By Meital Gewirtz
During the opening conference in Caesarea, we spent Shabbat relaxing, getting to know one another, and engaging in conversation about Jewish living and learning. At the end of Shabbat, we walked to the beach about 20 minutes from our hotel, carrying with us firewood for aß bonfire. We were joined at the beach by Yonina, an Israeli couple, Yoni and Nina, who make music and sing together. Our “Vaad Bonfire,” with the help of Rabbi Zeff, assembled a fire for us to sit around.
Just behind the bonfire was the Roman Aqueduct, a remnant of the Hadrian Empire from the second century BCE. Enjoying the bonfire and the company of our peers in such a historically significant setting added to the experience.
For one of the first times as a Nachshon Cohort, we sat in a close circle and enjoyed each other’s company. It was a great way to unwind after a long and exciting week of intense programming and meeting new people. After some time of singing and playing music, we took a short break for dinner. Set up next to us was a pop-up restaurant with hot soup, falafel, shwarma, salads and hummus. We ate a nice meal together and returned to the bonfire for more music.
At the end of the night we walked back to the hotel and continued singing nigunim. The bonfire was the perfect way to end Shabbat and a great opportunity for us as a community to spend time together during the opening conference.
