu who is not quite as famous or talented as our Shloime but he’s trying his best. We arrived at a majestic lookout point known as Mount Scopus or Har Tzofim where we properly took in the stunning Jerusalem landscape for the first time. Brilliant Brian put all things Jewish, holy and historic in perspective for us and the Danny Assaban led us in the blessing of Shehechiyanu for this special occasion and Hagafen as we toasted this monumental moment.
Affable Avraham our dear bus driver then deposited us at our new accommodations, the Jerusalem Gardens Hotel. We filled our bellies, washed up and headed to the activity room. There we heard a talk all about the need for finding matches for bone marrow recipients. We came to understand just how hard it can be to find a match and save a life. Some of our staff and participants also shared their personal stories of beating and surviving cancer. Many of the group gave cheek swabs and registered for potentially donating if they turn out to be a match…
Then we had a GREAT activity with our awesome Israelis, full of dress ups, song and dance and Gavin came out a pair of pants poorer for the experience…well done to the Israelis for putting in the time to plan such a fun activity.
Well tomorrow is Friday and we’ll finally be going to the Western Wall!
Stay Tuned…Mayanot Four Eleven – Israel a Slice of Heaven!
Over and Out
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Mayanot 411 – Update!

levi@mayanotisrael.com March 7, 2013
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Greetings fine tribal members , so…another day and another batch of good new words minus the crude contribution from Max who nearly went home in the back of a divvy van!

We set off bright and early under a beautiful sunny sky and a perfect temperature… , Barry and Gitit blessed our travels and then we had the first raffle, prizes went to Gavin,Tricia and Hilary! The Torah Talk was called “From The Womb To The Tomb.”,it was very GESHMAK…
We delighted in meeting our Israeli friends, we look forward to getting to know them better…such a nice bunch. Rachelli led us in playing a fun icebreaker revealing that various members of 411 have their ears in the wrong places and odd sized hands…
The jeeping was next on the agenda, twas’ lots of fun,much thrills but thankfully no spills. At the half way point our furry little israeli friend broke his teeth telling us all about the region, he was quite informative in a well meaning wannabe American but forever israeli  urchin type of way…
Lunch at Kiryat Shmona was either schwarma or falafel or for the unadventurous; burgers or pizza…
Next was a stunning hike called the Banyas, once again Brian was in fine fiddle as he gave us the scoop on all things water and then we all enjoyed the water and falls, it was more of a leisurely and pleasurable stroll to be precise with stunning flowers and fauna along the way as well as some friendly Israeli cows. What’s amazing is that we are reconnecting with those cows after 2,000 years!!! Our ancestors and those cows ancestors used to roam the Holy Land together and now after 2,000 years, we have been reunited with our beautiful blessed bovine brethren…it was so touching that Barry even took some portraits and head shots of the friendliest of the cows who actually had a striking resemblance to Santa?!?!?! Go figure…
Then it was off to Kibutz Misgav Am on the border of Lebanon,where we braved the cold winds and stood alongside the Lebanese border listening to a jolly,passionate fellow named Aryeh talk to us about his realities in that precarious precipice of hotbed Hizbullah hostilities. Aryeh’s talk was loved by some and caused a few eyebrow raises for others but certainly lead to some worthwhile discussion throughout the rest of the day…
Jeffrey, aka Mr Hak A Tchainik did a few mitzvah’s today,by bringing the group into fits of laughter with his antics and has gladly accepted the mascot role from here on…Back at the hotel we had dinner,played a game called “The Wind Blows” as people dangerously dived for seats to avoid having to share their most embarrassing moments and then we had our first Tie In Session,which are sort of like Birthright group therapy schmoozes…
All in all, it was a great day as we proved we are Jewish,proud, cool and STRONG…Ozzie,Ozzie,Ozzzie – Oi,Oi,Oi!!!
OK, time to go to bed,tomorrow – Jerusalem!!!
Mayanot Four Eleven – Israel, A Slice Of Heaven!
Cheers
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Mayanot 539 – Update and Photos!

