Where did it all begin (not The Creation of The Universe)

We first met, several years ago, during the tour guide course, where we studied together. The course required us to spend many hours together, under quite demanding conditions. For almost two years, we studied together in class several times a week, intensive studies that demanded a great deal of investment, internalization, and the creation of connections between the content and the field. It also demanded the creation of connections between us, to try and collectively master this immense endeavor. Beyond classroom learning, we met every week at 5 AM and set out, each time to a different place in Israel. We accumulated hundreds of hours on buses and visited every corner and every site in Israel together. The nature of the long days in the field and their frequent occurrence naturally and wonderfully removed every mask and every possibility of being less than our true self.

And that's how we got to know each other, that's how we discovered our broad common interests, our shared love for connecting people to ideas, and connecting what was with what is, between past and present. We also argued a lot. Really a lot. We disagreed on many things; we have different worldviews on various subjects. And since, as I already mentioned, the intensity of our "togetherness" brought out who we truly are, it was fascinating to discover how much we have in common, how much we love the same things, and how much we come from different backgrounds with different perspectives in various fields. These were uplifting discoveries that allowed each of us to learn deeply about ourselves, with many self-insights.