Arielle Klein on our first full day in Jerusalem (June 21)

Our group at Robinson's Arch
Old City, Jerusalem

Hey Adas families!! Today was our first full day in the holy city of Jerusalem! We’re staying in a very nice hostel just a few minutes from the center of the city (which does have wifi, so your kids no longer have that excuse to not call you). After a leisurely 6:30AM wake-up and breakfast, we departed for the old city in our super cool Ramah Israel t-shirts! We did tefillah and a short Torah service at Robinson’s Arch and then learned a bit about the significance of the sites around us. It was a beautiful breezy morning and we were surrounded on all sides by kids being Bar Mitzvahed with their families, and it was tough to compete with the rambunctious klezmer music floating from across from the temple. Also for some reason large amounts of balloons kept being released into the sky which was also pretty cool. We then visited a few sites in the area and had some interesting chavrutah and group discussions about topics such as ancient rituals, and similarities and differences between sects of Judaism and how they relate, as well as the meaning of holiness and where it comes from, to name a few. 

Our students placing notes written by
Adas Gesher students in the Kotel

We then got a chance to do a Virtual reality experience about the origins of the temple and the western wall which was very cool. Afterwards we each had some private time at the Western wall, with the opportunity to stick our own note in the crevices, as well as to put those of Middle and Elementary school-aged Gesher students from Adas. After time at the wall and one more group discussion, we had some free time in the Jewish Quarter of the old city to get crazy good street lunch food/awesome ice cream/overpriced souvenirs, etc. Next, we toured the City of David, basically getting a live action history lesson, and we descended into the underground water tunnels supposedly used by King David’s men. Very dark, very cold, very small, but very cool. With half of us falling asleep on our feet, we boarded the bus to go back and get ready for a night out in Jerusalem.

Avery and Eden enjoying juice from
the Etrog Man
Mahaneh Yeuda Market, Jerusalem

Ito, Aden, and Ethan just after some
fresh Turkish burekas
Mahaneh Yehuda Market, Jerusalem

Our night out consisted of a intense, slightly competitive, and very exciting “progressive dinner” (aka 10 courses of free food from 10 different food places in and around the Shuk- that’s heaven if you ask me). We ate until we could eat no more and had to “tap out”. Shameful. We walked back to the hotel, and it was a beautiful night to end a long and interesting day. I need to go to sleep, so I’ll sign off for now. 

As Ilan our tour guide says: don’t forget your hats, water, sunscreen, and tefillah gear!! Lilah tov :)

Arielle Klein
Just outside the Old City 
Jerusalem, Israel