I can’t believe I’m already writing another blog, this week has gone by so fast!
I can’t believe I’m already writing another blog, this week has gone by so fast! In just the short time that I have been here I can already feel myself becoming more independent, and I know by the end of these two months I will grow into a much more mature and responsible person. I didn’t think being here would be any different than being at camp, because it is the same amount of time away from home, but it is a much bigger adjustment than I had expected. I’m hoping that I will come home with improved time management skills from learning to balance school, hanging out with friends, and exploring the town here. This week was unbelievable: hiking Masada, swimming in the Dead Sea, and having Shabbat at the Kotel were just some of the highlights. I cannot wait to see what our next trips will bring!
This Friday, we went back to Jerusalem for Shabbat. We went to the Mahane Yehuda Market and bought food while we watched crowds of people trying to prepare for Shabbat. It was really cool to see the whole town out together buying things, knowing that in just a few hours everything would close down and the market would fall silent. That night, we went back to the Western Wall. We spent our time there singing and dancing with each other and groups of students in Israel for gap years too. I did not expect to have that much fun in such a religious and holy place, but we all had a great time. We all joined hands with a bunch of strangers to sing together and teach each other some of our own songs. It was such a special moment and when our madrichim called us to leave, I found myself wanting to stay much longer. I realized that, although I may not be the most religious person, I am still able to connect with Israel and my Judaism. Saturday morning, we had the option to sleep in or go ‘synagogue hopping’ around the suburbs of Jerusalem to see what other temples were like. I never thought I would voluntarily wake up early to go to a synagogue, but I surprised myself and decided to go. The first one we went to was a very small, Sephardic temple, where the women had to sit separately from the males. I knew this was common in Israel, but I had never had the opportunity to sit in one of those services myself. The synagogue was gorgeous and quaint, unlike any other one I had seen before. The next one we went to was a conservative synagogue that reminded me very much of my temple at home. I was able to following the service and even knew most of the prayers. It was so crazy to think that even though I was halfway across the world, people were doing an almost identical service to the one that is done in my very own hometown.
Everyone keeps telling me to take advantage of the next few weeks I have here, and I want to make sure I go into everything with an open mind. So many things about this trip have already surprised me, and I cannot wait learn more about this country and myself in the upcoming weeks.
This Friday, we went back to Jerusalem for Shabbat. We went to the Mahane Yehuda Market and bought food while we watched crowds of people trying to prepare for Shabbat. It was really cool to see the whole town out together buying things, knowing that in just a few hours everything would close down and the market would fall silent. That night, we went back to the Western Wall. We spent our time there singing and dancing with each other and groups of students in Israel for gap years too. I did not expect to have that much fun in such a religious and holy place, but we all had a great time. We all joined hands with a bunch of strangers to sing together and teach each other some of our own songs. It was such a special moment and when our madrichim called us to leave, I found myself wanting to stay much longer. I realized that, although I may not be the most religious person, I am still able to connect with Israel and my Judaism. Saturday morning, we had the option to sleep in or go ‘synagogue hopping’ around the suburbs of Jerusalem to see what other temples were like. I never thought I would voluntarily wake up early to go to a synagogue, but I surprised myself and decided to go. The first one we went to was a very small, Sephardic temple, where the women had to sit separately from the males. I knew this was common in Israel, but I had never had the opportunity to sit in one of those services myself. The synagogue was gorgeous and quaint, unlike any other one I had seen before. The next one we went to was a conservative synagogue that reminded me very much of my temple at home. I was able to following the service and even knew most of the prayers. It was so crazy to think that even though I was halfway across the world, people were doing an almost identical service to the one that is done in my very own hometown.
Everyone keeps telling me to take advantage of the next few weeks I have here, and I want to make sure I go into everything with an open mind. So many things about this trip have already surprised me, and I cannot wait learn more about this country and myself in the upcoming weeks.