Fasting in the Holy City

Fully fasting for the first time in Jerusalem is definitely one of my biggest accomplishments of the program. It was an amazing and unforgettable experience to break the fast at the Kotel, surrounded by my friends. Although fasting isn’t exactly enjoyable, I still had a meaningful day — I went to shul, and even joined the little kids in passing a yoga ball around (which, yes, included some running). It made me even thirstier, but I still resisted.

After Yom Kippur, we traveled south to Be’er Sheva, a city in the Negev Desert. We chased bunnies, built a river in the sand, visited Aubrey’s house — our beloved Jewish Studies teacher — and got a real sense of life in the South. I also had the opportunity to attend my first Sephardi service and learned about Bedouin communities and their history, which I found fascinating. We ended the trip on a sweet note — quite literally — at the movies, where I ate way too much candy!