Last Day in Jerusalem
We began early today planning to visit for the Dome of the Rock before it got too crowded, a particular concern because of Ramadan. We arrived as planned only to find out that the Israeli police were closing it to everyone but Muslims because of security concerns. Very disappointing, but I suppose it gave us […]
Yad Vashem thoughts
Today after touring the Old City we visited Yad Vashem which is Israel’s national Holocaust memorial. This is not just a museum but a vast complex. I just have several quick thoughts about today’s visit and a comparison to the US Holocaust museum which I have visited many times on class trips. First and foremost […]
Visiting many significant historic sites and now needing time to process
On Monday we not only got to visit some significant historic Christian sites, but then spent some time at the Israel Museum. All of these sites provided visual and in some cases actual tactile interaction with some things that I had read about for most of my life. The expectation of coming close to some […]
CWB in a Greek Newspaper, June 19th
A big thank you to Nick Giannoukakis for translating this article into English. “In Greece, In Memory of the Holocaust Led by by its director, Dr. Zipora Gur, representatives of the American educational organization Classrooms Without Borders visited Peania and held a working lunch at the European Arts Center with the objective of participating in […]
A Day in the Life of Jesus
Our day (Day 7 in Israel) began with a trip to Mt. of Olives, specifically the Garden of Gethsemane. This is a special site in Christianity for three reasons. First, it is believed to be the place where Jesus went to contemplate and pray about his upcoming arrest and death. Second, the New Testament of […]
Reflections on the Kotel
The Kotel, or the Western Wall, is one of, if not the most important spiritual site in Judaism. I am a Jew. So why did I not weep as I laid my hands upon the wall? I teach at Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh, an Orthodox Jewish day school serving pre-K through 12th grade students. And […]
City of David
We started the day (Day 6 in Israel) by visiting the City of David in East Jerusalem. This is a well-excavated site whose findings have helped define the early history of Jerusalem including the time of King David. It is an interesting place as it is located in the heart of the Arab village of […]