Over the past 5 weeks, I went to Morocco, Spain, Portugal with Kivunim, which went right into our spring break, where i went to Dublin, Northern Ireland and England, before flying to Thailand for a wild 10 days. It was an incredible 35 days that saw 3 different continents that were worlds apart. At the end of the day, one thing rang true of everywhere I went: there is humanity everywhere, even in the darkest places, humans are humans; just one person can make a world of difference.
Morocco: From the Sahara to the Atlas mountains, to an 850 year old synagogue kept up by a 70 year-old Muslim, to the only Jewish adviser to the king in the Arab League, to multiple 10+ hour bus rides, Morocco brought about a wide variety of opportunities. We met with Mimouna, an organization of Moroccans who feel that the Jewish culture predates their Moroccan culture that is predominately Muslim and has influenced who even Muslim Moroccans are today. As a result, they feel culturally Jewish and even visited Israel recently to finally visit the holy land. In the High Atlas Mountains, we stayed in or near a Berber village, the desert Bedouins of Morocco. That night, we had a drum circle and dancing with these people who we couldn't understand. Instead, we communicated through dance and song, through fire and through just being humans. For me, this was one of the coolest experiences on Kivunim because it really opened my eyes to the fact that at the end of the day, we are ultimately all humans and can have fun in the same way and have the same basic needs. The next day, we took an 11 hour bus and car ride to get to the orange sand dunes of the Sahara Desert, where we would see the sunrise the next morning. Seeing the natural beauty of both the green, lush, lively mountains, compared to the stunning nothingness of the orange, barren, yet magical desert was one of the lasting images of the trip. Meeting and trying to interact with the Berber tribes despite our small amount of knowledge of Arabic and their fluency in their dialect of Arabic, which was quite different, was difficult, yet their friendliness shined through our inability to communicate. Morocco Highlights/by the numbers of what we saw and did -Cities visited: Casablanca, Taroudant, Agradir, Marrekesh, Talouet (Sahara), Fez, Rabat, Tangier -Rafi, our tour guide in Morocco, was probably the best tour guide we've had this year and will have this year. He almost by himself helped to reseurrect and redefine Judaism in Morocco by uncovering such amazing finds as an 850 year old synagogue that was hidden in a small village. The key to the synagogue was kept by Harim, a 70 year old Muslim man who was friends with the Jewish communtiy 40 years ago before they left to go to Israel. For these 40-plus years, Harim, with no incentive but being a good neighbor and friend to the Jewish community that left, looked after his synagogue that he could have used for a garden or to keep sheep or for storage just waiting for another Jew to come to the village looking for the synagogue. Somehow, Rafi was in this village several years ago going person to person, asking if they know about the Jewish communtiy that used to live here. Eventually, he found Harim, who upon hearing the question brought out the key and told Rafi he'd been waiting for him for 40 years. He was also a really funny and charismatic guy! -1 Sunrise at the Sahara -1 drum circle and amazing star gazing in the Atlas Mountains -1 meeting with special adviser to the king, Andre Azoule, a Jew who often represents Morocco at the Arab League, the only one to do so in the region -1 Turkish bath/massage Food: -Couscous, couscous, and more couscous -Tagine: basically the dish used to cook meat and anything else that is one of the most common ways to cook in Morocco Words we picked up or knew: Merci/shukran – thanks – Morocco uses both its dialect of Arabic and French in daily use Marhaba – Hello Thoughts: For most of the year, as a group of 45, we've been told how amazing Morocco is for a number of reason, but primarily because of its acceptance of Jews as an Arab nation, how much our program's founder is in love with the country, and how much Morocco will change the way we think and will change our lives overall. Needless to say, everyone had some sort of expectations of this trip, more so than any other, at least that's the way I felt. It was much more developed as a country than I had expected after India, with pictures of their King all over the country. Immediately, we were introduced to how great Morocco has been to the Jews, and eventually we were made aware of a growing group of young people who feel culturally Jewish because of their Moroccan heritage, which dates back 3000 years to the Jews who lived on the very same land they live on now. They organized the first conference in the Arab world that discussed the Holocaust and acknowledged its truth. In fact, swastikas