Before going to Israel with icnext, I had been to Israel a few times. My experience with icnext, however, was much different from my other trips. With Icnext there was a purpose with every activity we did. For example, in past years, when i went to the dead sea, we were going because it was a prideful place for Israel, but this year we got the opportunity to actually learn more about the dead sea and it’s issues. After watching Dead Sea Guardians I, and the rest of icnext, developed more appreciation towards the sea. The movie was the story of Oded Rahav and how he formed a team of swimmers from Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority. We learned that the water levels in the Dead Sea were dropping three feet every year, and this team swam across it to bring attention to this situation, and the fact that the governments needed to cooperate and save this important resource. The way that I saw the dead sea this summer is not the same as I saw it on past trips and will not be the same as when I’ll see it next.
When we first got to Israel, I did not have any intention on getting in the water because i assumed i wouldn’t enjoy it due to my past experiences. However, when we got to the dock, Oded was there and he convinced me to go into the water. Speaking to him while he was in the water that he is constantly fighting for was inspiring and powerful. Oded is a great example of a true leader. He has done extensive research on a very important matter that has not had a lot of media coverage prior to him and has brought much needed attention to it. ICnext has helped spread awareness to save the dead sea through collaboration with Oded and highlighting his important work.