Me, climbing on the rocks in Ein Bokek. We hiked while still following the Jewish religious modesty code, which requires women to wear skirts and longer sleeves. Check out how the other girls behind me are also wearing skirts and sleeves!

A lot of people I’ve spoken with who don’t know anything about the life of a Rabbi or Rebbetzin are really surprised to hear about our adventures.  Yet, there is one group that never seems surprised: Israelis.  That’s because in Israel everyone, even the most religious Rabbis, will go on outings, at least for a day, into the wilderness of Israel.  These day-hikes, famously called tiyulim, are an indispensable part of Israeli life.

Last summer while I was studying at a popular Jerusalem seminary, I had the opportunity to join a group of girls of various levels of religious observance, on a tiyul to Ein Bokek.  I had never been to either the famous Ein Gedi or its smaller nearby cousin Ein Bokek before and I was really excited to go.

One of the most amazing things about Israel is its incredible terrain.  It changes constantly as you travel through it – from mountains and swamps in the north, to beaches, to the cliffs and arid sand of the Negev Desert.  Ein Bokek is located in the desert near the Dead Sea. After a long drive through the desert, it appeared before us like a mirage: a desert oasis so lush and beautiful we could hardly believe our eyes.

A pretty little waterfall in Ein Bokek

The hike through Ein Bokek is unique because you basically hike the entire time through water.  There is a stream running the entire length of the hike and your job is to walk and wade through it almost the entire way.  The water is crystal clear and cold as ice, which was awesome for us because we were hiking in the middle of the hot, dry Israeli summer, which is not a thing to be trifled with.  But the Ein Bokek hike is incredible for another reason: the things you see as you walk.  We saw birds and bugs, water and rocks, lush green foliage and dusty desert cliffs.  You can hardly walk a few steps without seeing something that exemplifies the land of amazing contrasts that is Israel.  There are not many places on earth where you can hike through the water while peering out from behind trees and reeds to get a big, beautiful eyeful of desert!

Another thing that made our hike unique was that it was a hike of mostly religious girls.  We were hiking in skirts and dresses!  As we climbed straight up waterfalls, jumped into rocky pools, and splashed through streams, we were doing so while following the Jewish religious code of modesty, or tzniut.  It was easier, when climbing up rocks and swimming in pools, if we had on shorts or pants under our skirts.

We rounded out the day after the hike by taking a dip in the nearby Dead Sea.  There are Dead Sea facilities for men only, women only (which we used), and mixed.  We packed a yummy (and kosher!) lunch of bread, hummus, and vegetables.  Hiking in Ein Bokek was a great experience, but only one of my very many in the diverse land of Israel!