Update from Israel #Bus357

Bus 357 had an amazing first week. After a couple days up north, we visited Safed on Wednesday and met with Avraham Leventhal and learned about Kabbalah and spirituality in Judaism. We then took a detour on our way to Jerusalem and went to Netanya to hear from American group leader Laura’s grandmother, Livia Bitton-Jackson, about her experiences in the camps during the Holocaust. It was the perfect preparation for our visit to Yad Vashem and Har Herzl cemetery the next day, Thursday, in Jerusalem. Thursday was an intense day emotionally, but the participants throughly enjoyed being able to talk about their impressions of the day.

Bus 357 spent Friday morning in the old city, followed by a trip to Mahane Yehuda, the lively open-air market. We celebrated the start of Shabbat in the Old City and prayed by the Kotel on Friday night.

After a whirlwind of a week, we finally got to sit still and enjoy Shabbat. We relaxed, spent time in a local park, and visited the Israel museum. On Saturday night, we drove to Arad for the evening and celebrated Purim there. We dressed up and heard Megilla, the story of Purim. We then woke up early to hike up Masada to experience sunrise at the top. We rejuvenated ourselves with a sunrise yoga session led by our very own Elissa Cohen. We learned about the history of Masada, and then continued on to a wonderful afternoon floating in the Dead Sea. We are excited to continue towards Eilat, to camp under the stars, hike, and go snorkeling. The trip is going by fast, but we are all enjoying sharing this experience with one another.

Israel By Foot Bus 357