9/29 to 10/1 | Family Time

One of the greatest aspects of studying abroad in Israel is that I have family here.  There is no other country in the world where I could spend time with relatives.  Even greater is that this is not family that I see often; in fact, as I mentioned in a previous post, I only met them for the first time last summer.  It is my hope that this trip will strengthen the relationship between the American and Israeli sides of the family.  To do this, not only is it important for them to get to know me, but all of my family, too.  This includes my mother, father, and sister as well as aunts, uncles, cousins, and, of course, my grandma Betty.  To facilitate this, I set up a few Skype calls so that we could video chat with everyone back home.  Here are some videos and images from our exchanges:

This was our first Skype call with my aunt Marlene.

A Skype call with my family: my mother Linda, my sister Julia, and my father David.

The last Skype call with my grandma Betty, Chana's sister.  Zahava, my mother's cousin, is holding the laptop.  The funniest moment happened when Israel said to Chana, "Your sister looks very beautiful," to which Chana responded, in Yiddish, "Everyone said I was prettier than her."

Israel playing the song "My Yiddishe Mama" on the violin for my grandmother.

On Friday night, after we had finished with the Skype calls, Israel's musical trio came over to practice.  Before they started playing, we sat around for cake and coffee.  The pianist of the group spoke fluent English, while the cellist spoke only Hebrew and Russian.  This provided me a unique opportunity to practice my Hebrew.  After we were done discussing my studies at American University, my various internships, and my time here in Israel, the music began.  I was absolutely blown away by the talent of Israel and his partners.  They played the most heavenly classical music; it was a joy to be the only member of the audience.

A concert all to myself!

A short clip of what was over an hour long performance.

Friday was also spent with a member of Zahava's family from her father's side.  A distant relative of hers, named Meira, just made aliyah so Zahava invited her over for lunch.  I went with Israel to pick up Meira and her Israeli boyfriend Gidi.  We had a very pleasant lunch in which we discussed everything from politics to the aliyah process.  It was very interesting to hear the thoughts of a new immigrant, or ohleh chadash in Hebrew.

We passed the Azrieli Center on the way to pick up Meira and Gidi.  The Azrieli Center consists of three skyscrapers shaped like a circle, square, and triangle.  They are distinctive on the Tel Aviv skyline.

Sky, the family dog, also joined us for lunch.

This evening, I will be heading back to Jerusalem.  Classes start tomorrow, so I need to be back on Mount Scopus to get everything together.  It is also my birthday tomorrow!

9/28 | The Beach and the Beginning of Rosh HaShanah

On Wednesday morning, I woke up with absolutely no plans for the day.  After eating breakfast, I went back to my room and saw that I had a missed call from Esther.  When I called her back, it turned out that she, too, had nothing to do.  We decided that the day would be perfectly spent at the beach--HaChohf--sitting next to the Mediterranean Sea, or Yahm HaTeekohn in Hebrew.  Since we were only about 45 minutes from the shore, we met at the Givatayim mall and hopped on a bus that took us straight there.  Here are a few pictures from our beach adventure:

Our first view of the Mediterranean Sea

Tel Aviv = paradise.

The Tel Aviv marina with hundreds of boats.

Esther and I at the beach.

A strange building on HaYarkon Street, the main road that runs parallel to the sea.

The embassies of Switzerland--Shveitz--and Turkey--Tourkiyeh--on HaYarkon Street.  Jerusalem is capital of Israel, but because the city is so contentious the international community has chosen to put its embassies in Tel Aviv.  Once a final status agreement is reached, it is hoped that all these embassies will be moved to their rightful place in Jerusalem (the eternal, undivided capital of Israel and the Jewish people, as Prime Minister Netanyahu likes to say).

When we were done at the beach, Esther and I decided to take a bus back to Givatayim/Ramat Gan.  This did not work so well; only one bus came and it blew right past us without stopping.  So, instead of taking a bus for 6.40 shekalim, we took a 50 shekalim cab to avoid getting stuck in the city after the city shut down for Rosh HaShanah.  When we finally got back to the mall, we split ways and heading home for dinner.

The pedestrian path right outside of my family's house.

When I got back to the house, Zahava was busy making all types of food.  Everything smelled delicious!  I took a quick shower and then joined Israel and Zahava in video chatting Mira, Yaeli, and Yuval in the Netherlands.  After a brief conversation with them, it was time for dinner.  Dinner consisted of several courses with every type of food imaginable: apples and honey, challah, liver, tuna, chicken noodle soup, kreplach, chicken and potatoes, beef, honey cake, and a sweet soup-type dessert with chunks of fruit.  I know I am forgetting something, but it goes to show you how much food we had!

