10/7 to 10/8 | Mount Herzl and Yom Kippur

For Yom Kippur, Rachel's mom set us up with the sister of one of her coworkers.  Because we had made no plans for ourselves, this was our chance to experience a Jewish holiday in an authentic Israeli environment.  Instead of having to fend for ourselves, the Levy family of the Bayit VeGan neighborhood in Jerusalem took us in for both the pre-fast and break-fast meals.

Rachel at the entrance to the Levy's beautiful home in Bayit VeGan.

On Friday, Rachel and I woke up early to head to Bayit VeGan before all the busses in the country shut down for Yom Kippur.  We planned to stay only one night, so we both packed lightly and headed to the Central Bus Station, where we found the proper bus connection.  Rachel and I ended up arriving at Bayit VeGan much earlier than we anticipated, so we decided to head to nearby Mount Herzl, the national cemetery of the State of Israel.  It is much like Arlington National Cemetery, except that it includes the graves of many of Israel's leaders in addition to the nation's soldiers.  It is one of my favorite places in Israel because its beauty is unmatched.  It is a great place to sit and think, especially because it is right next to Yad VaShem, Israel's official memorial and museum for the Holocaust.  One sign put it best in saying that the path from Yad Vashem to Mount Herzl represents the Jewish people's journey from "catastrophe to [national] rebirth."  Here are some pictures from our visit to Mount Herzl:

The entrance to the Mount Herzl cemetery.

The tomb of Theodor Herzl, the father of political Zionism and the visionary of the Jewish State.

The plaza in front of Herzl's tomb is used for national ceremonies by the Israel Defense Forces.

Interesting menorah-shaped railings.

The tomb of Ze'ev Jabotinksy, a famous Zionist.

A memorial to the survivors of the Holocaust who have fallen in battle.  This was definitely one of the cemetery's more stunning monuments.

The area surrounding the tombs of Israel's national leaders was sectioned off for a ceremony in honor of those who had fallen during the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

The tombs of Yitzhak Rabin, the Israeli Prime Minister who was assassinated in 1995, and his wife Leah.

The tomb of one of Israel's greatest Prime Ministers, Golda Meir.  Approximately 38 years ago to the day,  she was busy leading the nation through the Yom Kippur War.

Graves of Israeli soldiers.  In the background, there are two boys who went around to every grave with water to wash the headstones.

The staircase leading to the memorial to Jewish soldiers who fell in the service of the Polish and Soviet armies.

The memorial to "Jewish soldiers fallen in the service of the Polish armies."

The memorial to the 20,000 Jewish soldiers who fell in the service of the Red Army of the Soviet Union.

After we finished at Mount Herzl, Rachel and I headed back the Levy's house in Bayit VeGan.  Here, we had a pre-fast meal of chicken, potatoes, rice, bread, and salad.  It was a great way to kick off 24 hours of hunger.  The Levy's were very religious, so usual Yom Kippur rules were also accompanied by the regular rules of shabbat.  This meant that we were not allowed to turn on lights or do anything that might be considered "work."  After dinner, Rachel and I headed to the Jerusalem branch of the Yeshiva University beit midrash for evening services.  This was an experience!  Not only did I not have a machzor (a High Holiday prayer book) or a tallit (a prayer shawl), both of which are provided in the United States, but I was wearing gray instead of white and I was late so there were no seats.  The service was also way more intense than the Conservative level I am used to, but it was interesting nonetheless.

On Saturday night, Rachel and I broke our fasts with a glass of water and a few cakes and cookies.  Soup came afterwards followed by the main course, which I couldn't really figure out.  Again, it was all delicious and I am so glad this opportunity came my way.  We spent a lot of time talking to Mr. and Mrs.  Levy, who were very strong in their beliefs and more than happy to be Jewish.  Mr. Levy frequently said things like, "I am just so relieved, so thrilled, to have been born into this religion."  They were also politically right-wing, which led to some interesting conversations about current politics.  We agreed on a lot, so there was not too much debate.  After dinner, the Levys and their children started building a sukkah for Sukkot.  It was the perfect ending to an interesting weekend.

After riding back to the Central Bus Station, Rachel and I decided we were still hungry.  Rachel ate at a Kosher McDonald's, while I chose Kosher Chinese food.  And just like that, a good night got even better!

 Kosher McDonald's restaurants feature blue instead of red.

I ate at a restaurant called China Town.  The writing above the restaurant is Hebrew made to look like Chinese.  Strange, right?