Wednesday July 11
Today in shiur, all of the chanichim learned about Aliyah Bet. This was the code name given to illegal immigration by Jews, most of whom were Holocaust survivors, coming from Europe to Eretz Yisrael between 1934-48. They violated the restrictions laid out in the British White Paper (that the children also learned about this week!)
Aliyah Aleph, by the way, refers to the limited Jewish immigration permitted by British authorities during the same period.
The chanichim came back to what they had learned, this afternoon after Shekem: the Roshei Moshava announced that all Eidot were being invited to join Aliyah Bet! So the kids grabbed flashlights and changed into dark clothing (to avoid the British) and went and had a cookout first to plan the journey and get fake ID papers. The older Eidot Gimmel and Daled even got some training – with a paint ball exercise 😉
Once it was dark, each Eidah walked from their lina sight to the water (our Agam from “the other side of camp”) and crossed into Palestine (to our island in the Agam closer to main campus), trying to avoid the British. They put on life vests (safety first!) and went into inner tubes, following a rope to “the other side” while British in canoes were looking for them…Anyone who didn’t want to get wet was shuttled across by Tzevet in boats 🙂 They arrived in Eretz Yisral, were questioned but got through it and celebrated (in the Gaga pit) with Israeli music and dancing!!
It was quite a scene!! You definitely “had to be there” to feel and see how powerful this experience was for chanichim. To feel that you need to get from A to B to avoid being captured and to arrive “home” is something they will never forget. This period in Israel’s history came alive tonight!! What a tribute to our nation’s pioneers 🙂
(Hope you can understand the pictures now!)
We can’t wait to greet Machal late tomorrow night and hear all about their fabulous week hiking, canoeing and camping out in Algonquin!!
Can you believe we only have 5 days left???