The dinner table.

In addition to Chanah, Israel, Zahava, and I, we were joined by Israel's mother Rachel and her helper.  Out of a table of six people, only three of us spoke English so my Hebrew skills were out in full force.  Even stranger was that Rachel's helper spoke Russian (in addition to some basic Hebrew), so anything she said had to be said to Rachel.  Rachel would translate to a Hebrew that I usually could not understand, so Israel would have to explain it to me.  Interesting, right?  It just goes to show you how even in a state made up mostly of Jews, there is still so much diversity.

9/27 | Tel Aviv, Givatayim, Ramat Gan, and Family

On Tuesday morning, Esther and I left Jerusalem for Tel Aviv to celebrate the Rosh HaShanah holiday with our families.  Esther's uncles live in Givatayim; my relatives--my mom's cousin and her husband--live in neighboring Ramat Gan.  Both are suburbs of Tel Aviv, so we took an Egged bus to the Tel Aviv Savidor Central Train Station on the outskirts of the city.  This area is adjacent to the Diamond Exchange District of Ramat Gan, where Israel's tallest skyscaper, called both the Moshe Aviv Tower and City Gate, is located.  It is also the location of the Leonardo City Tower Hotel, which is the third tallest building in Israel.  Tel Aviv is markedly different from Jerusalem, where there are no high-rises and everything is centered on the Old City.  Tel Aviv is a modern metropolis right on the beach; Jerusalem is an ancient city high in the hills.  The two are worlds apart, yet they make up the heart and soul of Israel (with Haifa as the muscle).

The route we took from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv/Givatayim/Ramat Gan.

The Leonardo City Tower Hotel is to the left and the Moshe Aviv Tower/City Gate is to the right.

Givatayim means two hills in English, which explains the shape of the entrance sign.

Givatayim could easily pass for Florida.

We arrived around 1:30 in the afternoon and went straight to the apartment of Esther's uncles to drop off our stuff.  Because we had nothing to do, we decided to check out the Givatayim mall down the street.  This was a very fancy mall, with four floors of upscale stores--chanooyoht--and restaurants--meesahdoht--to explore.  After a few hours here, we decided to head back to Esther's uncles' apartment so that I could get ready to meet up with my own family.

The Givatayim mall.

 A copy of a Hebrew language Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone at a Steimatzky bookstore.

A Sanrio store dedicated to everything Hello Kitty.

It was great to see my family again.  I met them for the first time last July, so it still excites me to think about having newly found relatives so far from home.  Zahava is my mother's cousin and Israel is her husband.  They have two children, Yaeli and Yuval.  My mom has another cousin named Mira, too.  My grandmother's sister is Chana.  Chana is staying with Zahava now because Mira, Yaeli, and Yuval are all on vacation in the Netherlands.

Last summer: Me, Zahava, my mother Linda, Chana, Mira, and my sister Julia.

That night, after getting settled, I went with Israel to run errands.  This involved picking up all the food and drink necessary for our Rosh HaShanah dinner.  It was interesting to do shopping here because there were no signs in English.  In Jerusalem, where there are many tourists, almost everything is translated in to English.  In the suburbs of Tel Aviv, however, there are no native English-speakers and only Hebrew can be found.  This kind of total immersion is great for learning the language because it forces you to either recall what you have learned or infer based on what you see.  Fortunately for me, my ulpan professors did a good job teaching food words so grocery shopping was not too difficult.

When we returned, Zahava made a quick dinner of chicken and potatoes.  Delicious!  Then Chana was brought down and I reintroduced myself.  She speaks many languages--Yiddish, Polish, German, Russian--but not any English.  So, as if this was the moment I had been waiting for, I summoned up all of my Hebrew, from Rivka at AU to Chaya and Yochi at HU, to carry out a full conversation with Chana.  It was slow and not always easy, but I managed!  We talked about my studies at Hebrew University and my family at home, as well as the Hebrew language in general.  She said exactly what I have always said: Zoht safah yafah, aval gahm kasheh, It's a beautiful language, but also hard.  I told her that everyone at home sends their love and she told me to tell them to have a shanah tovah v'metookah, a good and sweet new year.  My favorite part of the evening was when she spoke about Batya (my grandma Betty) and said, in English, "my sister."  A true night to remember!

Chana and I.

Chana and Betty: see the resemblance?

