Saturday 6/30/12 – (Shabbat)
The day of rest started off with a bit of extra time for all of our tired bodies to sleep in. Our scheduled activities did not start until 11AM. Before eleven those who did not sleep in either accompanied Rabbi Zev to Synagogue for an organic Jerusalem Shabbat experience, or enjoyed the fabulous pool amenities here at the Ramat Rachel Hotel. At eleven we met up as a group in the activities room for a pow-wow before our Secret Shabbat Game. The Secret Shabbat (also known as a Paullina Ana or Secret Santa) was a game that carried over from our trip to Machaney Yehuda (the Shuk, or the Jerusalem food market) on Friday. Every person on our trip was given a folded piece of paper with someone else’s name on it, and instructed to buy a gift for them for under 5 NIS. Each individual personalized this experience as the gift giving ceremony really brought everyone together beautifully.
Following our group activities we preceded upstairs to our Shabbat lunch, which was a buffet style feast with tables and tables of food to accommodate everyone’s taste buds.
After our long lunch everyone gathered outside under a bunch of trees to be addressed by the Israeli Soldiers who have been accompanying us throughout our trip. The Soldiers talked to us about some of the fine points of Israeli culture as well as taught us some new Israeli slang to add to our growing Hebrew vocabulary. Finally the Soldiers showed us how to properly salute and march.
The group was then given a couple of hours of free time following our activity with the soldiers. During this time some of us used this time to catch on some much needed sleep, while others returned to the pool for some more fun in the sun and others lounged in the hotel lobby with the soldiers playing board games and sharing a laugh. During the end of our free time, a caravan of people went for a stroll around the Kibbutz learning about Kibbutz Rachel’s history and enjoying the view of the entire city of Jerusalem as we enjoyed Jerusalem’s late afternoon breezes.
The leisure time was very welcomed but at 6:30pm the group switched gears, meeting back in the activities room for some discussion and a ‘Stump the Rabbi Session’. ‘Stump the Rabbi’ was very interactive as each question was answered in front of the group.
Saturday was a great day as the whole group really came together nicely, taking advantage of all of the time we shared with one another to bond as a group. There was a limited capacity to take photographs today, since it was Shabbat.
With another day behind us it is hard to believe that we have only been together as a group for six days. I would like to tell you how much I am enjoying each an every person on this trips company, each adding their unique touch to our group.
All the best from Jerusalem, Manny
