Jerusalem of Gold, Sole and Soul

We arrived in Israel Monday morning at 8am after a long 10 hour flight. The time of day was not good to begin with when traveling great distances, but add to that a plane full of 300 college students on their way to Israel as Birthright participants and you have a recipe for little sleep. I think I got a wopping two hours! My sleep aside, however, there was something extraordinarily gratifying getting to know these young people as they prepare for their first trip to Israel. They are thoughtful, funny, smart and engaging. I hope that they learn to love Israel as much as I, and that it inspires them to greater Jewish living, for if they do, then our future is certainly secure.



Birthright, by the way, reminded me that my friend Sarah Allen would probably be in the airport to meet them as she works for Hillel in Israel. And what do you know...she was! It was really nice to see her, even if it was for only 10 minutes!



After leaving our bikes with Hazon we made our way to Jerusalem on the new road. It was beautiful and fast. Upon arriving in Jerusalem, and since our rooms would not be ready until 3, we quickly changed clothes, brushed our teeth and then went for a walk.



And we walked. And we walked. One could say we spent the day with our soles in Jerusalem.

Our hotel is near the Central Bus Station (presumably so we can have easier access to leave the city). We started by going to Mahane Yehudah (the open market) and visiting Marzipan Bakery where we bought the best Rugelach in the world! You turn the corner and the aroma of freshly baked chocolate overtakes you! Oh what a feeling. Dessert was followed by a delicious felafel lunch at one of the Shuk's many stands.

Then we made our way to Ben Yehudah Street for a little shopping where we met Yoel, my friend whom Jody and met years ago when our community was hosting merchants for Israel Fairs since few were travelling to Israel at that time. The guys bought t-shirts for Philly sport teams in Hebrew.

After a little window shopping on Ben Yehudah Street we started making our way to the Old City. When we arrived at Jaffa Gate we stopped for a few moments to get our bearings, made a quick visit to Hell (ask the guys when we get back) and then went via the Armenian Quarter to the Jewish Quarter for our rooftop tour. On the rooftops of Jerusalem one gets a sense of both the beauty and complexity of this remarkable city. From the rooftops we went down to the Kotel for a prayer (many of us prayed that we would make it!) and then to the Southern Wall Excavation and Davidson Center.

At Robinson's Arch we had a true Jerusalem moment. There were busloads of soldiers and children out today learning about Jerusalem and its central place in Jewish history and heart. At the southwestern most part of the Kotel one can see a glimspe of what the Roman destruction of the Temple must have been like. Huge 2 ton stones pushed over piled up on the original Herodian road and th eroad indented from the force of the fall. Yet next to these 2000 year old ruins were Jewish children and their teachers. What an amazing juxtaposition! Vespasian wanted to keep the Kotel as a remindedr of the power of Rome, but where is Rome today? It doesn't exist, but the Jewish people do. Not only do we exist, but we are flourishing in our independant homeland. Yes, there are challenges to be overcome, but when one takes the long view...we're still here! So I instructed the guys to take out their cameras and to grab a picture of the children with the ruins in the background. Next Tisha B'Av, the day in which we remember the fall of Jerusalem, I want them to look upon these pictures and remember the soul of Jerusalem.