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By Matt Tonis

On our way to lunch, we watched the movie “Food Inc.”, which details how the food we eat is created. Billy described it as, “one of the most influential movies to come out in the last two or three years,” and I can see why. The treatment of the animals that we eat is terrible and it is quite obvious why there are as many diseases and call-backs as there are. The message of the film is to get the American public to make better decisions in the food it creates and consumes. This can mean buying local ingredients or cutting back on the amount of meat you consume.

The beauty of the road continued all the way to the National Park. When we got there, all of us piled onto a tram which brought us to the last station on the route. The hike was tremendous with all of the rocks surrounding the walking path. There was also flowing water underneath us the entire time.

Along the way, Billy pulled us over to talk about water in America. When there is rain, it seeps through the rock and flows towards the bottom to the more dense rock. This is natures way of repairing itself. This segwayed into that the earth will always be able to repair itself, whether people are here for it or not remains to be seen. Billy also told us that experts say that the next major war will be fought over water, not oil. It is also said that, at the rate of use that is going on now, Las Vegas, since it is in a desert, will run out of water by the year 2019. That is a scary proposition seeing that we are in 2011 and that 2019 is within the foreseeable future (unless you believe the world  will end on December 21, 2012.) News to me during this discussion, however, is that the southern states are having a tougher time with water supply than the rest of the country. The US does take for granted how much of a water supply we have compared to other countries. We take for granted that we have running water coming out of our faucets everyday without fail.

Our hike continued down towards a beach-like area at the bottom of the canyon. Here, we hung out, took pictures, and some people went into the water. It was really cool to be playing around near the water at the bottom of a canyon in a national park. This experience is part of what makes this trip such a great experience. Not only do we go and meet with experts on social issues, but we also get to have experiences that we would must likely never otherwise have, like today or listening to your friends play in a blues club in Memphis.

We returned to the hotel and hung out for a little while, then went to the park in Hurricane, Utah. Here, Billy’s friend Scott told us about his life. He told us that “loneliness is necessary” and how everybody feels unloved and invisible sometimes. His talk was inspiring because as young people, most high schoolers feel that we are alone in the world at some points. He also talked to us about how he went from a high schooler who tried to please everyone to evolving into the person who he is today. This talk while sitting in the park represented our Reconstructionist service. Mordechai Kaplan, the leader of the Reconstructionist movement, said that we need to be able to find God in nature, each other, and ourselves. Sitting in the open air and listening to  Scott talk came together beautifully, in my opinion, in finding God.

After Scott spoke with us, we had a cookout in the park. The lightning in the distance made for beautiful light in the dark, Utah sky. I don’t think that will ever happen again for me, eating at a cookout during a lightning storm in Utah, and I’m glad I did it on this trip, with these people.

 

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Every time I step outside of my house into nature, I never stop to look around at what the world has to offer. Going to Zion National Park today really helped me see the true beauty and amazement of our world.  The wind flowing through me, the animals running around, people playing in the streams, our talks about water conservation and rock formations, and the sun beaming on the aged rocks really got to me. It was not just a sit and hear about nature but, rather, it was a place to see and experience.  We hear about things that are affecting our earth and the corruption we are doing to it. Being in Zion Park made me realize that nature plays a huge role in my life and I need to preserve it. I ask all of you that read this to not watch or just read about these magnificent places but to visit them.

Shabbat services in the park

Today, we started off early with a long drive to Zion National Park. We woke up in Salt Lake City and grabbed a quick bite to eat as well as reading about our visit with the NRA in the Salt Lake City newspaper.

We arrived at Zion National Park and took a trolley to the trail we were hiking. The park was beautiful and we learned how Zion was formed. Over time, massive rocks were formed by sedimentation. Along the hike, we stopped by the river and discussed water issues and how important they will be in the future of this planet, as well as simple ways to conserve water. We learned that the Colorado River is slowly evaporating and being used up by the people through unwise use, and one of the most common ways water is being used up is by watering lawns. The average American uses 170 gallons of water a day.

