Friday marked our first full day in the desert, as we prepared for our upcoming shabbos in Yerucham, a small city about 1 hour from Baer Sheva. Bus 1 spent the day planting a vineyard, a contribution which will leave its mark on Israel for generations to come. Bus 2 began their day with a water hike and then headed to a clothing gamach to help sort through and organize donations. This gamach, known as Koach Latet (The Strength to Give), sells all of its products for 1 shekel and all proceeds go to tzedukah. Their goal is to create an environment where all different types of Jews will come together, and despite rich or poor, everyone will have an opportunity to feel like they are giving tzedukah- even if only but 1 shekel- and reaching out to their fellow Jew. Some girls also made bracelets to be sold at the gamach. We found some pretty cool articles of clothing! A major highight was arriving and seeing that the masterfully decorated front door of the gemach, which had been painted by NCSY GIVE 2009, was still being used to welcome visitors to the shop.

We then spent a beautiful and spiritual shabbos together here in Yerucham. We began shabbos with a powerful Kabbalas Shabbos which took place on a hilltop, surrounded by nothing more than desert and vast emptiness. The girls began to gain an appreciation for the history of the Jewish people's relationship with the desert and its representation as being a humbling place, helping us to realize just how small we are in the greater picture of the world. We were incredibly moved. We had a tisch Friday night with singing and cheering, learned about the art of Chessed on shabbos day and then wrapped up with an uplifting seudah shlishis and havdallah to conclude shabbos. 

For our motzai shabbos activity, we took the GIVErs back into the desert for Hisbodedus (Isolation). This ancient art of meditation, which has been practiced for generations, is when one places themselves in an isolated location in order to connect with Hashem and their thoughts. We left behind our cell phones and our cameras, entered into the mindset of facing ourselves, and sat deep in thought, alone, in hopes to connect with innermost emotions and to connect with our Creator on a more personal level. The GIVErs were inspired and thrilled by this gift they had been given: the ability to learn how to step back from their crazy lives and reconnect. Of course we concluded our evening with group reflections and... pizza!

Tomorrow we head back to Yerushalayim. Layla tov!