Written By: Alexandra Friedlander
In the morning, we drove to a Bedouin home. Bedouins are a subgroup within the Arab minority in Israel and have a cultural, historical, social and political uniqueness. In the Bedouin home, we ate a delicious breakfast of eggs, falafel, vegetables, and pita. We also went inside a real Bedouin tent with a Bedouin and learned about their culture. We learned that Bedouins will allow anyone to stay in their home without being questioned until the middle of the third day of their stay.
After, we visited Moona, a nonprofit organization, located in Majd el Kurum village. One of Moona’s main goals is to empower students–in particular, women– in the field of robotics. Moona created an interesting robot that copies the motions in which someone moves it.
Later, we drove to a local mall in Karmiel and did a bit of shopping. This was a very nice and relaxing addition to the the trip! We found a very good coffee shop called Aroma. I ordered an iced coffee-not your typical Starbucks creation; the milk was creamier and the coffee was better. Then, we drove back to the Children’s Village and ate a pasta lunch followed by an interview for the video created for the trip.
Finally, we spent some time with our Mishpachtons. I went to the playground with some friends from Pittsburgh and some friends from my Mishpachton and then feasted on a barbecue dinner with my Mishpachton. It was so good! The kids in my Mishpachton were teaching me different dance moves after dinner. I was very touched to receive a very generous gift from my Mishpachton. Though I will always cherish the gift, I will always remember the friendships and memories I made.