Today, we visited the cemetery at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem. It was the most beautiful cemetery I have ever seen, with graves dedicated to various Israelis, soldiers, and those killed as a result of terrorism.
Filled with natural minerals and extremely high salt content, this is a once in a lifetime experience in which we get to go into the water and FLOAT! The water was strangely warm and felt oily to the touch. The sun warmed our faces and the salt exfoliated our skin.Â
Friday morning to Saturday at sundown is the most surreal experience on the Birthright Israel trip. Independence Hall is not like any landmark we have in the United States. The womb of revolution was your best friend's house in  the middle of Tel Aviv.
This morning we had the priveledge of visiting the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum. It is difficult to put into words the horrors of this atrocity, let alone develop an entire museum display to show case it, but Yad Vashem did not disappoint.
As someone who regularly celebrates Shabbat (at least to some extent), the prospect of spending that holy day in such a holy city filled me with joy from the first moment I knew it was going to happen.
I woke up on the morning of the fourth day full of excitement. This was the day that we were to travel to Tel Aviv. On our way to Tel Aviv, we learned about the JNF and their mission to improve population distribution thoughout the southern half (the Negev) and in the north of Isreal.
This experience has taught me that you can be both. I feel more connected to Judaism and more importantly, where I come from. Israel is a place where all religions can find connection and root, and I have discovered a side to my ancestry that I never knew existed. I guess I am not so far removed from my past after all.
Nothing is a coincidence. Everything you experience is meant to teach you something of meaning. This particular day feels like the start of the rest of my life. Today we were lucky enough to visit with an artist in Tsfat named Avraham (or Robert as his American name).
#Birthright #Shorashim #Bus525