Eden Shnat 2013: August 2013

Journey to Poland begins

After a bus ride that began for some of us in Akko at 1am, Eden had a smooth, though long, check in process at Ben Gurion Airport this morning. They arrived in Warsaw and began another long bus ride to Krakow where they will begin their learning in Poland at the Galicia Jewish Museum any minute now. Everyone left in good spirits, feeling both nervous and excited for the week ahead of them.

They will spend tonight and tomorrow night at Krakow Fero Express Hotel (+48 12 376 70 80)

Saturday night at Lublin Victoria Hotel (+ 48 81 532 70 11);

and Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights at Warsaw JM Apartment Hotel (+48 22 455 85 04)

Their flight departs from Warsaw at 10:50pm on Wednesday 7th August (LO 151).

The following is the planned schedule for this journey:

August 1st	Land in Warsaw Drive to Krakow Galicia Jewish Museum Kazimierz (Jewish Quarter of Krakow) Spend the night in Krakow
August 2nd	Auschwitz-Birkenau Auschwitz (main camp) Spend the night in Krakow
August 3rd	Krakow Ghetto Sukenitzes Market (free time) Drive to Lublin Spend the night in Lublin
August 4th	Lublin Yeshiva Tour in Aryan Lublin Majdanek Drive to Warsaw Spend the night in Warsaw
August 5th	Warsaw Ghetto Warsaw Cemetery Krashinsky Garden Spend the night in Warsaw
August 6th	Tikotzin Lopochowa Forest Treblinka Spend the night in Warsaw
August 7th	Grochow Warsaw Dinner Travel to airport and fly back to Israel

Long lines to check in

Check-in completed, now to go through passport control

Have a wonderful, educational and meaningful journey in Poland Eden, can't wait for you to come back to Israel already!

Yom Habonim Dror

Tuesday 30th July marked the annual celebration of Habonim Dror Day. All Habonim Dror program participants in Israel gathered at Sdot Yam, a beach near Caesariya, on the cost of the Mediterranean Sea for a day of food, music, and enjoying the beach. This year shnatties from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa got to meet shnatties from Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil, as well as the participants of Habonim Dror 16-year-old summer tours from the USA, Canada, Holland and the UK.

The summer sun was enjoyed by all and Eden had another day to relax and enjoy some quality time together before their journey to Poland

Enjoying the water and slide

Lots of new friends from all around the world to meet

snacks and drinks were enjoyed by all

The very serious process of gimmick trading. Tables were set up especially for this extremely important activity this year!

We love the beach!

Relaxing after lunch

Water babies

A great way to relax before a long journey to Poland

Second Poland Preparation Seminar

Eden had their final 3-day preparation seminar for their journey to Poland from the 22nd-24th July.

The seminar was based out of the museum at Kibbutz Lochmei HaGeta'ot (Ghetto Fighters Kibbutz), which was established by those who were part of the uprising in the Warsaw Ghetto. It was the first Holocaust museum to be established in the world, which began as a tent with memoirs and photographs belonging to the up-risers, themselves, which they established as they were building the kibbutz.

Having two full days to go through the entire museum, which exhibitions you can view using the link above, allowed everyone to understand on a deeper and more tangible level, what was to be expected from their journey to Poland. From learning about how the spread of Nazism made it's way through Europe and the effects of WWII on all European citizens, to how Treblinka was built and run, to how resistance and rebellion were at play in a number of ghettos, there was a lot of information to process.

In the "Nazi Germany Oppresses Countries and Nations" exhibition

Time to look through the exhibitions individually

Processing peula

In the "Warsaw Ghetto Fights Back" exhibition

Learning about the concepts of Resistance and Rebellion as essential in youth movements

Telling our own stories: the migration of our families through the generations and how everyone got to Australia

And of course, we needed to make sure to enjoy having this time with all of Eden together, and allowed ourselves some time to laugh. A delicious hummus lunch was was one of the small highlights of the seminar enjoyed by all!