The beauty of the park was overwhelming. As we hiked, we looked around admiring the mountains and the blue skies. At the end of the trail, we went to the creek to look around. Some people walked on the rocks in the water. Utah is really a sight to see.

Following Zion National Park, the group went to a nearby park/baseball field for Friday night services. Tonight we had our own Renewal/Reconstructionist service. It consisted of a lot of singing in English and Hebrew. It was a different type of service from what I am used to but it was fun and enjoyable.

After services, we came back to the hotel and had a barbeque that Jonah and Billy made of grilled hamburgers and hot dogs. It was a great day with everyone looking forward to the Grand Canyon tomorrow!

Today started out with a five hour drive (which did mean extra nap and bonding time!) but the ride was well worth it as we pulled into Zion National Park. This is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen or been. I can’t even put into words how magnificent the scenery was. We took a hike on the Narrows trail. It wasn’t the huge rock climb we thought it would be. Rather, it was a mile long path through giant rock formations. I have never seen trees so green or water so pretty. Halfway up the path we rested while Adam, a staff member, spoke about how the earth was formed and how we need to start conserving our natural resources. At the end of the path we were able to walk into the river and cool off and rest. We then walked back down the path to our bus where Carlton, the bus driver, was waiting for us.

We checked into our hotel and had some time to change and clean up. We then went to a nearby park for Friday night services. Tonight we practiced Reconstructionist Judaism which has a strong belief in nature as a way to relate to God. I knew almost nothing about this branch of Judaism. Learning about it was cool but experiencing it was even cooler. Everyone commented that this may have been their favorite Shabbat service they have ever been to here or back home. We all participated in it and felt a deep sense of spirituality.

We then came back to the hotel for a Billary (Billy & Hillary… 2 members of our staff) BBQ grilled dinner of hamburgers, hot dogs and other things. The night ended with a beautiful lightning storm here in Hurricane, Utah!

Today, we woke up in Salt Lake City and drove to our destination, Zion National Park. On the way, we stopped for lunch and then made it to the beautiful park. When we arrived we filled up our water bottles and set out for a small hike.

Even though I have been to Zion before with my family, this time I was able to really get another look at the place I consider one of the most gorgeous in America. Our hike was led by the Zion Science Center and they split us into groups, got us into shuttles and drove into the Canyon. We got off the shuttles and began our 2 mile hike along the Virgin River.

Our guides not only talked about the history and formation of Zion National Park, but also, they discussed the issue of water conservation. Since I live on the East Coast, I had no idea that water was an issue. I now see it in a whole new light.

After the hike, we drove towards our hotel and stopped at a local park where we had Friday Night Services which were steeped in the theme of Reconstructionist Judaism. It was a very nice laid back service. After services, we went to the hotel and had a cookout for dinner. After dinner we had time to cool off in the pool and then wrapped up the day by talking about the past 2 days.

We were able to sleep later today as we had a more relaxed day today. On the bus ride to Zion National Park I was able to really soak up the vastly different landscape in contrast to my home state, Minnesota’s, tine hills and buildings. The orange and brown covered hills and flat plateaus were mesmerizing to me. I also had a turning point in relation to the trip. I now felt that it was slowly coming to an end since I am only on the 22-day trip.

When we got to Zion National Park we took a shuttle to one of the walking paths. The weather was fantastic… cooler than expected. On the ride, I was blown away by the beautiful scenery of the Canyon walls coupled with the swamp like wildlife. I was a little disappointed with the path itself as it was paved and felt man made. I enjoyed hearing about the issue of water rights by our tour guides. I had never really thought of the issue and was worried to know that the small water shortages in Colorado and nearby states could be extrapolated to much larger scales across the world. For example, because of waste and tremendous growth, Las Vegas could be out of water in 2018 unless they change the way they use water. I believe that this is a very pressing issue since all life forms require water to live.

