Saying Goodbye to Jerusalem

Shavua Tov.  Shabbat just ended and the group is going one last time to Ben Yehuda Street.  Some students walked to the Kotel today as the rain let up and actually saw a brilliant rainbow.   We had a wonderful Shabbat which capped off a very stimulating week.  We began our stay in Jerusalem by focusing on the political divisions.  We toured the security fence and gained a greater understanding of the complexities involved from both Israelis and Palestinians as a result of erecting the fence.   We toured East Jerusalem and met with a Palestinian man in front of his home.  We listened to an Israeli and a Palestinian who lost close relatives in the years of the struggle between the two sides.  We toured the Jewish and Christian quarters of the Old City as well as El Aksa Mosque.   We explored the future of Masorti Judaism, Charedi life, and processed religious pluralism.  We visited the settlements and absorbed views from both the left and the right.  We had a stimulating class at the Conservative Yeshiva.  The group  had a great time with students at Beit Guvrin, a mechina designed to work with students for one year before they enter the Israeli Army.   On Friday, we volunteered in a soup kitchen and later got soaked in a cold Jerusalem rain.   We did a lot and learned a lot.  At the end of the week, we discussed where we began politically and how that may have changed.  One student shared his confusion, but we explored the notion that this trip only opens up the doors of learning, and the rest is up to him.  How he will continue to integrate what he learns will be a lengthy venture.

So we say good bye for now to Jerusalem and head to the North.  We will stop at Kibbutz Hannaton.   Much more to follow.