Shabbat in Tel Aviv

Shabbat in Tel Aviv... what to say? The service at Beit Tefillah Yisraeli was fabulous, with enormous joy and spirit. Shabbat dinner back at the hotel was filled with laughter and singing. Torah study this morning was a meaningful reflection on sacred space and how to carry the experience of Israel with us as we prepare to return to Philadelphia.

Then it was free time as we split up to enjoy some of the many pleasures Tel Aviv has to offer. I led a group on a walk down the beach to the city of Old Yaffo, the picturesque settlement dating back to Biblical times. Later I took advantage of the hotel's pool and hot tub which overlooked the Mediterranean, a religious experience of its own.

Now we're sitting at Maganda, a Yemeni restaurant for our farewell dinner before heading to Ben Gurion airport and our flight back to Newark. It's hard to believe how quickly these ten days have flown by and how much we've packed in, as well as how much we have all grown from the experience. It's hard to believe we'll be on an airplane soon, so full of the sights, sounds, and feeling of Israel and its people. As we piled back on to the bus we were already talking about planning our next trip, and the next and the next...

The last update will be posted from America.