After driving back to the hotel, we held a Friday night Reconstructionist service in a near by park. I did not know some of the beliefs of this movement and found myself drawn to it. Overall, the service was great because it was more meaningful to me than the normal services I go to. We actually discussed what the prayers actually meant. After that we returned to the hotel for a dinner of BBQ hamburgers and hotdogs. After some free time, I went to sleep thinking of going to the Grand Canyon.

Today we drove from Salt Lake City to Hurricane Utah—a small town 30 minutes outside of Zion National Park. When we got to Hurricane, we had some free time at the hotel because it was too hot to actually hike in Zion safely.

When we got to Zion, we saw that the park was stunning, the red rock cliffs rising from the sun-striped rocks drew forth some deep set awe from within me.

We hiked through parts of the park and the scenery was incredible. After we finished the hike, we talked about spirituality and where we thought our spirituality lied and what God and Judaism means to us. Billy told us to go find a spot for ourselves and spend some quiet time alone connecting to our spirituality.

After our meditation of sorts, we returned to the hotel where we grilled dinner. After dinner we held Friday night services and discussed the Reconstructionist movement. It was an interesting discussion but I didn’t agree with many of the points made. Overall the day was very interesting and the theme seemed to be either the different points of views on spirituality or the connection between the spirit and nature.

Today was a nature lovers paradise. This morning we drove from our hotel to Zion National Park. We met up with our tour guide Ilene. She was very nice and knowledgeable about the park, the animals, the rock formations and the vegetation.

First we went on a two mile hike that ended in a place called the narrows which is where two sides of the canyon come together. We spoke about water issues and conservation. Then we went on another hike up a steep hill and to a beautiful waterfall. The view was incredible and we took advantage of the photo opportunities.

From the park we went to lunch in the town of Springdale where we met a group of Jewish teens from a camp in Detroit that were on a camping trip through the west. Then we went back to our hotel for some down time. Everyone got to have time to themselves to swim, read, sleep or just reflect.

This evening we cooked out again and had chicken burritos, watermelon and cookies. After we cleaned up from dinner we went to a nearby mountaintop where we watched some fireworks from a nearby town. Then we went a little higher and laid down to watch the stars. We were away from lights and other city distractions so the sky was very clear and the stars were really bright. We listened to some music from Billy’s IPOD and Josh DeYoung played his guitar. We all saw some satellites and the stars were incredible.

On the walk back down the mountain we saw the moon come up from behind a mountain and it was the brightest moon I’ve ever seen. Tonight’s stargazing was an experience I will never forget.

Etgar 36 at Zion National Park

Getting an education on nature, preservation and water issues from the nature guide.

Taking a break during the hike

Matt & Daniel at the end of one of our hikes

Danielle, Josh and Alex resting

Maybe the heat got to them

At sunset we had our Friday night services. We discussed Reconstructionist Judaism and their beliefs. The founder of the movement Mordechai Kaplan believed that God is where you find spirituality and you bring God into the world by living a good and moral life. He once said that God can be proven by nature and seeing a sunset. So surrounded by the incredible scenery, we talked about our belief in God, spirituality and what Judaism means to us.

Then we had some time to go off individually and just sit and think/meditate and/or pray. It was a great Friday night service. Each Friday night we will experience a different branch of Judaism. Last week in Dallas we were at a Reform service, next week in San Francisco we will try a Zen Synagogue, in New York we will go to Bnai Jeshurun, a Conservative shul and in DC we will go to a modern Orthodox synagogue. We grilled out for dinner and it was a nice change from always being at a restaurant.

On Saturday we are going hiking in Zion National Park and then enjoy a relaxing afternoon. At night we will cook out again and then go to into the mountains away from the town lights and go star watching. We will celebrate the 4th of July on Sunday at the Grand Canyon!

Some musical entertainment on the bus as we head to Zion

Lisa, Matt and Daniel on the bus

Daniel, Josh and Aaron playing some golf

The rest of the group swam