After an exciting and exhausting flight, we smoothly arrived at Ben Gurion Airport and got onto the buses. We then went to the Old Jaffa City to eat breakfast and play an ice-breaker where everyone got to know each other whilst enjoying a beautiful view of the sea. We each picked out jelly beans and had to answer questions based on what colour our jelly beans were…everyone got really into it! Rabbi Rael stood in the middle of the circle and invited us to make a blessing over the great sea, after which we got back on the buses and headed for Jerusalem.

We went to the Jerusalem Forest to have a delicious barbecue and chill out some more. Our elaborate menu consisted of grilled chicken, burgers, french fries, cucumbers and tomatoes (healthy food is necessary too!), pitas and dips. We ate and then went back to our hotel to rest and freshen up. At around 5pm, we left the hotel to go to the old city of Jerusalem. The kids were so excited – for some of them, this was their first time ever going there! As we approached the entrance to the old city, we were stunned by the breathtaking beauty of the sights surrounding it and in it. We started off in an enclosed area where Etanna, our tour guide, did an activity with us and explained that Jerusalem is like an onion and that there are many layers to it – it is steeped in history and every time you take off a layer, you uncover another one.

Everyone then walked out into the beautiful sunshine and we stopped on the rooftops of the old city that gave us a panoramic view of the old city and it’s surroundings. Rabbi Menachem Nissel came to speak to us about the power of prayer. He gave us a very beautiful analogy of why sometimes, when we go to the kotel, we don’t always feel the intense holiness that the Western Wall represents. When one looks directly at the sun, he gets blinded by the light and cannot really see it properly. In the same way, when one looks at something as holy as the kotel, he or she may not always be able to grasp the full significance of the place. Following this inspiring speech, we walked down to the kotel through the beautiful old city labyrinth and stopped there to tear a garnment (in order to mourn for the temple) and pray. Many tears were shed and emotions let out…

The delicious diner waiting for us back at the hotel was refreshing – Israeli-style food is definitely healthy and wholesome – there were about 10 types of salads on offer! A pleasant atmosphere reigned as everyone devoured their meals with appetite. After dinner Rabbi Rael gave us a short orientation outlining the main rules on the program, and we then ran off to bed to get our beauty sleep in preparation for tomorrow!