Winter Taglit-Birthright Israel: DC Community Trip Day 5

So if it was not blatantly clear that we were in Israel it became clear yesterday. We visited the "Holy City" - Jerusalem. Having been there ten years ago with my family, you might think the experience would be less overwhelming or meaningful but that was not the case. The Western Wall, while in most people's opinion smaller in person, is still quite a sight and experience. Men and women were of course separated and we were given time to approach the Wall and in whatever way we felt comfortable pay our respects, so to speak. It is almost impossible there not to feel connected to being Jewish when you see people from all countries and walks of life gathering at a single place to pray, leave notes, or just touch the Wall. As if anything could live up to this experience, afterwards we headed to the open market. With the help of our Israeli haverim (friends) we had lunch and participated in a scavenger hunt of sorts. If this sounds exciting, you won't believe our evening. After a brief but touching Shabbat service and dinner we had what can only be called a sing-along battle. Men versus women with songs as diverse as Salam to Grease, Shalom Aleichem to Sir Mix-A-Lot. This evening proved that we are here for a religious experience, but that does not mean we can't show Israelis how to have a proper battle of the sexes in the Holy Land! Shalom for now.

Mindi Levitz, Washington, DC

Taglit-Birthright Israel: DC Community Trip Day 2

"A Holy Uncomfortable Experience"

By Max Spitulnick (Potomac, MD), Brian Spitulnick (Potomac, MD), Jonathan Kushner(Washington, DC)

Our first stop today was a network of caves the Jews used over 2000 years ago. To get to the caves, 48 over-educated, over-fed Jews (us) crawled, shimmied, spiraled, and slithered our way through passages far too narrow for comfort. In the end, it turned out to be a claustrophobic, mud covered, highly informative experience that powerfully connected us to our history.

The dark twisting caves of 2000 years ago gave way to the falafel and Judaica shops of Ben Yehuda Street. We spent our hard earned American dollars and enjoyed our first free time in Israel (incidentally, free time in Jerusalem tastes like fried chick peas and hummmus).

Our final destination was the Old City of Jerusalem. We perused the ancient street known as the "Cardo," now the heart of the Old City, marked by ancient Roman archways and ruins.

Walking from the Jewish quarter of the city to the Western Wall provided each of us with a unique blend of anticipation, excitement, and even anxiety. Everyone seemed to have a fixed notion of what they should be feeling at the Wall. What we found was an undeniable connection to our culture, our heritage, and to each other.

As we write this blog, max, Kush and I are chatting with fellow travelers and watching several members dance like baboons to the beats of Missy Elliot and Justin Timberlake. All in all, a great second day! And I love Jews. They rock. Totes.