History, Arts and Culture and so much more!

I can't believe the trip is already halfway over! Today we started the day in Tel Aviv at Rabin Square.  Here, we had the opportunity to talk to Israelis passing by on the street about their reactions to Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin's assassination in 1995.  It was extremely interesting to hear their varying opinions about such a significant event.  We then traveled to the Independence Museum and learned about the founding of Israel.  It was really neat to be able to sit in the actual room where David Ben Gurion declared the independence of the state of Israel.  After a delicious falafel lunch, we hopped on the bus and drove to Jerusalem (and our awesome Israeli staff provided entertainment with some practical jokes along the way).

The beauty of Jerusalem struck me as soon as we entered the city, and as we walked around the Jewish Quarter of the Old City, we encountered gorgeous views wherever we went.  For me, visiting the Western Wall was certainly one of the most memorable events of the afternoon.  I really enjoyed getting to see first-hand a place I had read and learned so much about.  However, the emotional and spiritual connection I felt when I touched the wall was something I could never have anticipated.  Many of us wrote notes to leave in the wall.

After dinner at our hotel in Jerusalem, we met with Yishai Godlflam, an Israeli television and movie producer.  The movies he showed us were thought-provoking and stimulated interesting conversation.  We did so much today and our next couple of days have even more of a jam-packed schedule! I am looking forward to the great experiences still to come!

Lauren Taylor
Tufts University A15