As I stood above the valley, I was reflective of the events that took place at this destination and have formed my life.

We traveled to Mount Gilboa on February 6. As I stood above the valley, I was reflective of the events that took place at this destination and have formed my life. The time period for this landmark was the era of judges. I experienced a grueling hike while being informed of the great battles that took place in the valley. We learned about the mountains prevalence in Saul, Deborah, and Barak's life. I really enjoyed the discussion of Saul's humility and whether it bordered excessive or perfect. Humility and compassion that I feel should be present in a leader, but this trait is what got him killed and destroyed the fait of the Jewish people. Some thoughts I had on whether a leader should act on upon the people's wishes were conflicted. In modern politics candidates advertise themselves as voices of the people, but in Saul's scenario, the voice of the people doomed him. As a Jew this trip changed my mind into being aware that the land of Israel is not a guarantee, but rather a privilege and responsibility. Like in the time of judges, if we are not God fearing wholesome people, we can expect to lose the land. It is also not enough to be a good person for a minimal amount of time to get the land, but rather continue to be an empathetic, compassionate, welcoming human in daily life. - Jack