Peter Petrzala gives an inside look into Israel

Hey guys! 

First of all, great job to Sura for starting this blog. What an awesome way to communicate life as a Booth Partner. For those of you that don’t know me, I’m Peter, and was last year’s marketing VP. I’m so excited to see what Sura has in store for you guys this upcoming year. She’s already been killing it. And while I could write a post on just how awesome being a marketing VP is, that’s not my topic for today.

As most of you know, the BIG 1st year spring break trip is to Colombia, which Sura wrote about recently – sounds like a really fun trip! I’m sure you got to know a LOT of Boothies and Partners, considering there were over 350 of you attending! Wow. The (not quite as) big trip for 2nd years is Booth Right. Booth Right is a play on the Jewish version of Birth Right. As you might have guessed, we went to Israel for Spring Break, and boy, was it a blast. 

We started our trip in Jerusalem, right next to the Old City. The Old City is full of markets and street vendors with amazing food. You think you know good hummus and falafels in Chicago? You’d be wrong. Dead wrong. The falafels were hot with flavor, and the hummus was so incredibly creamy and smooth that I don’t think I could ever eat Sabre hummus again.

The first few days in Jerusalem were filled with tours of places with so much historical and religious history. I grew up in a very Catholic household, and was taught stories of Jesus and God and his followers. But actually SEEING where this all took place? It was very surreal and very powerful to see.

Pictured above is Old City, The Western Wall and the Dome of the Rock. 

The Western Wall: people from all over the world come here to pray and write their prayers on pieces of paper to stick into the wall. It’s a holy site because of the connection to the Temple Mount. It’s the holiest place where Jews are permitted to pray. And because of their traditions, they separate the men and women. Also, you are required to dress very modestly because of this holy site. 

Dome of the Rock / Temple Mount: Unless you are Muslim, the area is restricted to visitors, except for very limited times. Jewish prayer is completely forbidden. And if you ARE Muslim, they test you on the Quran. 

Church of the Holy Sepulchre: this is located in the Christian Quarter of the Old City and probably had the most significant impact of my time in Jerusalem. This is where the tomb of Jesus Christ is contained – usually with a LONG line of people wanting to kiss the tomb and show their respect. You can also see the Stone of Anointing, where Jesus’ body is said to have been anointed.

Regardless of how religious one may or may not be, I think it’s a very powerful site to visit. Another powerful place to visit was Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus performed many miracles, including walking on water, feeding thousands of people with a few loaves of bread and fish, and turning water into wine (my favorite). 

Michelin-star experience, Ha'Salon

Every day our tour guide made it a point to say we are the “unholiest of the holiest in the most holiest of lands,” and this definitely ruled true at night, when we were treated to amazing dinners and very fun after parties full of frosty beverages. But the best experience was at one of Israel’s finest restaurants in Tel Aviv, called Ha’Salon, where we were treated to a Michelin-star dinner. The dinner was amazing and served on counters and by trays. The head chef of this restaurant is one of Israel’s very best, Eyal Shani. After dinner, the place turned into a huge dance party, which is apparently very common in Israeli restaurants. It’s common to just DANCE between courses. Maybe to burn off all the drinks and food we were consuming.

Also, if I haven’t said it yet, the hummus is amazing, and the tomatoes are some of the freshest I’ve ever eaten. Many people have said they don’t think they can ever eat hummus and tomatoes in the states ever again. 

Our time in Israel was a very unique experience, and filled with experiences to broaden our history knowledge, which will probably be useful at trivia night, some day.  But one of the most unique experiences was our time at the Dead Sea, definitely a bucket list item. 

The Dead Sea has NO life whatsoever, well, except us, the life of the party. The salt content at the Dead Sea is so high, that you will literally float with no effort at all. We were warned not to try to float on our stomachs because it would be hard to flip back over. But regardless if you’re trying to “sit” in the water, or lie on your back, you will float. It was such a cool experience. It felt like were on clouds, despite the amount of food we ate prior. You can throw that 30-minutes before swimming rule out the window. 

Another cool experience was the Bedouin camping experience. We were treated to a traditional Bedouin feast, full of couscous and grilled meats, hummus, veggies, Mafrum (fried potatoes stuffed with ground meats), wine, and BELLY DANCING. One by one, table by table, the dancers were bringing up unwilling volunteers. After a few glasses of wine though, the unwilling became very willing. I was one of those “unlucky” few. However, once you do your first hip bump, it was VERY fun. Like I mentioned before, most dinners turned into a dance party, and this was no exception. Towards the end, ALL 140 of us were dancing in the dinner tent. 

Last but not least, Tel Aviv. Probably the most liberal city I’ve ever visited. It’s been said that about 1/3 of the population identifies with the LGBT community. And this was surprising given Israel’s rich religious history. But at no point did I ever feel unsafe or uncomfortable holding Justin’s hand. And going to a gay bar was a little jarring too. Because of how little people care, there’s not really such a thing as a “gay club or bar.” Why? Because all people go to these bars just to hang out. Very open-minded. I love it. 

The city itself boasts a HUGE entrepreneur population, and is very popular amongst young adults. Old Jaffa is kind of like the old part of Tel Aviv, which had some of the best shakshuka I’ve ever had at Dr. Shakshuka. It also had one of the best stuffed pitas I’ve ever had at Miznon, which was highly praised by our trek leaders.

Pictured is the Carmel Market's large
variety of authentic and potent spices. 

While we did do a lot in Tel Aviv, this was our time. We had the freedom to go to the beach, walk the markets (my favorite being Carmel Market), or just hang out. Regardless of what you’re looking to do, you will never be bored. 

While it was a big group, there was still a sense of “community” among us. I knew a lot of people that were on this trip, but I also got to foster relationships with people I didn’t know, too. I now understand why people say they really make the best friendships when they go on these Booth trips. I know a lot of people prefer smaller group settings – trust me, I do too – but it was only overwhelming for a very small period of time. Otherwise, I think that Booth Right should absolutely be a strong consideration for the 2nd year Spring Break trip if you haven’t decided already.

Thanks for keeping up with The Life of a Booth Partner!