Israel Tour Update day 6

Dear Israel Tour Parent,

Tour 1 & 3

The chanichim spent the day discovering the Old City and the historical richness of Jerusalem.

We walked round, soaking up the atmosphere, sights and smells of the Jewish Quarter; we went to the Kottel, the Western Wall, one of the holiest sites in Judaism. While some chanichim had been there before and for some it was their first visit, for the whole tour it was a very special moment.

That part of Jerusalem is surrounded by the impressive 16th century Ottoman city walls and represents the heart of the city both historically and spiritually. In a city already divided, the Old City is further divided culturally and historically into four Quarters: (clockwise from the south-east) the Jewish Quarter, the Armenian Quarter, the Christian Quarter and the Muslim Quarter. The Jewish Quarter is the smallest of the four sectors. Its size is approximately nine hectares, or about 14% of the area of the whole Old City.

Tour 2

The group started the day with a visit to the Menorah outside the Knesset (The Israeli Parliament). It was in the era of the Hasmoneans (the second to first centuries B.C.E.) that the Menorah (the seven branch candelabrum) first served as a national symbol, and upon the foundation of the State of Israel, it was chosen as its emblem, to symbolize the continuity and eternity of the Jewish People.

The Menorah

The Menorah, which stands in the area in front of the Knesset gates, was designed by the Jewish English sculptor Benno Elkan, and was donated to the Knesset by the members of the British Parliament on April 15, 1956. The subjects depicted on its reliefs are drawn from the Jewish tradition.

The central branch presents the essence of the Jewish existence, the main elements of its faith and central figures in the life of the nation.

After that the group traveled to the Israeli Supreme Court, which is at the head of the court system in the State of Israel. It is the highest judicial instance. Our group was shown around by the IMPJ (Israeli Movement for Progressive Judaism), that informed us of the continuous legal battles they have to undertake in order to reshape Israeli religious tolerance to other forms of Judaism within Israel. The Supreme Court is an appellate court, as well as the High Court of Justice.

After lunch the group went to the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum. It was established in 1953 by act of the Knesset to commemorate the six million Jewish men, women and children murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators during the years 1933-1945. The Authority also commemorates the heroism and fortitude of the Jewish partisans and the fighters in the Ghetto revolts, as well as the actions of the "Righteous among the Nations" (non-Jews who saved the lives of Jews).

Located on Har Hazikaron (Heb., Hill of Remembrance), a ridge on the western outskirts of Jerusalem, the Yad Vashem Memorial and Institute includes several commemorative monuments, an historical museum, a central archive and a research center for the documentation of the Holocaust.

The chore of Yad Vashem is to perpetuate the memory and lessons of the Holocaust for future generations.

Yad Vashem

Later the madrichim did reflective processing with the chanichim before the first families visit later this evening.

If you want to see the UJIA Summer Snap photos from your child's tour just go to: http://www.ujia.org/israel-experience/snap/photo-gallery/2010/

Make sure to take note of the procedures in the Notes box, if you want to get in contact.

Best wishes from the Israel Tour Team

Alyson Joseph
Senior Administrator

Ben Jardine
Shaliach & Israel Tour Co-ordinator

Katie Pollock

Mekasheret (Office Contact) in Israel