Justin-Klein.com – Life of a Traveling Programmer – Page 92

Birthright 6: Biking with Soldiers

May 062008

I realized that I’ve been talking a bit about Israeli soldiers without really mentioning that in Israel, everyone is a soldier at one point in their life – service is compulsory for both men and woman (3 years for the former, 2 for the latter). That’s why there’s such a massive military presence: because everyone enters the military after high school. It’s quite an interesting contrast to the US, where you only serve by choice. Over here, anyone you meet on the streets has probably once trained with M16’s and kicked a bit of ass every now and then.
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Birthright 5: Sad Goodbyes

Israel, Public 2 Responses »

May 062008

Kat and Liran say goodbye.

Our day’s visit to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem, was a very emotional experience for everyone. We left that building with more people crying than not.

And sadly, it was followed by yet another emotional experience – parting ways with our new soldier friends, who finally had to say goodbye and report back to their units for work.
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Birthright 4: Masada, Dead Sea, Jaffa, Beach, COFFEE!

Israel, Public 2 Responses »

May 062008

The Snake Path up to Masada.

Masada is one of those historical places with such a crazy history it gives you the chills just thinking about it.

Sunrise at Masada, with the Dead Sea off in the distance.

Because I’m so far behind on blogs I’ll spare you the details – but I suggest giving it a read on Wikipedia if you’re interested. In short, it’s a completely isolated and self-contained fortress perched atop a 1,300 foot-high plateau in the desert overlooking the Dead Sea, originally built by Herod the Great around 35BC. Later, around 66AD, a group of Jewish rebels occupied Masada during their last stand against the Roman Empire. They held their ground for several months as the Roman armies below failed attempt after attempt to get into the city. When the walls finally fell, the Romans arrived to find that the Jews had set fire to all of the buildings and food storerooms before committing mass suicide, choosing death over capture and enslavement.
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Birthright 3: A Long Day in the Desert

Israel, Public 7 Responses »

May 052008

Dinner in a Bedouin Tent.

A little disclaimer: As I’m writing these posts very quickly and after-the-fact, I’m sure I’m making plenty of mistakes in my factual accuracy. To anyone who’s particularly religious or may be offended, my sincere apologies.

Our sleeping quarters.

Our second night in Israel was spent in a Bedouin Tent in the Negev Desert. That was quite an experience – traditional Bedouin food (eaten from a communal “trough” with your hands), live music, and a sleeping bag full of scorpions to keep you company at night.
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Birthright 2: A Narrow Escape

Israel, Public 7 Responses »

May 052008

After flying myself from Los Angeles to New York and meeting up with 26 other young Jewish Americans, we gathered our things and hopped on a long flight over Europe and into the Middle East. Our 13-day all-expense-paid birthright trip was about to begin. Continue reading »

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