This is the part of the trip we have all been waiting for. Tonight we finally arrived in Beit Shean, our sister city, where we reconnected with the Israeli friends that we met and hosted in Cleveland in March. During the time between their visit and our visit, we kept in touch and interacted with each other through social media. The second we stepped off the bus we were greeted with hugs and smiles. We all picked up right where we left off as if no time had passed since their visit in March. I knew right at that moment that our two groups have a very important connection and have already created a special bond that will last beyond our time together in Israel.
Both our icnext cohort and our Israeli hosts spent the night learning hands-on about the Kurdish culture. We met at the Center for Kurdistan Cultural Heritage in Yardena. After participating in traditional Israeli games, such as “Salty Fish”, together we sat down to a traditional Kurdish dinner. We were served lots of food, and more food, and then more food. The Kurdish people are a Zionist group who traveled North and built settlements in the Jordan Valley in 1952. Thanks to he Center, the story of this culture is a major part of Beit Shean today. With our our Israeli hosts we experienced many different aspects of the culture. Several of us got to wear traditional Kurdish clothing and danced a traditional dance. It was unlike anything any of us had done before, but it was fun for us to try something so new. We also participated in a drum circle while eating homemade Laffa (a pita bread grilled on a fire and topped with herbs) that was made fresh right before our eyes.
We were all so excited to see each other again. Getting to learn about the Kurdish culture with our new friends was a really special and memorable part of this trip. We bonded by trying new things together, and since Thursday night we have been inseparable. We love spending time with our Israeli friends and I know we will continue to keep in touch. We are committed to meeting again in the future because of these incredible bonds and friendships we have created on this trip!