Don't worry Ari & Ad, a response video is currently being made to the insulting one below, but until that rolls of the production line, here's an update of what Zachariah & myself have been up to lately.

We had an awesome few days in NYC which included Phantom of the Opera and Old Jews Telling Jokes, both phenomenal in their awesome ways. One day for breakfast we made a bagel with 7 different types of peanut butter. I can't remember the full list right now but I'm sure there'll be a photo on the internet soon. They were just a few of the highlights of NYC but that's not what this update's about- we're at camp now!!!!!!!!

We arrived at the beautiful Sprout Lake campsite in the afternoon. It's exactly like the movies- they have archery, swimming, a rock climbing wall, mini-golf, a petting zoo (2 Llamas!!), jewellery making, arts & crafts, horseback riding...the list goes on. Zac & I arrived at the end of the first session of the Summer. There are two 4-week blocks of camp and most kids only stay for 1, so we'll start properly leading next week when new kids arrive. For now though, we're still helping out with the activities and getting to know the kids for now. We instantly gained 50 new girlfriends, all 12-year-olds who are head over heels in love with our accents (sorry Bec if Zac doesn't call for a while).

As soon as we arrived, we got up on stage at that night's talent show and led a good old 'Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oy Oy Oy' to introduce ourselves, wearing cork hats and waving Aussie flags. Walking back through the crowd felt like being one of those preachers on TV- everyone wanted to give us hi-5's or just touch us because we were Australian.

The next day was a massive carnival day called Maccabia where the kids competed in teams in sports, dancing, songs, cake decorating and relay races. Unfortunately neither Zac's nor my team won but it was still and insanely fun day and really helped us get in the spirit of everything. The madrichim body is about 70 strong and camp is a lot more professionalised with adults running the day-to-day logistics and behind the scenes stuff (good and bad in a way), but everyone's super friendly.

Tonight is Shabbat so I have to run off now, sorry it's so short but hopefully will have more time in the next update. We're not allowed to take photos or videos of the kids (legal shtuff) but will ask the camp if I can chuck some stuff on the blog.

Shabbat shalom,

Mark

MDA

Hey all,

Zac & Mark here live from New York City!!

We woke up at 5am Israel time in Zac's Aunty Joan's apartment overlooking the Knesset, a nice final symbolic view of Israel. After waiting in queues and dealing with insane security (obviously with Israelis shamelessly pushing in line the whole time), we breathed a sigh of relief as we sat on the plane for a short, 11 hour plane ride.

17 hours later after insane US queues, we made it to Manhattan! We were both blown away by the NYC vibe that hit us straight away- the cool little building entrances, fire stairs on all the buildings and extremely long avenues.

We got out of the cab at Mark's family friends who live more or less on the Hudson River in a really central location. After a much needed shower and 3 minute power-nap, we were out the door again going for dinner with them. They took us to an awesome, awesome, awesome place which was kosher, vegetarian & organic. It didn't have the feel of a typical kosher place like Katzy's (the Sydney one, not NY) or Danelli's though- it was a really nice restaurant with Jews & non-Jews alike. It was more a restaurant that happened to be kosher than a kosher restaurant.

Mark wolfed down a soy bacon cheeseburger and sweet potato fries with a rasperry green tea organic soda (yes, you are missing out), and Zac had a spicy tofu burger (super spicy). Apparently the bacon cheeseburger tasted like the real thing, according to our family friends.

After that, we went again to another place-that-happened-to-be-kosher (rather than a kosher place) to get ice cream & froyo. Also really cool after having a cheeseburger. In love with the food scene here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today we are off to the MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) for the morning after eating breakfast at Tiffany's, going to the Village (area with cool shops and cafes), doing a walking tour of the Lower East Side to see the history of immigrants, Jewish and others, and then tonight we might go to a Broadway show.

We booked to see a show tomorrow night called Old Jews Telling Jokes which is the theatre version of the online video series, see below (clear your afternoon, you'll be spending it on YouTube)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIK1zVPjNGQ&feature=fvwrel

We head up to camp on Wednesday which we're really excited about too!

Missing Israel, missing Australia, missing everyone (but having an alright time here too),
Mark & Zac

YAM LE'YAM

We survived.

5 days, extreme heat, early mornings, long days of hiking, snakes, goats, cows, injuries, sickness, getting pegged and getting lost..

We finished Machon last week, Amy joined us for shabbat at Beit Vegan hostel near Har Hertzl and from Sunday morning to thursday night, Nir hiked the Yam Le'Yam trail. We walked from the Mediterranean Sea, from near Rosh Hanikra, to the Kineret. Or most of it at least...

It was survival of the fittest. We started strong with 22. Walking in up to 35 degree heat every day, we lost more people to injuries and sickness; until our group became smaller and smaller.

We had a crazy week. We swam in beautiful springs every day and climbed Israel's second highest mountain, Har Meron.

