This morning we traveled to the US Consulate office of Jerusalem, located in an active monastery where three monks still reside. The Deputy Political Chief Dr. Amanda Pilz, Economic Officer Sarah Beran and Senior Commercial Specialist Assad Barsoum briefed us. Here we discussed political issues between Israelis and Palestinians. We discussed slow economic development progress in the West Bank as well as the timeframe for Palestinian statehood, which has had a target date of September 2011. There is much anticipation about what will happen this fall and what implications it may have on the region.
Next, we began a tour of the old city of Jerusalem at the Mount of Olives, which offered a panoramic view of the city and Jewish tombs. We entered the city gates walking upon a road paved in large stone blocks worn by centuries of footstep including those of Jesus. Our tour guide, Simone, walked us through the succession of temple construction and demolition that has occurred in this holy city for millennia. We got to visit the Jerusalem Archeological Park, which reveals some of the most amazing discoveries from the second temple period at the foot of the southern temple wall. Finally, we approached the Western Wall, which is the only structure remaining from the original temple. Here the class was segregated in to men and women who joined others who were there to pray.
Next, we followed the Via Dolorosa, which contains several Stations of the Cross that mark points along Jesus’ path to crucifixion. The incredibly rich history and religious significance of the city was awe-inspiring and you could not help but imagine the prophets and pilgrims from thousands of years ago feeling the same.
After a quick stop along one of the streets for an authentic lunch of falafel, we took the bus to the new section of Jerusalem and toured the Israel Museum to view the Shrine of the Book. This exhibit displays several of the Dead Sea Scrolls found in Kumran in a cave that we passed yesterday along the Dead Sea. These scrolls represent the oldest known copy of the Old Testament. Outside of the museum we also viewed the model of the Second Temple. It is an impressive 1:50 scale model of Jerusalem in AD 66.
Lastly, we packed in a two-hour tour of the Yad Vashen Holocaust History Museum. Having recently toured the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, we were able to compare the two museums and further reflect on this shadow in our history. The museum is a striking memorial to the 6 million Jews who were executed by the Nazis.
In summary, we had a fabulous educational day and saw many of the important sites in Jerusalem. Our feet are tired, but we are eager for tomorrow when we venture into the West Bank. Stayed tuned!
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