OPINION: Three magical weeks on tour with the tribe
From donkey rides in Kfar Kedem to visiting the Kotel on Shabbat, Amber Hyman and her chanachim [tour members] had an incredible three weeks
After three weeks of water activities, hikes and tours all over Israel, not even the 4:45am early starts could deter me from saying that Tribe Israel tour was the highlight of my year.
The tour of 15 girls and 4 boys (which seems tiny in comparison to other tours) created such an open and inviting environment – perfect for someone like me who went without knowing anyone. In fact, by day 2, the group had made sure I’d just about memorised everyone’s names.
Furthermore, I really felt that the youth leaders had our best interests at heart throughout. Even though the levels of religiousness varied between people, Tribe ensured that nobody felt isolated whatever their level of knowledge of Judaism and Zionism.
The madrichim (leaders) held an assertive belief in the importance of asking questions to further improve our understanding of our religion and Israel. The tour guide was excellent and had an upbeat personality which encouraged us to listen and learn from her talks.
The madrichim had a strong awareness and understanding of how to deal with safeguarding issues from mental health to physical ailments – it was clear that whatever mandatory training they attended was excellent, or they were just wonderful and caring people to begin with.
There wasn’t a moment on Tour when I felt unsafe in the madrichim’s care. Even when I fainted and was rushed in an ambulance to hospital, my trust in their protection over me didn’t waver – and that’s saying something!
Perhaps some could say that there were too many activities crammed into each day. Others may say that we were just getting our money’s worth! For us, we were appreciative of the busy days which provided an increased period of time to explore Israel, its culture and sites.
My favourite activities included a swim in the waterfalls at the Ein Gedi nature reserve, ‘tornado boats’ at Nahariyya, a donkey ride in Kfar Kedem in Hoshaya, exploring Jaffa and visiting the Kotel on Shabbat.
For those looking to cool off in the scorching heat, the plethora of water sports like banana boating and water hikes were fan favourites. However, the activities on camp weren’t just sports and physical exertion; small games and discussions led by the madrichim were dotted around the timetable. This helped break up the physically demanding days with some more mentally stimulating tasks.
Overall, I would rate Tribe Israel Tour extremely highly. Thank you very much for a wonderful three weeks!
- Amber Hyman went on Israel Tour with Tribe and is a member of Hampstead Garden Suburb Synagogue
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