only started appearing in Morocco recently, as more Moroccans became aware of its symbol and meaning. Countless times we met or learned about people who welcome the Jews and didn't prosecute them despite the times, including during the Holocaust. King Muhammad the 5th, the king during the Holocaust, in addition to the current king of Morocco, time and again acted in ways which were irregular to their region and time period. The fact the Azoule is a special advisor to the king represents how welcoming to Jews the country of Morocco is. That being said, there has also been acts of hatred against the Jews, including against one of the Rabbis we met there who leads the Jewish education for one of the remaining Jewish communities in Morocco. He told us a story of how he got axed in the head because he was wearing a kippah and showed us the scars to make it real. His eye was literally dangling out of his head. Furthermore, everywhere we walked or drove as a group, we had a couple policemen/security guards not-so-subtley protecting us against who knows what, a sign to me that maybe everyone wasn't as kind to the Jews as they were telling us. We also went to one of the largest souks, or markets in Morocco and maybe in the region, with 10,000 turns and an abundance of everything and anything you could want. It was easy to get lost in this souk, but it was one of our great chances to interact with the locals and bargain. We went to different markets throughout Morocco, and often times we found that they sold random Jewish memorabilia, which struck me as odd. These local vendors had found these or were given them once the Jewish community was driven out or left for Israel or somewhere else in the world, a clear marker of the Jews' presence in the country. Morocco was also home to the 3rd biggest Mosque in the world, a huge structure that could fit 20,000 people in it at once, which further showed us that we were in one of the more important Muslim countries in the world. We also had what I thought was one of the most memorable experiences of Kivunim yet, when, in about a 36 hour period, we: danced and slept in the Atlas mountains among the local Berber tribe, singing and laughing like they were old friends, star gazed with almost no light pollution, making for a sky sprinkled heavily with stars and constellations, hiked with one of the Berbers as our guide, drove 11 hours in cars of 3-4 people, slept in a castle converted hotel, and finally saw the sunrise at the Sahara over the dunes we would later climb. The dunes were soft and easy to fall into, which led to many of us tackling each other down the slopes and somersaulting and rolling down the dunes. This combination and utter fun, combined with meeting people that live such different lives than we do yet were still open to connecting with us, made it a night and morning I hope to never forget. We finished our trip in Tangier, one of Africa's closest points to Europe, where we took a boat across the Strait of Gibraltr, leaving Africa and entering Spain which was just miles away yet its society was worlds a part. Spain I'm not sure if it was coming from two not fully developed countries (India, Morocco) to a developed one, finally getting to a Western European country, actually knowing the language of the people, or amazing food and Sangria, Spain was possibly my favorite country I've been to this year. There was such a strong culture, everyone was so nice, and tapas were so tasty. We met a Jew, Haim, who converted after he found out his ancestors were forcibly converted out of Judaism who is now in the process of being ordained as a Rabbi, while his husband also converted for similar reasons. He is currently working to resurrect the Jewish community. Also, everywhere we went in Spain had these crazy food markets that just had every type of food one could think of, for cheap and small portions, so we all got to try to much good food in such a short time. Spain was a great transition from the long bus rides and more rigidness of Morocco to a relaxed, beautiful developed country – being able to drink the tap water doesn't hurt either! We were in Spain for around 6 days, where we went to Cordoba, Seville, Granada, Toledo, and Madrid, a tour that left me wanting to return to España at least for another week, if not for a semester abroad. Spain by the numbers/highlights: -1 boat ride through the Strait of Gibraltr -1 Kabbalat Shabbat in Cordoba that was led by Haim in the Jewish Museum synagogue exhibit, which was attended by a Jewish woman who grew up in Cordoba. It was her first Friday night service in her life in her hometown, which made her cry and thus set the circumstances for one of the most spiritual and elevating Jewish experiences I've ever had. The 45 of us were in a confined space, facing each other in a city and country that has been yearning for Jewish existence since 1492, when the Jews were