Shalom from Jerusalem!

What an amazing couple of days! Our Birthright trip is off to an incredible start. After long flights, and sprinting from one gate to another so we would make our connection in Zurich, we arrived in Israel on Monday afternoon. We promptly made our way to Jerusalem, the city of gold. Along the way we stopped off at the Haas Prominade, an amazing view of the city. We took a few photos (see below) and then made our way to the hotel. After dinner at the hotel (it was delicious!) we got to know our group members a bit, went over some important logistical info and finally went to bed. We were so tired!!!!

This morning we had breakfast at 7:30 and were out the door by 8:15. We went on an amazing hike in the Judean mountains and then proceeded to the Jewish Quarter of the Old City. We had lunch (shwarma!) and then toured around the magical streets of the Old City. There is something in the air there that just makes you feel at home…. We then made our way down to the Western Wall. Wow. What an experience. Everyone took some time to themselves to digest the moment. Some of the guys put on tefillin for the first time. Some of the girls went into an amazing room off to the side of the women’s section. I think it is fair to say that everyone had a powerful experience.

After a quick stop for ice cream we then walked around some of the more residential areas of Jerusalem to get an idea of how people live. Now we are back at the hotel, freshening up after a long day in the hot hot sun. We’re going to dinner shortly and then we will do a group activity later tonight. Tomorrow we are going to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust museum in the morning, and then making our way to Tel Aviv in the afternoon.

This is a great group of people and we are having a great time! More updates to come! Here are some pictures to hold you over for now.