Friday, September 7, 2012

Jerusalem!

     Yesterday I finally got out of Beer Sheva. While there are things I love about my new home, it was nice to get away for awhile, especially to a cooler, greener place. Our class took the trip together. We spend the afternoon at Hadassah hospital, listening to thesis presentations by a group of international students finishing their MPH. It was fun meeting some other transplants to Israel, and to learn about some of the issues from their home countries.
     We spent the evening in the Old City with a tour guide, learning a little of Jerusalem's vast history. It's an unbelievable place. Everything is crowded- the people, the buildings, the merchandise at the shuk. Despite this, the city smells amazing. I wish I could capture smells to go along with my photos. You can't really understand Jerusalem without its scents. We started off at the Jaffa Gate, the western entrance.


     From there we moved through the narrow corridors of the shuk...
   
                                            

                                       then we arrived at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre... 


Inside were lots of mosaics like this one...


Which were okay, until you realized how they were made. Check out this close up...


We then wandered from the Christian quarter to...


where we saw this...


It looks like nothing special, until you realize it's a part of the city wall from the First Temple period       (1000-586 B.C.). It used to be a lot taller, I promise.


And finally, the Western Wall, where we ended our tour. Things were a little crazy there because the Israeli Army was having a ceremony to induct a group of paratroopers. There was a huge crowd, with lots of paratrooper's family members running around. Understandably, they were very emotional, which is saying a lot because Israelis are never afraid to show how they feel. It's one of things that makes living here easy- no need to learn Hebrew, just watch the hand gestures.


my new roomie Bethany and I checking out the Dome of the Rock and the Mount of Olives

     So the first trip to Jerusalem was a success. A few classmates and I are heading back next weekend for Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year). Can't wait to get to know this incredible city a little better. Rosh Hashanah kicks off several weeks of Jewish holidays (Yom Kippur, Sukkot), which means that we get a break from classes. I'm hoping to do some more traveling, but at the very least it will be nice to get a break from studying. Classes start for the Israeli students after the holidays, so life in Beer Sheva is about to get more interesting.



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