After a few days apart on kibbutz the MBIers were happy to be together for their final Shabbat. On Saturday morning they had chuggim (interest groups) which were run by both madrichim and chanichim. This is a time for them to sit in small groups and have discussions about a specific topic of interest. These discussions range in topics pertaining to politics, music, philosophy, nature among many others.
After chuggim they had michpachot (families) which was time for them to sit by machaneh (camp) and have a check in with their home camp friends. This is a time for them to talk about camp and to share stories from each buses experience.
In the evening the MBIers had a peulah in preparation for their visit to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial museum in Jerusalem. On Sunday they went to the museum and had a guided tour through the museum. The museum which was which was recently renovated has a unique design. The building is a long triangle that at the end there are windows piping light and a beautiful view of Jerusalem. In order to reach the light you have to criss-cross through each section of the museum, which spans from before the Holocaust looking at communities, through the end of the war exploring the many difficult topics and some of the more inspirational tales of righteous gentiles and the youth movements role in the war. The tour tries to focus on some of the aspects of the Holocaust and then ends by discussing the importance of Israel in our history as the Jewish people. The tour was followed by a processing discussion within the kvutzah with madrichim. This was a emotionally moving and important experience for all.
Following the museum the group headed to Har Herzl (Mount Herzl), a national cemetery in Jerusalem, named for Theodor Herzl, the founder of modern political Zionism. The cemetery was created as a burial place for national figures and fallen soldiers. Each group walked through the cemetery and the stories of some of the figures buried there such as Hannah Senesh and Yitzhak Rabin.
After an emotional morning, the group spent the afternoon taking in the sights, sounds and scents of Machaneh Yehuda, the largest and busiest outdoor market in Israel. This gave the chanichim a chance to see one of the staples of life in Israel and to be amongst Israelis in their day to day routine.
In the evening MBI had musicale, a Saturday night tradition at camp where chanichim are given the chance to show off their musical talents. Many a friendship has been formed over a common love for songwriting, musical instruments and singing.
