Sunday was an extremely full day. We started off in Jerusalem. After breakfast in the hotel, we journeyed across town to the Jerusalem YMCA. In Jerusalem, the YMCA is an institution that supports peaceful co-existence between Jerusalem's Jews, Muslims and Christians. The building itself was breathtakingly gorgeous- all stone with arches and domes, detailed with carvings symbolizing the unity of the religions. We met with the CEO of YMCA, a Israeli Arab who had an amazing personal story and a lot of optimism for the future of Israeli-Arab relations. His views were refreshing and the speech he gave was inspiring.
After the YMCA we traveled to Tel Aviv, and stopped briefly in the old city of Jaffa. We explored the Tel Aviv market and had lunch. Our next stop in Tel Aviv was Independence Hall. In this building, in 1948, Ben Guiron announced the formation of the Israeli State. It was interesting to relive this historic moment, and reflect on how young the state of Israel really is. Our tour guide at Independence Hall was able to recreate the sense of joy felt by Jews who witnessed Israeli Independence and detail the challenges and problems of statehood. Then, it was time for our much-anticiapted swim in the Mediteranean Sea. The beach was crowded and hot, and the water felt amazing. It was fun to people watch, and get a glimpse of Tel Aviv's distinctive beach culture.
We returned to the hotel, showered the day off, and got dressed up for a night on the town. We went to a theater located on the bottom floor of a shopping center. There an Israeli theater troupe put on a creative show of comedy vignettes. Though parts of the show were really entertaining, I found myself yawning after the long day of activities. But, the night was still young. After the show, we wound our way back towards our hotel, through the modern, hip streets of downtown Tel Aviv. The group divided for some free time out in Tel Aviv. My friends and I enjoyed a snack and a cold drink on the patio of a restaurant. It was a relaxing way to end a long and eventful day.
Submitted by Nicole Constantine
