Shabbat Shalom

Today was an amazing day for everyone, especially for those of us who do not observe shabbat on a regular basis. Most notably, we were finally able to catch up on sleep because our morning activity didn't start until 9:30!

During this time, Dan led a discussion about this week's Torah portion and how it relates to the concept of leadership. Many people contributed their ideas and opinions on what it means to be a leader and the many types of leadership styles.  At the end we all said the Mourner's Kaddish.

Some of the more spiritual and religious group members led their own services afterwards. It was really amazing to compare the traditions, prayers and song tunes with others from across the country.

After lunch, our group walked around Jerusalem to a Central Park in the city. We passed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other important government buildings before we broke into groups to have a discussion about politics. Each group was given discussion questions about controversial issues in Israel today. Some of the topics were the separation between church and state, negotiating for hostages, marriage laws and immigration. Both the Israelis and the Americans expanded their mindset and appreciated the various opinions.

Once the discussion time was complete, we went to another park to relax and enjoy the beautiful day. Many of us played a competitive game of soccer! I scored a goal!

Afterwards, we returned to the hotel for free time and relaxation. To end Shabbat we had a brief Havdallah service and dinner at a food court near the hotel.

To end the night, Marnee led a powerful group activity to prepare us for Yad Vashem. Many of us shared family Holocaust connections and survival stories, as well as our thoughts on anti-semetism in our current society. It was an extremely emotional and personal activity.

Looking forward to tomorrow !

Laila tov,

Alli