It was an incredible bonding time for Nir, cooking dinner together most nights and spending time together out in the bush. We unfortunately didn't finish the entire hike due to time constraints...

General consensus from Nir: Yam Le'yam was incredible.

We are on a free weekend at the moment and start a 2 week Hineni seminar in Jerusalem on sunday, whilst living independently in apartments.

Until next time,
Much Nir loving
xxx

Yam Le'Yam: From sea to sea 

Before: Mediterranean Sea 

During

After: Kineret

Final Week/Pumped for Tiyul Sikkum

Dearly Beloved Nir Shnat Blog Subscribers,

As Machon is drawing to it's impending close, the divided emotions throughout the machzor are palpable. People are happy to be moving on from the program that took up a significant portion of their shnat year, so they can have other experiences. On the other hand, most are saddened by the unavoidable fact that all the movements are splitting up, which means it will be harder to keep in contact with other members of the machzor, which has become one big family.

In other news, everyone is excited for the final trip, Tiyul Sikkum, which starts tomorrow. From someone in the organising Chavura, I know it will be an unforgettable two days. To give you unlucky non-shnatties a small inkling of a taste of how exciting the Tiyul will be, here is an incredibly vague and nonspecific teaser promotional video.

Tiyul Sikkum Teaser Promo

Kindest regards, Nir.



UPDATE: Here is a video from our Machon graduation:

May Update

By Ash and Annie

So dear family and friends of hineni, what have we, the shnatties been up to this joyful month of may?
Well, we kicked it off with a lovely dinner organised by Jaqui and Lips, and prepared by all of us. A wonderful evening sitting in the park and enjoying each others favourite songs. That was until we were interrupted by an American-Israeli that wanted to invite us to dinner sometime (much to our dismay- we thought he would tell us off for the noise!)
That week also saw two birthdays. Ryan’s, on the 2nd, and mine on the 5th- shabbas beyachad.
The week after that was lag baomer! Machon organised a bon fire that featured s’mores (courtesy of our Americans). That week we spent our self imposed Monday tnua time watching “Don’t Mess with the Zohan” to begin our “Zohan Appreciation Day” that featured brushing of teeth with humus and wear hair in unusual ways.
One week we had tnua time in a very interesting place. We were lead on a bus to a hill that was surround by barbwire, we were in Jordan, pre-1967 of course. We made laffa and had a team building peulah run by Michelle and Andrew.
We were welcomed into Shir Hadash shule by Rabbi Pear and his family for our Hineni shabbaton. It began on a Friday night, when we were all billeted out for dinner in the Katamone area. Then a lovely service and an entertaining talk by the Rabbi. Lunch was enjoyed with some special guests; John Zeleznikow (my dad), Josh Back, George Schneider and their kiwi friend Gavin. Sarah and Doron then ran a peulah about being a Jew in Australia and New Zealand. They used the eruv in north Sydney and the killing of animals in New Zealand as examples.
We celebrated Yom Yerushalim. Ari and Lauren were so kind as to organise a BBQ for us. Later that day afew of us headed of to the flag parade. Which not so much of a parade as a giant free concert that everyone danced to with giant Israeli flags. (Girls and boys separate- it’s the only way to do things). Later that night a hefty amount of machon headed out to the ‘Liela Lavan’, a concert that feature such awesome aritist; … .
We celebrated 2 birthdays in one eventful weekend! Nathan turned 19 on the happy Friday (25th)of the weekend of Shavuot. Which began with a dinner at our teacher Marc Kaye’s house- for those several henenites that participate in his Judaism class. Then it was shabbas, and thanks to Ari some of our boys had a lovely shab and shav (shabbas and Shavuot) at Yeshiva- which concluded at you guessed it- the western wall for our second of the three yearly pilgraims. Others of hineni orgin enjoyed the lectures at the egalitarian yeshiva- pardees. There were even some girls that celebrated the chag with our good friends from bnei at harova, in the old city. Me, I went brovvenders, the midrasha down the road, which was home to afew of our hineni mads. Ah, yeah, the second birthday. Mark finally turned 18.
So that’s what we have been up to. Hope all is going well in Oz.
We all send our love.


A Poem about life on Machon:
Machon was fun, fun was the time
Tiyuls, talks, tours, all sublime.
Northern tiyul was off with a boom
Time flew and swooped, zoom zoom zoom.
Kayaking, hiking, jeeping made us fit
To Metula, up north, onwards to the tip.
But wait, there was more, swim, eat, nap, swim
Splashing in the ocean, living on the brim.
Aside from tiyul the food was pretty bad
Thirst was quenched by lessons, teachers getting mad.
Fighting, screaming, learning, laughing, we cry.
Drug tests are negative, yet we’re all high…
ON LIFE

Shnatsem Vid

A little while ago Nir made a video for Ofek's shnatsem to tell them how shnat is going and how amazing it is! Check it out: