This morning started out on the bus heading to the City of David. Because of Ramadan, many streets were closed to traffic and we had to begin at Jaffa Gate and walk through the Old 
City down to the city of David. This gave us a chance to see a glimpse of the Old City; the nooks and crannies, the smells, the hustle and bustle to begin getting ready for Shabbat. This was a
welcome sight to see as we began to acclimate ourselves to Jerusalem since arriving yesterday. Upon arriving to the City of David, we got an archeological history lesson on King David’s Palace, the way ancient Israelites in Jerusalem lived, and even saw an ancient toilet. We also learned about “bulla”, which were clay stamps that people used to seal their letters with. After learning of the palace, we saw Mount of Olives, where many Jews have been buried for 3,000 years. Many of us were anxiously awaiting our chance to go down into Hezekiah’s Tunnel, and that time was upon us after seeing the cemetery. Hezekiah’s Tunnel is an ancient water tunnel dug under the City of David used by Ancients to forth water. 
We as a group doning flashlights, wearing our water shoes walked through the cold water. The tunnels were dark and to help keep courage the group sang a variety of songs.
After the water tunnel, we all squeezed into one large van cab (illegally…) which took us to the entrance to the Kotel. Everyone had their own personal experience with the Kotel, which makes it very hard to put into words. There was joy, tears, and lots of hugging and connecting with each other over this incredibly special place.
After the emotion and exhilaration of the Kotel, it was time for a quick lunch in the Jewish quarter. Shawarma, falafel, pizza, and gallons of water later-some chose to explore the Christian Qu
arter, others went to Mamila for some shopping.
Those who went to the Christian Quarter visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, considered to be the holiest of Christian sites in the Old City. Finally, after a long day of walking, we returned to the hotel to prepare for Shabbat.
– Lauren Bartholomae
