July 11th

The MBIers spent today touring four major sites of contemporary Tel Aviv: Rothschild Boulevard, Kikar Rabin and the Blind Museum.

Rothschild Boulevard is one of the 'coolest', and not coincidentally most expensive, streets of Tel Aviv. Touring this street, the group got a feel for what the current culture of Tel Aviv is like. With trendy clothing shops and bubble tea, one could mistake Tel Aviv for Williamsburg in Brooklyn. On this part of the tour they also saw Kol Bo Shalom, one of the first buildings in the city of Tel Aviv. This is also where the tent protest was held last year. The group spent time talking about the events of last summer and the effects it had on Tel Aviv and Israeli society.

Another stop on the day’s rotation was Kikar Rabin (Rabin Square) where Israeli Prime Minister, Yitzhak Rabin, gave his last speech before he was tragically shot and killed in 1995. The square had been called Kikar Malchey Yisrael (Kings of Israel Square). Here they discussed Rabin’s impact on Israel and the peace process. They learned about the strides he had made before his assignation in re-instilling hope in the people of Israel that peace was possible as well. They also learned about the difficulties the country has faced since his death.

The group went to Refugee Rights center and talked about the current issues that have been escalating in the news in Israel. They were able to take a look at a lot of different elements of the issues and the way they effect the city.The last  stop on today’s rotation was the Blind Museum in Holon. Led by sight-impaired guides, the MBIers got to “see” Tel Aviv using their sense to experience the sounds and smells of the park and other places. Finishing in a café, served by blind waiters, they got a chance to experience Tel Aviv in a way that few people do.

In the evening the group had a peulah (activity) with their madrichim, in which they discussed the connection between Jewish history and Zionism, tying in all of the history they have learned and experienced so far. The group used their experiences of the past two days to talk about the values that Tel Aviv was founded on and compare them to the values they see around them in the city today. As you can probably tell already, MBI is no ordinary Israel trip. Each day is packed with fun experiences that also require the participants to think about the places they’re visiting in ways that most visitors to Israel are never able.