After going to bed Thursday night, we woke up to an amazingly large Israeli breakfast on Friday morning. Because it was Friday, neither of Amit’s parents went to work. During the day, all the icnext teens and their Israeli host teens did group activities such as visiting The Sachneh, a spring where many families swim and picnic, and later everyone dispersed to do other activities with their hosts. Naomi, Amit and I then visited Nir David, another spring where we swam and met other friends of Amit. In the late afternoon we went back to Amit’s house, and prepared for the Shabbat dinner. It was so heartwarming to see all of the family, friends, and passion that lit up the room. We did the blessings and sang many songs together. The dinner table was filled with bright foods, all of it smelling and tasting wonderfully. It was such a treat to try it all.
The next day, we learned that they do not drive on Shabbat. So, as Amit’s father walked to synagogue, we prepared for the lunch where Amnon and his father came to join. Again, the table was filled with several different delicious foods. We said the blessings and finished eating later that afternoon. In the evening, we said the prayers for Havdalah and celebrated the new week by going to our icnext group pool party at one of the hosts houses.
It was all such a fun experience for me and I loved everything about the family’s rituals and way of life during Shabbat. I will always remember my Shabbat experience, and hope to get the opportunity to witness and participate again.