By Samantha Zelling
Our trip to the Negev was unlike any experience I have had in my entire life. The calm serenity of the ginormous hills of rocks and the swaying ever-present wind changed my entire perspective on living, managing my time away from technology, and appreciating daily activities.
On our first night away from cities, we stayed in a Bedouin Community that has a beautiful, thriving culture despite the difficult environment. They welcomed us and served us some of the best food we’d had so far.
We spent the next two nights in the desert on our own, supporting each other, helping to prepare food and clean dishes, and sleeping side by side under the stars. The numerous hikes seemed daunting and scary, but I persevered through each one motivated by the remembrance of my ancestors who who traveled the desert through worse conditions and for much longer. Every time I gazed out at the natural surroundings I imagined that it’s what they might have seen as well. The views were breathtaking, and just when I thought nothing could beat Masada, I saw my favorite view just a few days later.
The second and final night sleeping on rocks in the desert, our group members were sitting around playing guitar singing songs, so I decided to join. The final song of the night with “Stars in the Sky,” a classic at Greene Family Camp that is about remembering our time together after the summer by looking up at the sky. Some people were swaying, but I laid down in the middle of the group of my friends looking up at the stars. The stars felt infinite and seemed to light up the sky to become a gorgeous royal blue. Our madricha, Talia, had pointed out major constellations to us with a laser flashlight the night before and I began identifying them as I laid down and sang along. I could see not only the stars, but also some of my peers swaying all around me. It felt like a picture perfect moment that I could not capture in an image, but that will live on in my memory for a long time. The sand that I find in all of my belongings seems to also be living on with me too. 10/10 experience!
