We walked to the largest shuk, or open market, in Tel Aviv, Shuk H'Carmel and it was incredible! There were merchants shouting out their prices and boasting the superiority of their products. We were offered "special" prices everywhere we went because we were on Birthright but our Israeli friends and our staff made sure we were getting the best deals possible!

Experiencing the local cuisine and atmosphere are my favorite ways of appreciating a different culture, and I'm looking forward to all the delicious tastes Jerusalem has to offer.

The possibilities of haggling are endless, and the amount of gifts, trinkets, fruits, vegetables, spices, meats, restaurants, food stands

After a meaningful morning, we went to the shuk (market) on Ben Yehuda street and got a taste of the busy environment right before Shabbat. We sampled Israeli pastries, drank fresh squeezed juice and picked up souvenirs.

The small alley ways and twisty roads are distinctly Jerusalem. As we explored all the nooks and crannies, we were able to relive where people lived, prayed and shopped over 2000 years ago.

"Next stop was Rabin Square where we learned about what shook up Israel on the quest for peace . Then, what we were all waiting for, heading to the beach! We tanned, swam in the Mediterranean, and fixed our hiking tan lines on the sand."

"The sunrise from the top of the mountain was more legendary than any of Barney Stinson's charades."

I never realized how influential Rabin was in the war of independence and the role he played during the siege of Jerusalem. He was such an important Israeli General and politician.