The pilgrimage begins

5/16/19

Today marks Theodor Herzl’s 159^th birthday. Herzl is the founder of Modern Zionism. He’s the one who said, “If you will it, it is no dream.” His vision of a modern, democratic Jewish State changed the face of the globe, world history, and the Jewish people. His spirit, along with the spirit of David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister, infused our day.

Sunrise over Mitzpe Ramon was elegant and sublime. We heard very few groans when we roused the kids at 5:20am. Fortunately all they had to do was literally roll out of bed. They gathered in clusters, chatted quietly, and celebrated the start of a new day. A new, and very hot, day.

After visiting Ben-Gurion’s grave and learning about his inspiring vision of making the desert blossom, we made our way to the trailhead of Ain Avdat. Some of our kids elected to take a slower paced walk and learn more about the desert along the way. Others decided to move at a quicker pace and make the steep ascent at the end of the trail. Everyone was happy with their decision.

No visit to the Negev is complete with camel riding and Bedouin hospitality. The kids happily broke into pairs and found their noble steeds. The camels made all the funny and surprising noises we could hope for, along with corresponding bodily functions. That, followed by rigorous hand washing, and mountains of food, made for a memorable, if hot, afternoon.

Our ride to Jerusalem found us caught up in a fair amount of pre-Shabbat traffic. Thursday afternoon traffic is notorious in Israel as IDF soldiers travel home and many other folks set out toward their Shabbat plans. Fortunately we made it to a beautiful overlook of the Old City by late afternoon, with plenty of time to get oriented toward the City of Gold and to mark the milestone moment.

We ended the evening with our first bout of shopping and dining on Ben Yehuda Street. It was a cool and pleasant evening and the kids had fun being kids, eating more delicious food, and completing their shopping lists.

Jerusalem typically marks a turning point in our trip. Our trip starts to feel more like a pilgrimage than it has thus far. We’ve asked all the kids to reflect, over the coming days, on what Jerusalem means to them. We look forward to hearing their preliminary responses.