Israel, Friday 24 December

Our first full day starts with a full breakfast and we are ready to go by 8 a.m.  I am relieved that the family by the almost one-way street walks over to meet us so I don't have to be horrified by the bus making a u-turn.

Chen and challah

We head off to the Wohl Rose Park between the Knesset and Supreme Court for a shehechianu ceremony to welcome us to Israel and express thanks.  We give the leftovers to a man whose tent is set up nearby.

Our first stop is the Herzl Museum (next to the military cemetery, which we will visit in a couple days).  We learn about Herzl, a secular Jew who was a visionary for the State of Isreael, through a multi-media presentation shown in several rooms, which was so well done that Arlo said he enjoyed it.

click to enlarge

We stick to the serious nature of the morning and visit Yad Vashem, Israel's memorial to the Holocaust, or Shoah.  Because it is not open to children under ten, two moms and three boys head off to the zoo.  The rest of us walk along the Avenue of the Righteous, where I am happy to see a marker honoring the people of Denmark.

The more difficult part of the visit was through the Children's Memorial and then the main museum, which is very thorough.  Toward the end I stop in the Hall of Names and check the database for my grandfather.  Chen, our guide, helps us make the transition, but it is jarring to go outside and see the city and the cranes and life going on. 

But life is going on full force and we join the crowds (mostly tourists? I can't tell) at Machane Yehuda Market as people shop for Shabbat.  We have more falafel and I use my limited Hebrew and even some Spanish to buy strawberries, persimmons, tomatoes, and crackers (because it reminds me of All-of-a-Kind Family).  It is great to be in the land of fresh fruit in season, but a bit tough to be with so many people, many of whom use their elbows.

I feel funny driving through an ultra-Orthodox neighborhood as though they are another tourist site, but it is eye-opening.  If this were a different type of blog I would start a discussion about the unemployment rate of the ultra-Orthodox along with the rate of service in the Army, but it is not the right place.


One of the highlights of the day is visiting the Jerusalem Archeological Park, our first chance to be among ruins that are thousands of years old.  Rabbi David Wilfond joins us to share some history of the area and lead a brief Kabbalat Shabbat service, welcomed by blowing the shofar.  It was an awesome moment.

We go through security at the Western Wall and join more Jews than I have ever been with in my whole life.  Some people are dancing and singing and it feels like an enthusiastic Hillel service, some ultra-Orthodox in Shabbat hats (huge fur things) are rushing around, and some of us are just observing.  Cameras are not used now and people do not leave notes during Shabbat, but just being there to see what I have only heard about before makes me feel connected.

After time at the hotel to rest, we have dinner at Beit Shmuel dining hall overlooking the Old City with the almost-full moon looming above.  An amazing start to Shabbat.