The Old & The New
After waking up in Jaffa in the wake of a fun night out in the hip "flea market" neighborhood, we drove to Tel Aviv's stock exchange, where we explored a showcase of some of Israel's most cutting-edge tech innovations. Central to the display was the groundbreaking Water Generator, affectionately called the Genny, a small machine that is able to, at the touch of a button, extract humidity from thin air and transform it into clean, drinkable water.
From their we traveled to Jerusalem Beach (still in Tel Aviv, contrary to its moniker), where we spent an hour and a half wading in the gorgeous, crystal-clear Mediterranean. Then we explored the shuk marketplace for lunch, before boarding the bus and heading for the nation's capital.
We arrived in Jerusalem where we discovered the Old City, full of ruins some five millennia old. We had a half hour to meditate and pray at the Western Wall, the last remnant of the ancient Holy Temple, and then left for our hotel in Jerusalem.
At night, we spoke in small discussion groups about our upcoming visit to Yad VaShem, Israel's Holocaust memorial museum, and spoke about some broad themes and experiences in relation to the Holocaust that would prepare us for tomorrow's heavy tour.