expelled from Spain. From the first prayer, everyone in the room knew it was going to be a ride and an amazing experience, and it really was. Haim led me to feeling closer to Judaism than I ever had before and will be one of the most memorable Jewish moments of the year. -3 food markets which had everything from burritos to Argentinian steak, to ham cut right off of the leg that was so fresh, to fresh fish of every kind, including sea urchin, and empanadas -1 Alcazar, which was where Dorne from Game of Thrones was filmed. It's a huge palace that has magnificent, colorful gardens and fountains and mazes and just so much greenery. It was a beautiful palace that was made even cooler by the fact that we recognized scenes from GOT as we walked through it -1 Al Hambra, another magnificent palace from centuries ago where the rulers of the Iberian Peninsula once lived. It was similarly colorful and fountain filled, but we had to rush through so we didn't really get to see the most impressive part. -Many Jewish syngagogues, some that were once turned into churches but were now turned back into synagogues and/or into a museum to showcase the building's Jewish background. One such synagogue was called Saint Mary's White Synagogue, which to me was a interesting name because Saint Mary's implies such a catholic place. -Real Madrid soccer stadium tour, which we did during our free time. It showcased all of Real Madrid's trophies and accomplishments and we got to go on the field. -1 overnight train to Portugal, which included rooms and beds for a number of us, as well as chairs for the rest of us. Best Food I Ate: -Emapanadas -freshly cut ham -croquettes -Spanish bread (for some reason this bread is just way better than regular bread) -Sangria -Paellas -Sea Urchin -Cured Meat Thoughts: Spain brought so much to the table in terms of everything Kivunim sets out to do. After the Jews were expelled in 1492, they have come back and have started to reinvent themselves on the coat tails of Haim, the judeoconverso who is trying to be ordained. Besides the Judaism, there is just so much to love about Spain. One night, we were treated to Flamingo dancing, seeing the more traditional culture, while other nights we got to see Spain's nightlife. In Cordoba, where we spent the weekend, we walked through the old city and across the river, seeing old synagogues, cathedrals and amazing food markets. In Seville, where unfortunately we only spent a day before sleeping in Grenada, we saw this amazing Cathedral that was where Christopher Columbus's Tomb was kept. This Cathedral had the high ceilings and sculptures all around. Some of us climbed 30 stories up to the top of the cathedral, where we could see the whole city of Seville, 360 degree view. Truly a gorgeous city. During our lunch break, the Game of Thrones fans sought out to go to the Alcazar, where Dorne in the show is filmed. We eventually found it, scarfed down a quick sandwich, and gave ourselves roughly an hour to see the palace. While I wish Kivunim had taken us to see this magnificent sight, it was really cool figuring out where it was and how to get there on our own, a preview of what it would be like to travel on my own a few weeks later. I really enjoyed being able to see the palace at my own pace and not have to worry about what the group was doing. We left Seville for Grenada, the sight of the Al Hambra, another huge palace that Kivunim would take us to. This one was with a tour guide and had military living quarters from when the palace was in use, as well as a beautiful garden that had a fountain running through its entirety. Toledo was our next stop, where we went to 2 Jewish synagogues and saw an El Greco painting. One of these synagogues was the Synagogue de Saint Marie, or the Saint Marie Synagogue, a clear indication of the Catholic influence to this Jewish temple. Still, it was interesting to see other tourists who probably weren't Jewish touring these places that would seem only interesting to Jews. After Toledo we drove to Madrid, which we were all excited to get to. We experienced the nightlife in Madrid after going to yet another food market, and ran into many Americans on college break. The next day we had a walking tour of Madrid before having time for lunch, which was when a few of us took a bus to Real Madrid's soccer stadium and took one of the coolest tours I've ever taken. They really know how to get you excited about Real Madrid and about soccer in general. It again got me really excited to travel on my own a few weeks later. Finally, one thing that really stuck out for me in Spain was how friendly the culture seemed, with an emphasis on sharing. I thought that this could be in part from the idea of tapas – everyone just orders food to split on principle and expects to share it with each other, something that is a little bit foreign in America. Food is always a big representation and influence