My First Shabbat in Israel

Although today was Shabbat, we still had a pretty busy day. We started with a walk to the Israel Museum, which had a model of what the old city of Jerusalem looked like around the year 60AD. Ori explained to us how people would enter the old temple, and wash before entering, etc. He continued to talk about the different species of olive trees in Israel, the story of the dove an olive branch, and finally we talked about the Dead Sea scrolls.

We then went into an exhibit centered around the Dead Sea scrolls, which is some of the most significant Jewish artifacts; they were found in 1947 by some Bedouin children near the Dead Sea. The scrolls were written in 1000AD and give us perspective on what life was like back then for the Jewish people. It was a pretty amazing exhibit, and pictured below is the Aleppo Codex, which is basically the source of Modern Hebrew understanding.

PICTURE

We then spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing because of Shabbat (so I pretty much took a nap the entire time). We then did a quick havdalah service, then went to dinner around Ben Yehuda Street and then did some window-shopping. I’m definitely creating a mental list of what I’m going to be purchasing by the end of the trip. Tomorrow we’re going to be doing some kind of archaeological dig, and then staying in Bedouin tents for the night. I’m going to assume that I wont have internet, so I’m going to try and post as much as I can for now, and hopefully you’ll hear from me soon in the next few days!

Pilgrimage to the Old City

Today I started the day with a bit of nausea, but luckily some Dramamine and ginger ale got me through the day spent in the Old City of Jerusalem. I took it easy with a few bites of cottage cheese, and it was actually amazing! I was told by many that the cheese would be good here, and it really was.

We started the day with talking about some Israeli history, which goes back for about 6000 years. We learned about the 12 tribes that formed after Joshua conquered Israel, and King Solomon building the first temple in Israel. We continued to talk about Israel’s geography and relationships with surrounding countries, past and present. It is about a 6 hour drive from the North-most to the South-most points. Ori continued to tell us more facts and then lead us to the Jaffa Gate.

Talk about Jaff Gate, We also saw Mount Moriah, where King Abraham was ordered by God to sacrifice Isaac. We then stopped by the Western Wall, spoke about it’s history, and went through an exhibit where we got to see ruins from the site. We got a chance to go up to the wall where I said a prayer and and stuck a note in between the bricks. It was pretty amazing seeing all the notes in the wall and some were extremely old.

We then got to spend some time in Mahane Yehuda Market which was such a treat. Ben and I got sandwiches which were pretty simple but were so fresh and delicious. I also got this coffee slushy drink and it was delicious. I’ve seen them all over the place so I’m sure I’ll be having a lot more throughout the trip. While we went to eat our sandwiches, a girl came up to us and asked us if we were on birthright and we ended up having an hour long conversation with her. She said this was her second trip to Israel (first was birthright), and she hasn’t left after 10 months! One of her friends came over to us as well and it turned out he was a rabbi from Maryland. I told him I’m moving to DC and he said he would connect me with people in DC! It was pretty amazing finding people in Israel that we have stuff in common with. They told us that would be happening pretty often on the trip. He even knew Ben’s cousin! Such a small world.

Finally we went back to the western wall for Shabbat and it was packed there. It was a pretty amazing feeling being in the holiest place in the world on Shabbat and I’m so happy I was able to be there. On the girls side of the wall, there were female soldiers dancing and singing and it was amazing  to see such happiness there.

Greetings from the Holy Land!

I’ve finally arrived in the place I’ve heard about for literally my entire life. Even though I haven’t seen much yet I’ve felt a great sense of warmth upon my arrival. Not to get too emotional so early in my blog, but I feel like my grandma is here with me. The first thing I understood coming off the plane  was Yofi! And it put such a smile on my face.

We left America from Philadelphia and arrived at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv. The entire Birthright group traveled together. There are 40 of us ranging from about 19-23 years in age, and our group leaders are Tal and Eyal. So far they seem very nice as well as many of the other group members.

We are starting our journey in Jerusalem where we will be staying for the next 3 days. I’m rooming with a girl named Jenna while we are here and we luckily have a double, while everyone else is in a triple.  The hostel we’re staying in is called “The United Synagogue Alan Tichnor Residence Hall,” and lucky for all of you, it has wifi! The bus we’re traveling around in also has wifi, which I’m psyched about.

While we didn’t see much, the drive from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem was truly a sight. We drove up the Jerusalem Mountains to get to the center of the city, and the views were beautiful. We got to stop on the way to the hotel to take my first sight shots. On the bus we met our tour guide named Ori who is very outgoing and will be with us for the entire trip. On the bus he taught us about the Traveler’s Prayer, Tefilat HaDerech (תרגם דף זה). It is recited at the beginning of a long journey, so Ori stood up and recited it in hebrew to the group. I’ve already decided I want to find a hamsa that has the prayer written on it to hang in the rear view mirror of my car if I come across one!

When we stopped to take pictures, Ori lead us in saying the Shehecheyanu, שהחינו‎, which is always recited at the beginning of a celebration. He said it is often tradition that people recite it when they come to Jerusalem for the first time, and for majority of people on this trip that was indeed the case. These prayers were a great beginning to what I know is going to be a great trip to remember!

Tomorrow we’re going to the Old City of Jerusalem where we will visit the Western Wall. Tomorrow is also Friday in Israel, Yohm Shee-Shee, and we’ve been warned that the country is frantic shopping for Shabbat Dinner. Can’t wait to see some great shots and hopefully take some great pictures.