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As many of you may remember, four of our religious school students reached their B’nai Mitzvot this past year—Brendan Bucksbaum, Andrea Cohen, Minnie Cohen and Leo Cohen. In recognition of this auspicious occasion, the three families got together and arranged to take them to the Western Wall in Jerusalem along with a number of close friends and relatives. In all, about 30 of us made the trip. Here, we share some highlights, beginning with our bus to the airport:

After safely arriving in Tel Aviv

we were off to our first destination, HERZLIA, for two days of decompression at the beach.

Next, we began a whirlwind tour around the country, visiting the ancient city of Caesarea (built by Herod the Great) with its beautiful excavated Roman Theater.

The GOLAN HEIGHTS and the JORDAN VALLEY...

Tiberias, the capital of the Galilee, situated on the shores of Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee). This is one of the four Jewish Holy Cities and site of the Tombs of Maimonides.

After making our way through Capernaum and the remains of the large white limestone synagogue with its beautifully carved columns and stones we visited the Kfar Blum kibbutz, Massada and the Dead Sea, following which we ascended to Jerusalem in anticipation of the big day and to tour the old city and visit Yad Vashem, the memorial to the six million innocent victims of the Holocaust.

November 3, 2005 (THE BIG DAY)
(at the Western Wall’s newly excavated Robinson’s Arch) led by Rabbi Rodman.

 

The service was beautiful, with all of the B’nai Mitzvot reading the Torah superbly and earning a well-deserved break in Eilat for a dinner cruise on the Red Sea, and the beach.

After two days of fun we headed home with many stories and memories of Land of Israel and its rich history and many scenic treasures.

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