From Jake Cohen and Josh Powell (LJY)
This week began with all of us leaving Karmiel to go off on our respective ways for Chofesh. I think I speak for everyone in saying it was great to have some time off to relax, recharge and reconnect with the Lotanicks (and any other r word you might find adequate). In fact we all did such varied things that I feel only an alliterated list will suffice so here goes. This chofesh we:
Travelled to Tel Aviv
Holidayed in Haifa
Enjoyed Eilat
Paraded through Petra
Mounted Masada
Were Jubilant in Jerusalem
Kicked off our shoes by the Kinneret
Lit the Chanukiah in Lotan
Took a jaunt through Jaffa
Congregated with the Castle’s
Ambled through Akko
Paused in the antiquity parks
And much more
Having had a lovely break we have now all reassembled in Karmiel and are looking forward to a fantastic second half of our time here. We hope everyone has had a great Chanukah and wish everyone back home a Merry Christmas and a happy new year!
Jake Cohen
CHOFESH! finally after weeks of waking up bright and early at 5:30 am for our work shifts on Lotan the majority of us took our chofesh for the past week and headed up north. Aleks n I went up to Tel Aviv to be finally reunited with Dawn and Yana (from Karmiel) so we could get chofeshed (responsibly of course). Arriving in the evening we went over to our hostel where we chillaxed n caught up with a few other of the Karmiellies that came round to say hi whilst they helped confirm that Lotan was definitely the superior options choice (harachaman!).
During the first part of the week we did many of the classic Tel Aviv touristy things: j chillin on the beach, mooching round the shuk and of course spending money in the club (in other words kef, kef and kef).On the Saturday we were all invited over to Beth’s apartment to meet up as a big group for pizza, beer and banter n it was great to be together as a big group again finally (although a notable few were absent).
In the second part of the week we to the overstay hostel in south Tel Aviv so we could check out the artsy Florentin district and wander around the historic Old Jaffa area. In florentin Dawn got tatted up (in possibly the most spontaneous act i’ve witnessed after not being able to get her eyebrow repierced) and in full christmas spirit got 3 snowflakes on the back of her neck. Although the weather was getting progressively worse it didn’t kill our vibes as we went on our own cycling tour of a run down part of Tel Aviv and a nice trip to the Old Jaffa flea market. After visiting Herzliya just north of Tel Aviv for an emotional last supper and to go the opening of a friend-of-a-friends bar we went back to our hostel for the last time and even though it was sad to say goodbye again we get to look forward to our seminar at the start of February
Peace out from ur chofesh lovin shnattiez