Last Day in Jerusalem

For our last day in Jerusalem, we started our day with a final visit to the Kotel where we prayed and read Torah. We then went through an archaeological tour of the ruins of the temple at the southern wall and got to see all the artifacts and learned about what they looked like at the time. After exploring the ruins of the temple, we walked to the Jewish Quarter and had a pizur lunch full of delicious food. On our way to a new hotel, we stopped at Tel Afek,  a beautiful park with a lake and shallow pools, and snacked as we enjoyed the nature.

When we arrived at Shefayim, our beachside hotel, we changed into blue and white and made our way to a Yom Hazikaron ceremony held at a school in Petah Tikva. The ceremony was emotional and reflected the feelings of the country. We all stood for the siren and we all shared a connection. No matter who we were, what our backgrounds were, what language we spoke, we all connected and felt united all the way to the anthem. During the ceremony people shared their stories and reflected on how they felt. Kids were dancing and singing, and some of us even went up on the stage to say some words and give flowers. At the end of the ceremony, we all stood for HaTikvah and harmonized as we sang for our state and our people.

Eli and Itay