It's funny? It's sad? It's... special... the way everything has turned out so far. There are, reasonably, a number of complaints a participant might have. Why are these kids so unreasonable?
Maybe I'm just not hearing it, I can just imagine the texts going home:
"I'm still jet-lagged and they're making me walk and walk and walk"
"we ate dinner at 9:00"
"we walked for an hour in the rain/hail"
"it's hotter in Edmonton than in Jerusalem"
"I can't take pictures cuz of chag and Shabbat (though they wouldn't really have texted that one I guess)"
"WE STILL HAVEN'T EATEN BREAD"
But I haven't heard it. Those are all true statements, and I am astonished at the lack of photography I have to present, but it just doesn't seem to put a damper (and oh is it damp) on the experience.
Most of us slept less than five hours Thursday night. We walked all day Friday. We walked all day today. But there are no complaints. Everybody just walks around going "what's that? what's that?"
Tomorrow we're going to Yad VaShem and Har Herzel before heading North where the kids will be with their pen-pals for five sleeps.
After unpacking and eating on Thursday, there was a brief discussion about hopes and expectations for the trip. I told them I hoped to see lots of smiles and great memories. So far they've gotten so much to frown about, but their smiles honestly don't fade and the circumstances... well they'll only make for great memories.
***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****
Now in the absence of photos, I will do my best to describe some of the photos I would have loved to have taken on the yom-tov and Shabbat. The CJA blog will have photos from these days.
We started Friday at the Great Synagogue, where the boys separated from the girls and we stared at the massive stained glass behind the bima for about half an hour. It was packed for the final day of Pesach. Nobody minded that we were talit-less in jeans.
In Mishkenot Sh'ananim we heard about Moses Montefiore, the 19th century English philanthropist who paid to build the first neighbourhood in Jerusalem outside of the Old City walls. We imagined the Jews rushing past the square where we stood, heading back to the walls at night. We imagined the barbed wire in the valley below after the War of Independence. The couples who got engaged at the windmill before Yael was born.
Then it was off to the Old City. We sang Lecha Dodi and welcomed Shabbat overlooking the Kotel, went down to touch the Wall for the first time (for some), and the skies absolutely opened up. Rushing back through the Jaffa gate, back into the hotel, peeling off drenched Shabbos attire, smiles were the only things not washed away.
In the evening, dry and content, we played silly games involving sock throwing and shoe-on-head balancing. We ate some chocolate. Shabbat had begun.
This afternoon the adventure got serious. It was cold. Then it wasn't so cold. Then it was raining. Then we were at the Knesset. We huddled under a bus-stop (twice) on our walk to and from the Israel Museum. We learned about the Dead Sea scrolls, then stole a glance at the white dome over the Shrine of the Book as we rushed for cover. We climbed on the Ahava statue and got ready for the trip back. We didn't expect the hail, but we won't soon forget it either (I think I still have some in my hoodie pockets).
Back at the hotel, we had a relaxing Seuda Shlishit of Bisli and TapuChips, some Nestea Afarsek and Bamba. Then we did some preparation for Yad VaShem. I was really touched to see how eloquently and purposefully our students spoke about the connections between the Holocaust, Israel, and their lives. Below you can see pictures from Havdallah and dinner on Mamila Mall. It rained through most of the outdoor light show at the Tower of David, where they gave us ponchos that we will be hanging onto. This surely means the weather will now improve.
But, apparently, it's really not about the weather. The program has been so solid, and the kids have been so cohesive, that you couldn't really ask for anything more. You'll just have to take my word for it.
No comments:
Post a Comment