levi@mayanotisrael.com March 7, 2013
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Welcome to Israel! Thanks for signing up to our email updates. You’ll be happy you did! Mayanot 539 arrived in Israel late Monday and stepped right into the action and scenes of this beautiful country. The group was immediately surrounded by the sights, sounds and tastes of Israel.
Travel may have been long and sleep may be minimal but remember, the journey has just begun! 10 action packed days stand ahead. Keep checking your inbox every day for more updates and there’s a good chance you’ll come across a photo of someone you know enjoying the Holy Land!
Please continue to stay tuned to our update emails! Photos of the group and personal reflections coming soon! Until then… enjoy these highlight moments.

Day one, the group settled right into a favorite local activity, sitting in traffic! Well, no, not really, but they did hit the road right away to head up north.

Day 2, the group started off with a semi-challenging but gorgeous hike on Mount Arbel. Then, Mayanot 539 headed to an Olive factory in the Golan Heights where they produce dozens of products from olives. Following the factory, Mayanot visited Har (Mount) Bental, a former IDF strategic outpost, introduced some of the reality Israel faces during trying times.

Yesterday, Mayanot 539 started off with the introduction of eight Israelis that joined the group for the next five days. After taking some time to get to know each other, they set off for a beautiful hike at the Banyas Waterfall. From the waterfall they headed off to Kiryat Shemona for lunch and some free time.

That was followed by an in depth tour and talk at Kibbutz Misgav Am overlooking the border of Lebanon and Syria. The presenter talked about the area’s unique geographical significance.That was followed by some immense fun as Mayanot 539 members took turns driving around in off road jeeps through some of Israel’s terrific scenery.

Today’s first stop of the day: The Sapir Pumping Station. Here, the group learned about Israel’s water sources, their world-leading technologies in the field and how Israel continuously copes with water shortages (though, with today’s rainfall it may be hard to believe there is often a shortage of water!). Then it was off to Tzfat…
Mayanot 539 strolled through the narrow winding alleyways lined with beautiful ancient synagogues and artists’ workshops & galleries of this mystical city, the world’s center of Kabbalah. The group was treated to an enlightening and entertaining discussion on Kaballah by a “Kaballistic Artist” named Avraham Leventhal. He discussed ideas within Kaballah and described the thought process and ideas behind some of his most colorful paintings.
They also managed to slip in a quick walking tour of Tzfat where they were guests at a few of the city’s trademark locations. At some of the stops, they took a moment to hear from their staff about the specific roles Kabbalah plays in modern Torah study and Jewish life.

Then… off to Jerusalem!

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411 – Day Two!

levi@mayanotisrael.com March 7, 2013
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aaaaahhhh, what a great day of Mayanot magic we had today…

