May 21: Celebrating Yom Yerushalayim...in Yerushalayim

Shalom to the Parents and Friends of the Wonderful Class of 2017,

It is midnight of May 21, and May 21st was a marvelous day for our kids. It started first with a short tour in Jerusalem and discussion of the borders of what is referred to as the West Bank of Israel and they got an idea of how things worked and what decisions are made and what political realities there are on the ground. They then saw a film called Hasimot describing the dilemmas of young soldiers who make difficult daily decisions and the consequences of those decisions, with pressures from Arabs, some left-wing groups. Here are kids in their early 20s making the decisions of who should enter at the border and who should not and living with the fact that people they let in could very well be terrorists. A serious discussion ensued and our kids really dealt with the moral dilemmas that come up in Israel because ultimately that it is the country that it is. A special shout-out to Arky Staiman, a Beth Tfiloh graduate who has been a marvelous tour guide and really has helped our children understand the culture and the political climate of Israel.

We then went to Boyar School which is the school that our beloved Haggai comes from. Our kids found it very enlightening. They had faculty led discussion groups and they interacted with the Boyar kids. That in itself was an eye-opener for our kids.

Then a little bit more shopping and they packed their dinner and went to a thrilling, thrilling concert which was the opening ceremonies for Yom Yerushalayim. They had lawn seats at the foot of the old city and the light show was projected against the wall of the Old City. They heard speeches, they had performers, there were gorgeous visuals, and it was thrilling to be there. Watch light show footage here

Our kids were there until 10:30 at night and then they went back to their hotel so they could get a little bit of sleep because their itinerary for Monday is to go south to visit Ashkelon, then on the Dead Sea, sleeping in Bedouin tents and good news, they are going to be able to go to Masada. President Trump decided, as you may have read, not to go to Masada. The story is that his helicopter was not allowed to land on Masada, which means it is good news for our kids. They will be able to visit Masada which is a very important site for them to visit. It teaches them a great deal, not only about history but about the enduring spirit of the Jewish people.

More to follow after this marvelous adventure. They will be coming back to Jerusalem afterwards and in the meantime, stay connected and stay well.

Ziporah Schorr