9/25 to 9/26 | The End of Ulpan and a Trip to the Zoo

Monday saw the conclusion of my time in ulpan.  After 18 days--a total of 90 hours--in Hebrew class, I am slowly becoming more proficient.  I am to the point where I can begin to pick of snippets of people's conversations and can even read parts of Hebrew language newspapers, like HaAretz (The Land), Yisrael HaYom (Israel Today), Ma'ariv (Evening), and the newspaper designed for students, Sha'ar LaMat'chil (Gate to Begin).  I've set a goal for myself: by the time I'm done with level "bet" I want to be able to read a whole article without any sort of assistance.  In ulpan, we read a number of long passages and even heard a few lectures in Hebrew, but those were tailored towards those still beginning their Hebrew studies (I have to say, though, that sitting in on a lecture in a foreign language that I understood was one of the greatest experiences so far).  There is still a long ways to go until I am fluent, but I can safely say that ulpan gave me a fantastic head start.

On Sunday, we had our last day of class.  The first half was spent reviewing all of the main concepts in the latter half of the book.  This included going over all six types of past tense and their breakdowns, in addition to words that convey ownership, who you are with, etc.  Fortunately, I have been good at studying over the course of the month, so there was nothing new for me to learn at the last minute.  After we finished reviewing, Chaya and Yochi allotted time for a small party, or mesibah in Hebrew.  Everyone brought something to munch on while we said our goodbyes to one another.  Most of the people in my class had been together for two months, not one, so it was more meaningful for them.  I had a great time, though, and I will not soon forget my time in ulpan.

Monday saw the culmination of ulpan in the form of the level exam.  This was broken in to two parts: a written half and a reading half.  The writing section featured three prompts to choose from.  I chose to write about a "place I want to live."  This was not too hard; I just compared home in Gaithersburg to the hustle and bustle of big cities, like Vohsheengtohn and Yerushalayim.  The reading part was much longer, but not too much harder.  There were passages with questions, fill in the blanks, multiple choice, and an exercise in which you had to choose whether to put a verb in past, present, or the infinitive.  Only a 65 percent is needed to pass, so I know I'll be moved up to the next level!

After the ulpan exam, Esther, Rachel, and I decided to go on a celebratory trip to the Tisch Family Zoological Gardens, better known as the Biblical Zoo, on the outskirts of Jerusalem.  This zoo is unique in that is features every type of animal mentioned in the bible, making it a must see attraction.  It took us about an hour to get from Mount Scopus to the park.  When we got there, it was so empty we thought it was closed.  Fortunately, the zoo was open and we got to enjoy the animals all to ourselves.  Apparently, people do not have time for the zoo on a Monday afternoon.  Here are the pictures from our day trip:

The sign that welcomed us to the zoo.  Every sign in the park was listed in three languages: Arabic, Hebrew, and English. This zoo was truly designed for any and everyone.  It is nice to be in a place devoid of politics, especially in Jerusalem.

The front of the zoo is centered on a lake.  The middle of the lake features an island with different kinds of monkeys, or kohfim in Hebrew.

The next exhibit we saw was that of the squirrel monkeys.  They seemed like fun, playful creatures.

From the front of the zoo, we took a train to the very back so we could make our way forward.  At the very edge of the park is a giant model of Noah's ark (my Torah portion).  Here is a picture of Esther and I--a pair of humans--boarding. 

From the ark, we walked on a raised boardwalk that crossed through an enclosure featuring a number of animals.  Apparently, this zebra thinks he is a giraffe!

 Oryx.

 Rhinoceros.

 Ostrich.

 Zebras.

Gazelle.  This one only had one antler.

 Elephant, or peel in Hebrew.

Baboon.  This one looks like Rafiki from The Lion King.

Some sort of large cat.

 Jaguar.  How often can you come face-to-face with a jaguar?  This one was actually missing a leg.

 Lion.  This one looks like Mufasa from The Lion King.

Bear.

 Parrots.

Tortoises.

The trip home from the zoo was nightmarish.  First, the bus we needed to get back to Mount Scopus stopped running so we waited around for about a half hour oblivious to this fact.  Then, when we finally gave up and got on a bus to the Jerusalem Central Bus Station, we ended up with a lunatic driver.  Every time he pulled up to a stop, he would end up on the sidewalk.  He also drove way too fast.  He drove so fast that he knocked an old lady to the ground, causing her to get a huge gash in her arm, and then had the audacity to yell at her!  We got off ahead of schedule because we were so uncomfortable, taking the light rail back to Mount Scopus instead.  At this point, though, I was running late for Hillel and had to dash through the Student Village up the street to campus to make it to my study session with Ben.  I have mentioned this program in a previous post, but every Monday I study with my chavruta, which is kind of like a study buddy for learning religious texts (from the Tanakh, the Talmud, etc.).  Fortunately, we still had an hour and a half, so we managed to get through the structure of the Rosh HaShanah prayers with good, lively discussion.  He also gave me two books to read, my favorite being For the Love of Israel and the Jewish People by Nathan Lopes Cardozo.  I have not read it yet, but I love Israel and I love the Jewish people so it promises to be a good read!

