Tonight is the start of Shabbat, and the students of AFUWOFI are
spending Shabbat with their host families in Beit Shean and Emek Ha-may-yanot,
the Valley of Springs. Eden and I are staying with Stav Sela who lives on
Kibbutz Neve Ur in the valley.
To start our Shabbat off, Stav took us on a
tour of her kibbutz. We saw cows, raspberry bushes, goats and even got to jump on
hay stacks. Later, we had a delicious Shabbat dinner with Stav’s family and
some of her family friends from the kibbutz. Her mom made chicken, rice,
schnitzel, salad, and so many more yummy Israeli foods. We also had
chocolate cake and Romanian rice pudding for dessert along with delectable herbal tea
made from Stav’s Louisa bush in her garden.
After dinner a couple of Stav’s friends came over and we had fondue. We
made our own chocolate fondue with Israeli cow chocolate and cut up fresh
fruit. Also Eden and I introduced chocolate covered chips to Stav and her
friends. It was a wonderful experience to spend quality time with family and
friends in beautiful Israel.
Interview with Stav and two of her friends:
Q: What do you usually do on Friday nights?
A: We have Shabbat dinner with our families (the most important meal
of the week) and sometimes visit our grandparents. After we usually hang
out with friends.
Q: What do you like to eat for Shabbat dinner?
A: Chicken, potatoes with silan (sauce made from dates), roasted
vegetables and cake.