Back on Shabbat day, we were given the option of 5 different synagogues to attend in Jerusalem: two Orthodox, one Reform, a Conservative, and the Kotel. The one I attended was a Reform one. I enjoyed it; it seemed to go much more quickly then a typical American service but still manages to get a similar amount of prayers in.
From there we walked to a park to eat lunch and then back to the hotel to chill until around right before dinner, where we went back to the park. There we met Israeli high school/college students to compare our lives with theirs. Following that was dinner and then shopping on Ben Yehuda Street, a 4 block long walking-only road in downtown Jerusalem which is practically an enormous bar-mitzvah celebration that never ends. This is by far the best area in Jerusalem!
The next day we went to Yad Lekashesh, a place for the elderly where they make artwork while providing them with meals and shelter. I particularly like this place because it is different from these types of places in America for the reason that they focus on creating artwork to raise money to support their guests. Then we went under Jerusalem into an underground water tunnel that we could walk through. The water tunnel was built for military use under King David's rule. From there we had dinner and once the sun set, it was Yom Hazikaron, the day of mourning for the soldiers who have fallen in combat or terror attacks. We went to a ceremony in a Jerusalem neighborhood which had a choir singing sad songs and we heard the country-wide siren which signals a moment of silence for the soldiers. This definitely proves the powerful feeling that is created in Israel to commemorate their heroes. This ends the emotional day, but the tables will completely turn soon, as we get ready for Yom Haatzmaut. Very soon...
- Andrew
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