A Work in Progress
The fifth day of our Birthright Israel journey began like the days before: shake off the sleep deprived delirium, scarf down breakfast because you may be running late, and file onto the bus to continue our journey. Today's agenda was to travel to Rabin Square, Jerusalem, and the Western Wall.
For those unfamiliar with Rabin Square, it is a memorial to Israel's Former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin who was assassinated in 1995, devasting the people of Israel. Talking to local citizens of Tel Aviv about their memories of that event in Israeli history gave each of us an understanding of how truely a loss the death of the Former Prime Minister was. Even more so, it continued our learning about the seemingly impossible struggle for peace in Israel.
About an hour bus ride and a lunch break later we reached Jerusalem. As our group walked the cobblestoned streets of this ancient city (and cautiously maneuvering around the local cat population) we could feel the rich history being soaked up by our feet. We stood where our ancestors once prayed at Mt. Zion, stood atop an ancient building and absorbed the view of Jerusalem our ancestors once saw, and toured the city our ancestors once lived. Learning about Jerusalem's past meshed with the city's current life of young boys playing soccer, people walking past making calls on their cellphones, and local vendors attending to their shops: a collision of the old and new living homogenusly.
Lastly, we walked down to the Western Wall (also known as the Kotel) and had an opportunity to pray at the most holy site for the Jewish people. We touched the same wall our ancestors had practiced their faith and where the Jewish people will still continue to exercise their religious freedom. Some felt a connection and some did not, but either way it will be one of the memorable experiences collected on the Birthright trip.
All in all it has been a very emotional day but no individual is alone in this group of outstanding individuals who continue to build friendships. No matter what goals we set out to accomplish on this journey we all continue to connect with our Jewish identities and broaden our perspectives about a side of the world that is completely different than our own. As our trip continues and we continue learning, you might call us a work in progress.