Day 10 - Netzach - Maya
This morning, Netzach woke up and raced to our second breakfast at the Dan hotel. After feasting and shacharit, we met our wonderful new tour guide, Brian, and set off to a lookout just outside the old city of Jerusalem - Yemin Moshe. There, Brian took us through the history of this place we are lucky enough to call home.
Next stop was Har Herzl cemetery where we saw and heard the stories of Israeli soldiers who were sadly killed in battle. But it was a different type of sadness to the one I experienced in the place that we just came from - Poland - where everyday we saw death, be it at mass graves, the mountain of human ashes at Majdanek extermination camp, the resistance bunker at Warsaw ghetto, or Birkenau. Those deaths were murderous and meaningless, mass murder of Jewish people who were imprisoned and enslaved for no other reason than they were born Jewish. The graves at Har Herzl were of free men who died with a purpose protecting their homeland. As we stood there learning the stories of soldiers who had given their lives for the safety family and friends, and for the security of their nation, I couldn’t help but feel proud to be a part of a people who would sacrifice anything to have a place in the world to call home.
After Har Herzl, we ate a simple lunch and continued to our next activity of the day, the City of David. Brian led us on a journey through the pre-temple times when King David decided to make Jerusalem the capital of Israel. We perused the remains of King David’s palace, before going on a water hike in the underground tunnels. These were the tunnels from which the citizens of the City of David would get their water supply from, all those years ago.
Back at the hotel, we were given the opportunity to order Jewellery from the now famous Hadaya. We planned our orders, waited in long queues to see the lady taking the orders, complained about the prices, but in the end walked away feeling delighted with the inscribed gifts we had purchased for our loved ones (…and maybe for ourselves too).
Then came dinner...
“Imagine a multi sensual experience that transcends physical, mental, emotional and spiritual ramifications it sends you down a slippery slide of delight, into a pool of glistening pleasure and tasteful joy” well that was how tonight’s dinner was described by one Netzach mad, Saul Oberstein. We had thought that breakfast at the Dan Yerushalaim was a treat, but we had no idea what was in store for us at dinner. I think I speak for all of Netzach when I say thank you to the Dan hotel for letting us experience a far better meal than Lehava.
From dinner, we went to the home of Lehavah, Ramat Rachel, where we were given a talk by Rabbi Johnny. He spoke about relationships, and how love affects our lives.
After a long day, we were almost glad to be given no free time in the evening and went to bed, ready to go to the North in the morning.