Tomorrow, I'm off to Ramat Gan to be with my family for the holidays.  The plan is to take a bus from Jerusalem to the Tel Aviv train station with Esther, who has family in Givatayim.  It should be a good trip!

9/24 | Shabbaton in the Kfar (Part II)

The shabbaton in the kfar continued today with plenty of singing, praying, and, of course, food.  We started the day at eleven o'clock in the morning with an early lunch of challah, chicken, and rice.  After lunch, the rabbi asked me to give some "words of wisdom," just like I had done on Monday.  Since my last "words of wisdom" were rather sad, I decided to tell an uplifting story in the spirit of our ruach-filled shabbat.  Here is what I had to say:

It was with a sense of great satisfaction last summer that I managed to convince my parents to take my sister and I on a family trip to Israel.  Years of Hebrew school had sparked my interest in the Holy Land; the recent celebration of my sister's Bat Mitzvah intensified this interest.  So, it was with perfect timing--actually, the day Ambassador Michael Oren came to American University--that my parents called me up to tell me, "We're going to Israel!"

Naturally, I was very excited about my upcoming trip.  Who wouldn't be excited for the beaches of Tel Aviv, the camels of the Negev, and the Western Wall in Jerusalem?  It came as a great surprise to me, then, when my mother told me one of her real motives for taking this trip: she wanted to see her aunt, her cousins, and the family she had really never gotten to know.

A little bit of backstory: after the Holocaust, my grandmother and her sister spilt paths.  Betty, my grandmother, came to Baltimore, and Chana, her sister, went to Ramat Gan.  This was in the later 1940s, upon their departure from German displaced person camps.  After this, they only saw each other once more during a trip by Chana to the United States in the 1970s.  My mother, only a little girl at the time, did not remember much about it.

Fast forward a few decades to July 2010, upon our arrival in Tel Aviv.  That night, my mom called her cousins and made plans to see them that evening.  Hours passed and we waited outside of the hotel for their car.  Finally, they pulled up and my mom's cousins, Miriam and Zahava, got out of the car, walked around to the back, and opened the door.  Who did I see?  The splitting image of my grandmother, albeit a bit thinner!  Here in front of me was my grandaunt: a tiny, blind woman with a remarkable story.  Here was a woman who had survived the Holocaust in her teenage years, moved to Israel as a Zionist pioneer, and built up this state that we all hold so dear today.

My mother walked up to her and they immediately embraced.  Here, after so many years, was my mom and her aunt.  We proceeded to walk down the cobblestone promenade on the beach of Tel Aviv to find a place for dinner.  It was no place for an elderly blind woman, but she persevered!  As she walked arm-in-arm with my mother, the two began to talk.  She did not speak English, though, so my mom was forced to speak to her in the broken Yiddish she remembered from her childhood.  This was the summer before I started taking Hebrew classed at American University, so I could only communicate to her if somebody translated for me.  Nevertheless, it was a remarkable experience and the emotion of the event spoke louder than any words.

We spent several days on that trip with the Israeli branch of the family.  Since then, I have been to Israel once more, this past December, where I was only able to see one of my cousins.  This coming Rosh HaShanah, I will be returning to my family's home in Ramat Gan.  This time, however, I will have a year of Hebrew from AU under my belt in addition to a month of ulpan.  Seeing my family is really exciting, but what excites me even more is that I finally be able to talk, albeit on a smaller scale than I would like, with my grandmother's sister.  In my mind, if that doesn't make this whole experience here at Hebrew University worthwhile, what does?

My mom, left, with her aunt Chana, center, and her cousin Miriam, right.

After lunch, we took a break to allow people to catch up on homework, take a nap, etc.  At four o'clock in the evening, we regrouped and played a game of High Holiday--Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur--jeopardy.  Out team lost, but we had a lot of fun in the process.  Jeopardy was proceeded by a question and answer session with the rabbi on the Holy Holidays.  A range of questions were asked, from confusion about proper shofar technique to "What does it mean to be the chosen people?"  This was followed by dinner and a musical havdalah service.  There is perhaps nothing more unique in all of Judaism than the havadalah candle; what a treat at the end of a long day!

