Tel Aviv, Jaffa, and Jerusalem - Oh My!
I'm writing this blog post after and incredibly amazing and event packed day from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The day started off with a tour of the historical independence museum in Tel Aviv. Once there, we learned about David Ben Gurion and Israel's independence declaration in 1948. We even heard the original audio recording of the declaration sitting in the very same room that it was recorded in!
After touring the independence museum we left to go to a market in Tel Aviv. There was some impressive original art and interesting scents filled the air. I was able to buy a beautiful menorah for my parents (hi mom!) and had my first semi-successful experience trying to bargain for a fair price.
From the market we left for a walking tour of the very historical Jaffa by our amazingly informed tour guide, Omer. Jaffa was a beautiful coastal port and had significance to many cultures and societies throughout history. To any one reading this blog planning on traveling to Jaffa, do yourself a favor and go to Dr. Shakshuka for lunch.
The last part of our very busy day was touring the old city of Jerusalem. As we approached in our bus, I could feel the mood of our group change as we recognized the cultural and religious importance of this city. Our security guide, who usually is very quiet, warned all of us to stay together and not stray too far apart to ensure our safety in a highly contentious area. As we walked through the Jewish quarter, Omer shared history of the first and second temple and showed us original pillars from a market from the time of king Harry. We learned about king David's original city. I was very impressed with the amount of history that this one city contained. The end of our tour ended at one of the most holy sites for the Jewish people, the Western Wall. I learned that the Western Wall was not originally part of the second temple's physical structure, but part of the original enclosure wall keeping the temple safe snd is the last remnant of that temple. I stood at the foot of the wall and watched all the different types of Jewish people pray. I wrote a personal note and placed it in the wall among the thousands of others already placed there. As I looked at the Western Wall with the Golden Dome in the background, I thought about the struggles that we have went to get to this spot, and the struggles that our people continue to face now.
I can't wait to experience the rest of the trip!
