Hi everyone! It’s hard to believe that the end of our journey is almost here. Today our day started with a tour of the old city of Jerusalem. While there, we learned about the city’s rich history and had the opportunity to explore said history first hand. We traveled underground through ancient water tunnels that ran through the city.
Next, we walked to the kotel where we were able to pray at the western wall and place our notes into the wall’s cracks. The western wall is traditionally segregated by gender but recently a a conservative/reform style section was created. At Azrat Israel, we were able to pray together as a group at the newly opened section of the wall where boys and girls are allowed to pray together.
The rest of the day consisted of shopping and eating at the Mahane yehuda market and Ben Yehuda street. On our way back to the hotel we got to meet up with our amazing Poland tour guide Peppi, and catch her up on the rest of our trip in Israel.
We returned to the hotel to prepare for our last Shabbat together. Our Shabbat ceremony took place outside and consisted of the same prayers that we usually do on Shabbat. However, celebrating Shabbat in Israel after witnessing the atrocities that were committed in Poland gave the evening a whole new meaning. We all took the time to realize how fortunate we are to be standing in a country where we are free to be Jewish.
After our ceremony we did an activity where we recognized people on the trip who have impacted our personal journey. We cannot believe there is only one day left on this trip. Together we have laughed, cried, questioned, explored, learned and grown together. The memories we have made will stay with us forever.
-Becca Wise, Cincinnati Country Day School
