Blog #1
July 17, 2013
Written by: Corey Gold
Hey everyone back home!
As I write this, the Baltimore Diller Teen Fellows are clustered together on a Boeing 777, cruising at a speed of 630 mph 35,000 feet over the Atlantic Ocean. At this very moment, we are 3,948 miles from touching down in the Holy Land. Some of us are watching movies or Israeli TV, while others are reading. Some are napping, while others are piled on top of each other, chatting. All of us are eagerly awaiting the moment in approximately 7 hours and 4 minutes when we will arrive in Tel Aviv International Airport.
After an uneventful bus ride to Newark, we made it through El Al security with relatively little hassle. We had a chance to grab a bite and break the ice with the New Jersey Metro Area Diller Teen Fellows, who are traveling with us on this same flight. Then, we made our last phone calls and sent our final texts before turning off our data and Wifi and boarding the massive plane, emblazoned on its side with the Israeli flag and Star of David.
As the plane's engines roared and we began our ascent, all of us opened envelopes which contained copies of the Traveler's Prayer and greetings from our JCs, Rachel and Reid, who are already in Israel. And just like that, our three week journey began.
For many of us who have never traveled on El Al, this flight is shaping up to be an experience in itself. Many of us have never before been served hummus with an airline dinner. Nor have many of us witnessed a Mincha minyan convene--on a plane. On this flight, we've encountered all different kinds of Jews: people of all ages, representing various religious movements, hailing from different nations. But all of us share our connection to Judaism and Israel. And today, all of us share the same destination.
The lights are out, so I guess that's my cue to get some sleep. Stay tuned for the next update, but don't worry about us too much. We're only on the plane and we're already having a blast.
Wishing everyone in the 410 the best,
Corey
P.S. Ethan says "hi!"
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