Kudos to all you blokes and sheilas who were on time for the bus and have been on time for everything so far, it’s very commendable or as Racheli says it’s “freakishly mature”, which would seem to mean she thinks you are freaks , but mature freaks?
So after breakfast seemed to get a thumbs up from most consumers we departed for our first hike, we felt very calm and collected as (sober) alcohol Alex read the travelers prayer, then some ridiculously handsome and learned Ozzie grabbed the mic and waffled away about Jewish stuff, all the while distributing raffle tickets for good listeners for some raffle taking place tomorrow, there is a rumor the prize is a single falafel ball, but it’s just a rumor at this stage…
we delighted in our first hike, the arbel, we conquered our fears, scaled some scaly walls and came out unscathed and unscaly… it was really fair dinkum beautiful and brian gave us the scoop on the region as well which is always delightful…
next it was off to mystical Tzfat where we pranced joyously through the spiritually soaked cobble stone streets as we marveled at the pretty landscape of artists, hasids, vendors and diseased cats and dogs…
brian regaled us with tales of rabbi yosef caro, the alshich and of course the Arizal as we visited their synagogue and old stomping ground, the guy is interesting  he just always sounds like he knows what’s talking about, literally everything he says sounds wise, even his stated  intention to bring a bucket of beans to our picnic sounded exciting?
we all sat and drank in the wells of wisdom of brian’s knowledge and insight as he familiarized us with the history, main players and uniqueness of tzfat…
before long the girls waved goodbye to the boys as males headed to the mikvah and females to another artist and glass blower named Sheva Chaya who was fascinating and delightful…
the mikveh men had a jolly good time as they combined a would be skinny dipping session with intense holiness and spirituality…sorry no pics available, we then huddled in the mausoleum of Hannah and her seven sons and listened to another soothing story telling session with brian…
we were then privileged to hear avraham (no, not the bus driver)  levinthal tell us about his journey of discovery and connection to the famous ancient teachings of the kabbahlah, it was very very interesting and sparked lots of discussion…basically it took us 2,000 years to hear him but it was just so awesome…like awesooomee….
back at our accommodations, something akin to the Israeli Taj Mahal, we dispersed into 4 groups and made skits depicting israelis and their interaction with americans? it was lotsa fun and the Oscar goes to gavin’s group particularly for his trumping the american try hards and playing an israeli whose mere presence and arrival delivered him a bevvy, a virtual harem of Jewish girls,
then finally a night on the town! dinner at a little eatery and then kelly ketchup, and mike mozzarella sticks began to burn up the dancer my sources say…OK, can’t keep my eyes open…g’night!
Cheers
Rabbi Dov
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Mayanot 103 on Times of Israel!

levi@mayanotisrael.com January 2, 2013
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Hey everyone – take a quick moment to check out the bloggers of Mayanot 103! They are blogging their way through Israel with the help of the good folk over at The Times of Israel!

http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/author/mayanot-israel/

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MAYANOT 103: Arianna Friedman

levi@mayanotisrael.com January 1, 2013
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“Is this your first time eating kosher?”
The woman in 27B glances at the half eaten plate of airplane food resting in front of me. “It’s funny,” she continues. “The visitors get the kosher meals while the Israelis don’t. Are you with Taglit?”
Yes, I answer. Like many of the other participants, it will be my first time in Israel. It’s hard to believe that just this morning I left a frozen New England town and now I am hovering over the Mediterranean moments away from landing in Tel Aviv.
I explain to 27B that I am part of one of the  Taglit-Birthright Israel trips but while most are grouped by university, this one is not. We come from all over the states with a few from outside the US. Though the majority of us arrive at JFK airport in New York without knowing anyone else, we will spend the next ten days sharing hotel rooms, sleeping on buses, and exploring Israel. With the help of ice breakers, we learn that there are a variety of reasons and experiences, one being a common passion for journalism and media, that lead us here.
27B introduces herself and her husband, 27C. After growing up in Tel Aviv they now both work and raise their family in the city. When 27B hears it is my first time in Israel, she turns to me and asks, “So what did you expect? What have you heard about Israelis?”
I say that I thought Israel would be a desert (wrong) and that I had been told that Israelis are, in a word, upfront. This makes 27B and C laugh. “Yes,” 27B replies. “Upfront, impolite, straightforward, direct. An American will tell you his or her opinion on this or that, but an Israeli will tell you that you should be doing this, this, and this. From far away, Israelis come off as rude, but they are very caring once you get close.”
For the remainder of the flight, 27B&C and I chat about the arts programs in Tel Aviv, the “Eretz Nehederet” satire of Birthright participants, the opera, living in Jerusalem, and traveling around Asia. They look over the itinerary, recommend the best places to shop on Ben Yehuda, and share their own jeeping and desert camping experiences.
Before we part they assure me that the next ten days will be great and that after a week of eating kosher meals I will get used to the food. But if not, trust in the street vendors.
Sincerely,

Arianna
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