Dubbed: Officer of No B.S. and Water Conservation

One of the big hazards of being away from my computer for this long is that I was greeted by 109 email messages (after I deleted the obvious junk)!! Oy! But the whole trip was fantastic.

The Dorot section of the hiking/camping was hardcore, sort of. We did walk long, steep distances in beating hot sun. We slept on the ground, without tents, in nature and there were wild animals to keep us company including horses, cows, the possibility of wild boars and even a unicorn... maybe. I hiked further after twisting my ankle because there was no other way out of the riverbed where we were located. We cooked by the fire.

Yes, I know, the bus did meet up with us carrying all our sleeping stuff, food and water for all the meals. No, I didn't hike the last 3 hours because of my twisted ankle and instead went to get a coffee at the nearby rest stop. Yes, I do feel a little like I cheated on account of these things. But it is only because of my Taurean, middle-child/only-daughter-among-3-boys nature that compels me to make excuses in the first place. So today I overcome that natural compulsion and say, yes, I rock... I hiked hard and I feel good about my accomplishments.

After the Dorot hike, I spent shabbat in TA. YC and I ate a lovely dinner at EZ's parents' home. YC unearthed some videos from 1989 that showed him and all his buddies on their 14 year old soccer trip abroad which we delightedly watched. Notably, when many of these kids traveled to Europe at this age, it was the first time that they had been on an airplane and surpassed their parents, many of whom had never left Israel. I feel like I understand these boys better now that I have a sense of their childhood personalities. I understand why they put up with each others' schtick... when you have that kind of history together, the bonds of friendship are strong. I feel that way about many of my friends too. While certainly friendships wax and wane in importance over time, there are some thick ropes that bind us together through hardship. My roommate, IM, recently told me about one of her friends who is en route to get married and has therefore cut her girlfriends out of her life, more by negligence than any deliberate action. IM is suffering from it. I hope I am able to hold all the important people in my life around me close, even once I have found that special someone.

After the short respite, YC took me to the Golan Heights for my birthday (oh yea, today is my birthday, hint, hint.) We took a short walk along the Syrian border at Metulla, saw beautiful waterfalls, and got caught in a light rain shower. Delightful. Spent the night in an Ein Zivan tzimmer that was tastefully decorated, secluded and lovely. I recommend it; contact me for the number if you want to book it. It was very nearly perfect, except for my brutal sheshbesh slaughter. Myrrh does not like to lose!

And yesterday we hiked for about 5 hours in Yehudiah in the Golan. It was not anything close to the hardcoreness of the Dorot hike but was outstandingly beautiful. Waterfalls, natural swimming pools (I took advantage), fields of pale colored wildflowers, and dramatic jutting rock over steep cliffs. Not bad. When I returned home, both my roommates acknowledged that most Israelis would agree that Yehudiah is one of the most beautiful places in Israel. Here's the problem: It is in the Golan Heights, which many, many Israelis admit will someday revert to non-Israeli territory. Maybe it will be returned to Syria, maybe it will become some sort of nature preserve or international security zone, but it will not stay Israel's forever. Why does Israel continue to build it up if its final status is admittedly uncertain? First, there are those who practice a kind of cognitive dissonance relating to land. They don't think long term, they are building for now, for themselves with a come-what-may attitude. (This was prevalent among Gush Katif residents and this thinking is prevalent in Israel in other matters too.) Second, Israelis believe that building somehow affects their security situation. Third and importantly neglected in the political discourse is the deeply rooted feeling that the Golan is the only wilderness left in Israel. They do forget about the vast desert, but that's something else. Many Israelis crave the openness, the wild abandon, the dramatic vistas. They can't imagine returning to a land without that quality.

I am judgmental about this issue. I believe holding onto the Golan Heights and building it only antagonizes a country set on sponsoring terrorism in Lebanon and among Palestinian groups. I can't imagine that security is dependent on tall mountains anymore, not with the sophisticated monitoring instruments that we have. Investing in the Golan has a tragic quality, embodying the romantic hopes and dreams of the residents only to come to a certain end at some point in the future.

But I recognize that I'm also spoiled. I grew up with the Columbia River Gorge as a close drive away. Wilderness is something not lacking in Oville. I didn't know that I needed it, but I would crave it if it was gone.

...

The title of the post is the "portfolio" to which I was appointed as part of the Dorot tribe. The "Water Conservation" part is a bit obvious given my research this year. The "No B.S." part probably originated on our Dorot day focusing on the IDF. After listening to a lecture by an academic on the morality of the IDF and its code of ethics, we met with some young tank soldiers. After discussing army life, the big question hung around without being asked, "Did these young recruits know the code of ethics, and did they take it seriously?" I couldn't believe that no one had even asked it. So, of course, I spoke up. "Do you know this code; can you recite it?" And much to our surprise, they were well versed in the code's content and considered it very important. Basically, I have earned the reputation of asking those kind of questions and cutting through some of the B.S.