Today I had the most incredible day so far. I'm hoping I can describe it accurately, but I'm not sure words can really describe how I'm feeling and what I experienced.

I really wasn't looking forward today- another day of orientation and lectures I don't find incredibly interesting (how many times can we discuss why we are here?) and oh yes, placement tests for Hebrew and Biblical History.

I'll skip over all the mundane things that occurred this morning and skip to after lunch. We had sessions called "Yavne: The Past Isn't What It Used to Be". Instead of being talked at, the professor had us break up into chevruta (small study groups) and discuss some questions looking at both texts he provided and other resources we could find around the library. I loved being able to delve into the texts and stories and really find out what the main points were and what we can learn from them. I was finally getting to learn hands on, which was just amazing. And my group worked really well together and we bounced ideas off of one another, all bringing our different backgrounds and knowledges to figure out what Yavne was and its importance. It just made me so incredibly excited to begin school and learning with my classmates.

That afternoon, we had a program where we were broken in 3 groups and went on walks around the city, ending in a faculty member's home. My group went to Abu Tor with Nancy Lewitt, our head of Student Services. Abu Tor is considered a mixed neighborhood in Jerusalem, although what this means is that while both Arabs and Jews live in the neighborhood, they each stick to their own side of the area. We walked all over and learned about the area's history and saw some incredible views.

View from Abu Tor

After walking around, we went to Nancy's house for snacks and to talk. We got to hear all about her experiences living in this mixed neighborhood during the various intifada's. We had just a incredible discussion about what it means to be Jewish or Arab and about nationality and other topics. I learned so much and it was so great to just be able to ask questions in a welcoming and comfortable setting. Afterwards we sang a niggun (wordless song/chant) and then just all talked and hung out. 

Afterwards, a friend and I decided to head to the Old City so he could take pictures for a homework assignment (we had to take a picture of something that challenged, surprised, or inspired us and write about it). I hadn't yet ben to the Old City, so of course jumped on the chance to go. We climbed up to the Zion gate (many switchbacks-- think the Multnomah Fall hike Portlanders, only on Jerusalem stone in the sweltering heat) and walked around the perimeter of the Old City to get to the Kotel (western wall). Along the way we saw bullet holes in the wall from previous wars. We were able to see gorgeous views of Jerusalem. 

An incredible view of Jerusalem from right outside the Old City

We entered the Old City and walked to the Kotel. Now, I had no idea how I would react. It is an incredible site-- the remaining wall from the second temple. People come and pray at the wall at all hours. There is a lot of controversy around the wall. Men and Women are segregated at the wall, and the Men's area is probably 3 times the size of the women's area. This means that men are able to spread out and pray and get as close to the wall as they want, but women are crowded into a small area and often pushing to get within touching distance of the wall. Women also aren't allowed to read from the Torah at the wall. I hope to write about this more later after I attend a Women of the Wall service (where women gather once a month to pray and read Torah near the wall) I didn't go down to the wall, I decided I wasn't ready for that. I was feeling so many emotions just being so close to it. I wish I could describe how I felt, but its something you just need to experience for yourself. I look forward to spending much more time at the Kotel and figuring out what it means for me personally and my connection to it. 

The Kotel

Afterwards, we just walked around the Old City. Its so interesting, because once you leave the wall, mixed in with the homes and historical sites, are gift shops and pizza joints. Its just such a juxtaposition. 

I am so excited for the rest of the week, and for the rest of the year. Today totally re-energized me and reminded me why I am here. I cannot wait to experience all HUC, Jerusalem and Israel has to offer.

The Old City at night