Our First Day in Israel

(Due to technical difficulties, this post from April 18 is posted today.)

Shalom Shalom from Tel Aviv! Our group of 43 has finally gathered all together at the Carlton Hotel in Tel Aviv on the shores of the Mediterranean, after what seems like days, ready for our adventure in Israel to begin.

The adventure began the moment we arrived at the airport, and were greeted by our tour guide Jeremy outside of customs. We made our way down to the ancient port city of Jaffa. Jaffa is a place with an incredible past. We started by sampling fresh breads and pastries at the Abulafia Bakery, one of the oldest continually family-owned businesses in the country. After our street-walking feast, we made our way to the top of the Jaffalookout. From the same vantage point, one can see the shores of modern Tel Aviv, (the first Hebrew city built in 200 years in the land of Israel,) St. Peter's Church, and a mosque from whose minarets we could hear the muezzin call the Muslim faithful to prayer. Jaffa is the port from which Jonah souht to escape God, Peter hada vision of God telling him that the laws of kashrut were no longer necessary, and even according to Greek mythology is the place from which Perseus rescued Andromeda. After exploring the confluence of three faiths in one city and learning about the Jewish connections to astrological symbols, we made our way to our hotel to settle in, relax a bit, or perhaps wander the city a bit.

After a welcome dinner at the hotel, our group made its way further into Tel Aviv, walking to Rabin Square, named after Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who was assassinated after atttending a peace rally there in 1995. At precisely 8 PM, air raid sirens were sounded throughout the country and everything came to a complete standstill. Even buses stopped and passengers stood in the streets to mark the beginning of Yom Hazikaron, Israel's National Day of Remembrance for Fallen Soldiers. It is an eerie yet beautiful tribute to see the entire nation come to a halt to remember their fallen heroes. In Rabin Square, the Tel Aviv municipality hosted an assembly to remember the 23,000 soldiers who have given their lives to establish and defend Israel. Thousands of people, most under the age of 30, gathered for an evening of song, remembrance and tribute. While it may have been difficult for everyone to understand what was being said, the message of the ceremony was driven home by the tears on the faces of those surrounding us.

This incredible adventure has just begun. While there is so much more to write about the emotions we are all feeling, Steve Schwersky reminded me a short while ago that we have basically been awake for over 34 hours, and it is most definitely time to get some rest for our next big day tomorrow.

Laila Tov ul'hitraot --- Good night and we'll see you soon!