Onward Israel Blog: Week 3

It’s always hard to choose what to write about in these blogs because there is so much to share in such a short post. That’s why this week, I’m choosing to focus on just one day—this past Saturday—and provide a breakdown of the entire day.

9:45 AM—Breakfast on the Beach

I headed to the beach with a couple friends for breakfast. Avital and I brought along our yogurt for our official taste test. Last week, we had unknowingly bought goat yogurt, which we assumed would be extremely sour. It was daunting, but we faced the challenge with lots of date honey and granola, then soon realized how much we’d blown things out of proportion. It was actually really good; I even had it again for breakfast this morning.

10:30 AM—Journey to HaYarkon Park

A big portion of the Cincinnati crew headed to HaYarkon Park to explore their outdoor rock-climbing wall, but before we made it there, we allowed ourselves to get sidetracked a few times. A soccer ball was the first distraction. We played a pick-up game of soccer, and my team won! Then, we wandered over to watch a group of dancers, which was the most moving experience I have had so far in Israel. People of all ages danced in a big group, and everyone knew the same choreography to dozens of Israeli dances! It was such a powerful cultural experience, made better because we just happened to stumble upon it. It felt so magical, communal, and authentic! I will definitely be back again next weekend, and maybe even join in to learn a dance or two. It still wasn’t yet time to rock climb, so after that, Avital and I tried our hand at a classic Israeli game: Teqball. You can google it for a better description, but it’s basically two people passing a soccer ball over a curved ping-pong table—without using their hands. People are constantly playing it at the beach, so we wanted to learn. We aren’t professionals, but we are getting there. Next, it was finally time to rock climb! I love rock climbing, but at that point, I didn’t have it in me, so I just spectated and encouraged my friends. Overall, it was a great morning at the park. 

2:49 PM—Late Lunch at Sarona Market

The Sarona Market is an indoor market that has a similar vibe to Cincinnati’s Findlay Market. On Shabbat, it’s a little tricky to find open restaurants, so it made us appreciate the market even more. We each got food from different vendors, and then found a spot to eat, people watch, and rest after our active morning. 

5:00 PM—Beach Time

The beach on Shabbat is incredible. All you need is a swimsuit, a towel, a good book, and maybe one of the free Red Bulls that were being handed out at the beach.

9:15 PM—Night out in the Shuk

I finished the day in Shuk Carmel with some friends from camp, one of whom I hadn’t seen in seven years. We chose a random bar and spent the night catching up. It’s incredible how Israel has brought together so many Jews in our age group. I’ve seen at least ten of my friends from across the US and Israel whom I would normally never get an opportunity to see. And I’ve gotten the chance to make new friends through our track and my internship.

I hope you enjoyed reading about my Saturday adventure!

<3 Eva Fischer