Day Three - Borders and Tomatoes (Shari Baron)

Day three was a day full of contrasts.   

After another spectacular breakfast at our hotel, we all got on the bus and headed south towards the Negev Desert.  On the way we witnessed two fires that were started by incendiary devices sent over the border from Gaza and then met up with Iftach Berman, an expert in Middle East education and analysis who took us to an observation point about a mile from that border.
We could see another large fire burning south of Ashkelon and it was sobering to hear the descriptions from him about what it is like for Israeli families living near the border who have 15 seconds to get into a bomb shelter when the warning sirens go off.  

Iftah was very knowledgeable, and we learned a lot from him about the conflict between Israel and Hamas. We watched IDF soldiers keeping track of monitoring devices and heard gunshots as they practiced (photo 4).  Standing there, looking across the border, one could wonder if there will ever be peace between Israel and her neighbors.  We also stopped briefly at a nearby kibbutz and watched children playing in the playground that is outfitted with bomb shelters. 



Then we switched to fun!  We had lunch at a terrific chummus restaurant in Sderot where Karen E. met up with a family friend and we then moved on to the greenhouses of the Habsor region in the northern Negev where we tasted various types of hydroponically grown cucumbers and cherry and grape tomatoes.  

They call their demonstration garden “The Salad Trail” – who knew that begonia flowers are not only edible but also great on salad!?!  We talked again about “the situation” and, in a prayer for peace, released several homing pigeons in memory of those on both sides of the fence who have died.

We continued on our trip to Mitzpe Ramon, a town on the edge of a huge canyon that developed over millions of years.  More on that tomorrow!  Meanwhile we shared a Kabbalat Shabbat service outside on the hotel lawn and had a nice dinner at the hotel restaurant.  It was interesting seeing the many families in the restaurant, each doing their own Shabbat songs and blessings.

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