March 12, 2018 -- Day 1

From the moment we all stepped off of the plane, there was an air of excitement amongst us all and it only grew throughout our first night together.

We convened at the Carlton hotel in Tel Aviv and started with conversation and cocktails before heading to Maganda, where we were treated to a delicious Mediterranean meal of hummus, bubaganoush, tahini, pita, falafel, tabouli, roasted stuffed vegetables, assorted salads,olives, kebabs, baklava, and

a special birthday cake for Lyla Bass (celebrating her 9th birthday!). Good thing we'll be walking off some of those calories when we begin our tour tomorrow! Our guide, BG, and driver, Ahbed, have no idea how rowdy this group is going to be.

Even with a little lingering jet lag, we laughed and joked so much (we probably learned a few things about each other that will likely just have to stay in Tel Aviv!) In all, we feel so blessed to be with old and new friends, and traveling as a Temple family for the trip of a lifetime. May each and every day of our time in Israel be just as fun and memorable, and may our connections to Israel, our judaism, our culture, our community and each other grow even stronger.

(Lori Gaman)