of the culture at large. If one grows up sharing all their food and not worrying about just eating their own food, sharing and caring for others could be ingrained in said person early on, contributing to the larger Spanish culture as more and more children grow up with sharing their food. Spain was and still is one of my favorite countries I've been to this year, and I can't wait to go back one day! Portugal Portugal was the last 5 or so days of our over 3 week long trip, so many of us, including our staff, were exhausted, which definitley showed in our schedule. It wasn't as jam packed as before, with more relaxed days. Generally, in Portugal our days would be something like wake up, take a 3 hour bus ride, go to a nice park for a picnic lunch and just hang around, go to a synagogue or two, go to the hotel and go out for dinner to some really good food. While it was really nice having a more laid back schedule than our usual jam packed one, I didn't feel like I got as good of a feel for Portugal as I did for the other countries. Portugal by the numbers: -4 cities: Belmonte, Trancoso, Porto, Lisbon – we spent the longest time in Belmonte, where we spent the weekend and got to hike in the mountains for beautiful views -1 Lighthouse in Porto that had crazy waves, maybe like 20 feet high that would crash over the walls onto the walking path. Going there in the middle of the night with those waves was incredible -4 amazing picnic lunches filled with lap tag and cheese and peanut butter - food markets that had really good meat Portugal was a little bit of a blur, but Belmonte was a beautiful little town that had rich Jewish history. It literally means beautiful hill/mountain, so as you can imagine it is located in the mountains. On Saturday while we were there, we got to do a hike through these mountains to awesome views of the surrounding areas. In this little village, there is an active synagogue that we went to, and our hotel was in fact a kosher and Jewish hotel, which I would not have expected to exist in remote Portugal. Similarly to Spain, Jews were kicked out in the 15th century and are just really starting to make their way back. There is one man named Jose who is really doing a lot of work to bring back Judaism to this country. It feels like every country we go to that lost much of its Judaism that is resurrecting its Judaism today is doing so because of one remarkable man, Rafi in Morocco, Jose in Portugal, Haim in Spain, and Ralphi in India. It shows just how much one person can do to make a difference. Porto was a great city but we only got to spend one day and night there. It was beautiful and on the water, and had the incredible lighthouse waves that went 20ft in the air or higher all the time. They had really good food and beautiful architecture. Lisbon, Portugal's capital, was also a great city and had the biggest food market I have been to thus far. It is inside but still has everything you can imagine. To be honest, I spent probably 20 minutes just trying to figure out where to start because it all looked so good. There was seafood, there was pasta, there was meat, there was chicken, all small portions for cheap, and all looked so good. We finished the last night of our trip with hanging out by the water as a large group, reflecting on the last three weeks of travel. It seemed like there was a general consensus that there was a really great group dynamic and many of us were sad to leave each other for Spring break. Everyone was really getting along and was really comfortable with each other. Although we were sad to leave, many people were going to really cool places over break, including South Africa, UK, Ireland, Italy, Amsterdam, Vietnam, and Thailand! I will hopefully be able to get another blog post up soon about my adventures in Dublin, Northern Ireland, Manchester, and Thailand, but a quick overview of what I did: Dublin/Ireland: Game of Thrones tour in Northern Ireland to Giant's Causeway and Belfast, tour of the Guinness factory, Cliffs of Moher, live music pubs and amazing donuts Manchester: Manchester City soccer game, lost bag but got in back barely in time before I went to London to fly to Thailand Bangkok: Thai New Year big water gun fight with 50,000 people, awesome hostel, biking on nearby, carless island, National park tour, amazing street food, best being Mango Sticky Rice and Pad Thai Mae Sot/Umphang: site of where we started our 3 day 3 night trekking tour to the biggest waterfall in Thailand called the Thi Lo Sur Waterfall, next to the border of Myanmar Thanks for reading the whole thing again! We leave for our fourth and final trip, this one to Central Europe on Sunday! Germany, Czech Republic, Hungary, Bosnia Herzgovenia. Shoutouts: TVA for reading my blogs
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AuthorDan Rosenzweig-Ziff Archives
June 2017
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