We left Tel Aviv and drove to Jerusalem. The scenery on the way ranged from really pretty to nice to look at. The company and conversation on the bus was nice, as usual. We then stopped at an overlook and looked over the entire city of Jerusalem. The view was amazing. All of us taking pictures of each other staring off at the city, listening to the stories.
We then traveled to downtown Jerusalem. We saw the start of the hustle and bustle in preparation for Shabbat. We looked at King David's burial site, which was near the scene of the last supper, on Christmas day. We had Shabbat challah saying the motzi before heading towards the wall. Once closer, we saw the menorah said to be from the original Temple. Eventually we got to the wall. Men and women split up and went in. Even while looking at the wall, I knew I felt something, but could not describe it. It wasn't until after I put the note in the wall, walked backwards and turned away before I realized the sensation was "awe." All these years of turning towards Jerusalem in prayer, I was at the spot that I pray towards. It was amazing.
Then we made our way to Mahane Yehuda, an outdoor market. The preparation for Shabbat was in full swing. Incredible! Fresh pomegranate juice, falafel and more were there for us to purchase and enjoy. It was great. Then we headed toward Kibbutz Tzuba in Jerusalem. It sits in gorgeous hills, looking out towards the mountain. We prepared for Shabbat and had a nice discussion about the meaning of Shabbat and what each portion of the service means. We then went to dinner.
After dinner we returned to our classroom to have a boys versus girls sing off. The songs had to include the words "sun" in the first round and "peace" in the finale. The songs ranged from classic kid's songs to Backstreet Boys to classic rock. It was hysterical, quite possibly the funniest thing thus far. Who knew 22-to-26-year-old boys from DC could sing and dance in unison so well. After that we all hung out and relaxed and enjoyed Shabbat. The day was great!
Carolyn Abraham, Washington, DC
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