Israel Trip 2006, Day 9 (2/28)

We bid farewell to Jerusalem and two of our group this morning. We left Jerusalem this morning (Tuesday) towards Tel Aviv. We stopped just outside the city of Modi'in (home of the Maccabees) to plant trees through Jewish National Fund!

Israel is the only country that has added to its forests in the past 50 years rather than diminish them. All through the work of JNF, founded in Basel at the First World Zionist Congress in 1897. After a few photos we headed to Tel Aviv and a visit to the campus of Tel Aviv University. The Diaspora Museum was our focus for the next couple of hours. Through its 5 floors of history we barreled through the life of The Jewish People from ancestral days until now. It has amazing models of synagogues from around the world.

We checked back into our hotel--the David Intercontinental--for an afternoon of leisure. Many of us visted the Carmel Market and the Crafts Fair (Tuesdays and Thursdays) on Nachalat Binyamin. A few of us headed to Sheinkin Street for coffees or the beach to enjoy a gloriously warm day! Others visited with family and rushed to get the last few presents. In the evening we went to a wonderful dinner while a few of us visited family and friends. Tomorrow will be our last day to enjoy what has been a wonderful trip together.

Shalom,
Rabbi Denise L. Eger