TL-46-354/1082 UPDATE 5

What an evening! Last night, the Kotel was a powerful experience. Some cried, some leaned on each other for emotional support, others prayed in silence, and some just took their time to experience the Kotel their way. The tour in the old city was delightful with a rich history thanks to our tour educator, Amir.

We woke up and checked out of the hotel, enjoyed breakfast, then met for an activity to discuss Jewish identity and antisemitism. Very heartwarming conversation. Thankful for deep conversations with this older group. Then the group went to Her Herzl to explore the National graveyard. We heard personal stories from soldiers and our tour guide. It was emotional and moving.  Then we enjoyed lunch (those who got pasta and pizza at Pasta Basta – good choice- delicious and inexpensive- those who got Rebar fruit smoothies, it was also such a good choice. Everyone else – hope they enjoyed their food as well. After a delicious lunch, we went to Yad Vashem as were given a tour by Debra, a first generation Holocaust survivor (her mother) and she shared her history with the group. 3 hours in the museum was a lot – but we all learned a great deal. Then we drove to the Bedouin tent site and settled in. This was filled by a traditional desert experience & dinner. Such good food (ok, so the staff member writing these reviews is a foodie- so sometimes I focus more on food- but it’s so good, I feel compelled to share how tasty everything is!!). After dinner, we engaged with a camel care activity where we learned about camels and got to care for them. After the camel activity, we enjoyed meditation of loving kindness & star gazing away from the cities light pollution – such beautiful stars that were breathtaking. Finally, ended the day with a bonfire, s’mores, songs around the camp fire, and laughter. What a night to remember. Many of us tried to catch some ZZZ’s because we knew we have an early morning the following day with hiking Masada. Excited for Masada and the Dead Sea tomorrow. Stay tuned for more #bus354 and #bus1082!!

Lyla tov,
Hal & Lexi
North American Staff