ATID is the Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis advanced leadership program. Part of every ATID class is a trip to Israel. These are accounts from the partcipants of ATID IV, who are traveling through Israel in February 2016.

Post written by Debbie Herold

Leaving the Negev, we begin to see the slow transition from the dry desert landscape to lush  green hills. As we approach Jerusalem, Offer Korin shares with us the story of his grandfather who served in the Hagana, the underground military group that would eventually become the IDF.

And then, the bus breaks down. Eventually, after about 90 minutes and a few liquid refreshments, we are rescued.

Now, I’m not going to lie, when I think of Israel the first thing that comes to mind is FOOD. So it is fitting that on our first night in Jerusalem, we find ourselves broken into two teams and challenged to prepare dishes made up of traditional Israeli ingredients.

My team scrambles to prepare what we think are several unbeatable dishes. Unfortunately, the judge disagrees and declares our opponent the winner. Whatever “chef." I get to taste the flavor of Israeli foods.

I get to drink wine with new friends while talking about an adventure none of us will forget. I get to spend the next few days in Jerusalem, one of my favorite places on earth. That’s a win in my book. Team Parsley rules!