Hump Day, at Last

Weʼve arrived at that storied Birthright Israel experience: Bedouin Tent night. Weʼre at Kfar Hanokdim—an encampment owned by Israelis Jews and operated by Bedouin—after an obscenely long day. (There were two desert hikes; the second took place in 103-degree heat.)

Smelling very, very ripe, we got off the bus and mounted camels two-by-two. Some camels were more headstrong than others. Several took a liking to David Cohen, a yeshiva graduate from Syrian Brooklyn, who screamed as he got licked.

Said one friend of Tablet after the camel-riding experience: “I thought Birthright was about getting young Jews to procreate. And after the camel ride—and I think I speak for most of the men on this trip—we no longer have the equipment.” That was the reigning consensus among the gentlemen of the trip. Another mentioned that the ride was touted by many alumni as the highlight of the trip, but added that it was rather painful.

All that said, we heard lots of laughing, even from the most jaded in the group. Here was our favorite moment:

Bari Weiss is an associate book review editor at The Wall Street Journal.