Since we last wrote, we've been busy, busy, busy...

On Thursday, we spent the day near (and in) the Dead Sea, including a gorgeous morning hike at Nachal Arugot. We returned to Jerusalem just in time for dinner, which was followed by some free time on Ben Yehuda Street.

On Friday, we looked at collective memory and identity in the State of Israel. In the morning, we were at Yad Vashem, where students participated in two separate tracks--one for those who had never been in the new museum, and a separate experience for those who had already been there.

We also spent some time at Har Herzl, Israel's military cemetery, where our madricha guided us around several sections, including the graves of Theodor Herzl, Hannah Senesh, and a few soldiers who were just buried this past week. We also met a woman whose son died in the Second Lebanon War, and she shared her son's story with the group.

With these experiences in mind, we began our final Shabbat on the program. We divided up and went to four different synagogues last night and two different synagogues this morning to get a better sense of the davening experiences available in Jerusalem. Our meals were filled with singing, and students spent this afternoon playing frisbee, basketball, SET, and just hanging out.

We are getting ready to head to our Final Banquet right now. When we return to the youth hostel, we all have to pack, and some of us might catch a few hours of sleep before we leave around 4:30 a.m.

We look forward to seeing you in Chicago tomorrow.

Shavua tov.