Inauguration Day

Being over in Israel is wonderful, but I definitely have an appreciation for my life back in the States. So this blog entry is just a brief expression of gratitude for all I have in my life, for nice bathrooms and clean water, to say the least. I look forward to this new time in our nation's history, under new leadership. I have great hopes for President Obama, and his contributions to our nation and to the world. Shalom to you all, and I truly mean that-- peace to all.

Dome of the Rock

So today was a great day! We went to the Dome of the Rock, which was incredible. The temple mount, or the Haram-esh-Sharif according to Muslims, was a almost surreal experience, when I think about the history behind the site. It was a long walk, and we had to go through Israeli checkpoints, but it was worth it. The Al Aqsa mosque, on the opposite end of the sit, was beautiful, and the Dome, right across from it was amazing. The colors and designs were very intricate and unique. We tried to see the rock through the windows of the Dome (the shrine houses the rock where Mohammad stepped as he was taken into heaven, and is where Muslim women go to worship; men go to Al-Aqsa). Anyways, it’s been a good day. Shalom!

Shabbat Shalom!

Today is Shabbat , or the Sabbath, for the Jews, and for us at the Center. It started yesterday evening, at 4:59, and we got to participate in welcoming in Shabbat with the Jews at the Western Wall (known as the Wailing Wall). Hundreds of Jews go to the only remnant of their temple at sunset, and sing and pray, touching the wall and rocking back and forth. There are hundreds of little scraps of paper stuck in the crevices of the stone; these are prayers, which are worth a thousand prayers anywhere else. All around us were these huge circles of people clapping, dancing and singing, celebrating their Sabbath. The men and women were separated by a wall, and we could see the top of all the men’s’ kippahs bobbing up and down as they danced. Some of us got caught up in the celebration (people would just randomly grab onto to you and pull you in—that’s what happened to me!). It amazed me how joyous everyone was. It was definitely an experience of a life time!!

Pictures

I haven't really been able to post pictures, and I won't be able to put much up in the future, but here are some for now, in order the pictures are of:

--Me and some friends eating falafals!
--Nabi Samwil--the ruins of the crusader church
--the outside of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher
--This is from outside my room, on the balcony, and is picture of the Old City and the Dome of the Rock

Nabi Samwil and Camels

We got to visit Nabi Samwil today, and it was a really incredible experience. Nabi Samwil is a mosque/ synagogue where supposedly Samuel is buried. The remains of a crusader church is below it (during the third crusade, this is a close as Richard the Lionheart got to Jerusalem.) From the top, we could see Jordan (the country), the Mediterranean Sea, and a great view of Jerusalem.

When we got the bottom, we drove to the east side of the city, where a very nice man and his very nice camel were badgering tourists. There were a few camels just hanging around, which was pretty funny to see.

It was a very good day!

Monsoon In Jerusalem

Currently, I am waiting my roommate to get out of the shower. It’s 4 in the afternoon. I really need a shower—guess why? We got to go out in the city today, and we got caught in a huge rainstorm (we’re talking about a city that gets the same amount of rain London does in a year—except Jerusalem gets it in 3 months). So I am soaked head to toe. But some highlights from today: We went to the Church of the Holy Spelechure, I got yelled at by an Armenian monk (got a great photo of a giant gold Jesus, though!) and I took a picture with a man who literally has the keys to the kingdom (The keys to the Holy Seplechure—all 6 denominations that stake claims there argued over it so much, the state appointed one family to guard the gates—that’s all they do, all day and night, stand there to unlock it at the morning, and lock it at night)…Anyways…I ate falafals (delicious!) and this amazing chocolate roll with all these foreign nuts in it, then got caught in a downpour for about 50 minutes walking home (a very nice Palestinian man and I walked under his umbrella for a while—I think he felt so bad for me he overlooked that huge breach of decency!) and now I am getting really, really itchy…so I’m going to shower. Love you all!

I'm Here!

So after a very, very long 48 hours, I'm finally here in Jerusalem. We flew from Salt Lake to Denver, then to Dulles (D.C) and then from Dulles to Vienna, where we took a connecting flight to Tel Aviv. We then took a bus from the airport to Jerusalem. The moment the bus went around the corner, and I saw the city, I knew this was a place I would always love. I can almost see why people have fought so long and so fiercely for this one city--there is something so transcendent about it. The Dome of the Rock is literally right outside my window, and as we walked in the Center for the first time, it was the Muslim call to prayer. It was truly one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard, and looking upon what I consider one of the most beautiful cities in the world, it seemed like a perfect welcome. Of course, the jet lag that followed immediately after wasn't as magical. Anyways, we walked around the Old City today, and some quick things of note were the Austrian Hospice (with a great view of the Temple Mount and Al-Aqsa Mosque), Jaffa Gate, and a Herodian wall, where the remnants of the towers Phaesal and Mariamne still stand. Anyways, the Internet here is limited, so sorry this is short. Hope you all are well!