Friday, January 7 - Saturday, January 8, 2011

Wow! I can’t believe it has been less than a week in Israel, yet it feels like a month. Friday morning we woke up bright and early for our first stop at the Mount Scopus Lookout Point in Jerusalem. (Boy was it a magnificent site) Our tour guide Kobe told us a story about the city and how Jerusalem was only chosen to be the capital of the land after many years of heated debate. Why did it take so many years? As the saying goes, “For every two Jews, there are three opinions.” At Mount Scopus we celebrated Sam Sperling’s birthday by singing in both Hebrew and in English. (And yes, the crown that Rabbi Reed picked up for Sam looked great on him)

We then went on the bus and drove through the Jerusalem tunnel to get to the Old City. As we walked along, someone asked why all the buildings in the city are made out of stone and look alike. Kobe explained to us that there is actually a law in Jerusalem saying that all the buildings have to be made from “Jerusalem Stone,” a beige colored stone. After walking through narrow streets and cramped spaces, we finally made it to the Kotel. (Western Wall) For many people, this experience was so moving that a few broke down in tears. A few hundred feet to the right of the Kotel is an area where archaeologists were given permission by the Israeli government to excavate for twelve years…what they found was truly amazing. Nearly fifty feet below what is currently ground level they unearthed an ancient city that was both rich in Jewish culture and beauty. As we made our way down to the excavated area, three members our group (Ben Gold, Nate Sobel and James Stein) popped out of nowhere dressed up as if they were from ancient times and taught us about how life was during these special times. They narrated their story through a quite clever rap and beat box musical session. Everyone enjoyed their humor and antics, but at the same time learned much about the high priests of the day, how a Mikvah (ritual bath) works and about money exchange on the street more than two thousand years ago.

Later in the day, we went to an authentic Middle Eastern Shuk. (outdoor market) Here, the group saw the hustle and bustle of Israeli life on a Friday afternoon right before Shabbat was about to start. Before arriving at the Shuk, we were given a Shabbat Buddy to buy a gift for, which we then exchanged later on. People truly enjoyed bargaining for their gifts at the Shuk, however we quickly found out that this is quite difficult if you don’t know the language.

That night, we went back to the Old City and right before Shabbat started, went to the rooftop of a place called Esh Hatorah (“The Fire of the Torah) Here, we overlooked the Western Wall while Kobe told us a story to get into the Shabbat mode. We then went back to the Kotel for Maariv services and after ate dinner at Esh Ha’Torah. This dinner was truly special for the group because it was the first Shabbat that many of us have spent in this amazing land. After dinner, we had about an hour walk back to our hotel which was a great opportunity to become closer with the Israeli soldiers that have joined us on the trip.

Shabbat morning there was an optional Shacharit service for those who were able to get themselves out of bed. For those who could not, sleeping in was a luxury many appreciated. During lunch, we had an “Ask the Rabbi” session with Rabbi Reed. The discussion spanned many questions, from Halachah (Jewish Law) to assimilation to the chagim. (holidays) More important than the type of questions people asked was the simple fact that we were all so interested in asking questions in the first place. There is something funny about being in Israel that makes you want to ask more, to know more and to discover yourself on a deeper level. In the late afternoon before Shabbat ended, we walked around Jerusalem to see some houses from important Jewish figures. As soon as we came back from our walk around Jerusalem, we ended Shabbat with the Havdalah Service. This service was extremely moving to many people, especially those who have never participated in this service.

Before we went out to Ben Yehuda street, Neil Lazarus, an expert on the Israeli conflict spoke to us about the impending problem with the Iranians, especially if they acquire Nuclear weapons. He also spoke to us about the negotiations going on between Israel and the surrounding countries. He said that the most important thing for Israel to do before they sit down at the negotiation table again is to figure out for themselves the most important question of them all: What it means to have a Jewish democracy. We then jumped on the bus to go shopping at Ben Yahuda street in downtown Jerusalem. Here, we bought souvenirs and got a true taste of what Israeli shopping is like. Tomorrow will be another day filled with excitement and new opportunities. Unfortunatley, our soldeirs who have been with us for the past few days will be leaving us to go back to the army. Kobe told us that in biblical times, (before face book and twitter…etc) the way people described the Kotel was, “You have to see it with your own eyes to really understand it’s beauty.” I think the same applies for the relationships that we have formed with these soldiers over the past few days. It feels as if we have known them for our whole lives, and the learning that we have done from each other is something no professor or textbook could ever teach.

--Ben Locke RU’13