After the shabbaton ended, we had to move everyone's tables back to their rooms.  The biggest challenge was Esther's because she lives on the ninth floor of her building.  As we were walking with her table, it hit me: I had to use the bathroom... badly.  So, we decided to run with the table.  This was not so easy, but we got to the elevator and shoved the table inside.  Not surprisingly, the elevator seemed to move particularly slow and I felt like I was about to burst.  When we finally got to the ninth floor--comah tayshee'eet--we threw the table out of the elevator and burt through Esther's door... right into her roommate's private havdalah service.  This was not a normal havdalah service; this one had drums and other instruments as well as incense and mood lighting.  I still had to use the bathroom, though, so I hopped back in the elevator and ran into Rachel's room on the seventh floor.  The whole experience has to rank among the funniest moments I'll have at Hebrew University.

Imagine trying to take a table to the top of one of these buildings!

After the table experience, I went back down to make a minion for the evening service.  Here, I started talking to a kid who actually studied abroad at Hebrew University last fall, had graduated in the spring, and was back in Israel as a volunteer for the next nine months.  It turns out he had interned at the Anti-Defamation League this summer.  In fact, he started working in the Washington, D.C. office the week after I left.  Small world!  It is absolutely incredible how often people make connections here.  It seems like all Jews are connected in some way.

I know I've said this before, but I'm going to take a hiatus from blogging tomorrow night.  The final exam for ulpan is on Monday and I want to study all of Sunday without any distractions.  On a positive note, the next time I post I will be completely done with ulpan.  After some 100 hours of Hebrew class, it will be time to celebrate!

9/23 | AIPAC in Jerusalem and a Shabbaton in the Kfar

There are some things that are too good to pass up.  When I found out about an American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) sponsored program called "Engaging Washington from Abroad" at the Saban Leadership Seminar this past summer, I knew I had to get involved.  For American students studying in Israel, this is an opportunity to correspond with decision makers back home, acting as their eyes and ears in a country that needs their support now more than ever.  For politicians that have always supported Israel, Engaging Washington from Abroad shows them that their constituents continue to care about this issue.  For politicians that may not favor Israel as much, Engaging Washington from Abroad serves as a strong message: reform your stance on this issue.

This past Friday, I had the opportunity to go to an AIPAC conference in Jerusalem to meet with representatives from AIPAC.  I brought along two friends--Esther and Steven--to help get AIPAC's message out to a larger range of people.  It was a fascinating event; however, it was billed as a closed meeting so I cannot repeat exactly what was said.  All I can say is that it was split in two parts: a news brief about the Palestinian unilateral declaration of independence in the United Nations followed by a detailed explanation of what we as students should be doing to influence decision makers in Washington.  It was remarkable how many students showed up and what is even greater is that anybody can take part.  Even at home, students can continue to correspond with their Senators and Representatives to urge them to support the U.S.-Israel relationship.

Esther and Steven walking to the AIPAC conference in downtown Jerusalem.

As representatives of Hebrew University, we were given about 300 of these cards to hand out to students.

After the AIPAC event, the three of us decided to walk to the Kotel in the Old City, which was not too far away from where we were.  As we were walking, we got a text message from the Rothberg International School that said:

Due to a heightened security alerts in Jerusalem, students are advised to avoid the Old City and unfamiliar neighborhoods in East Jerusalem, as well as any crowds or demonstrations.

Of course, whenever someone tells you not to do something, that usually means you will do it anyway.  So, not being deterred, we carried forward through the Old City (avoiding the Muslim quarter shortcut) to the Kotel.  All over the city, the police presence was high.  Cops were stationed in every open space to ensure the security of all citizens, tourists, and worshippers.

Outside the main entrance to the Western Wall plaza, police had set up what looked like a command station.

Notice two things: 1.) It is hard to see, but there is a security blimp in the top left corner of the picture.  This was used to monitor Jerusalem from up high.  If people started congregating in one area, the IDF would know where to go to break up a protest before it got violent.  2.) There were more than 30 emergency vehicles stationed right next to the Kotel.  I'm not sure what their purpose was, but the IDF seemed ready for anything.

At the Western Wall, everything was as normal as ever.

After we got back to the Student Village, or Kfar HaStudentim, there were only a few hours until the beginning of the shabbaton in the kfar.  I had volunteered to help set up, so the rabbi sent me on a mission to find tables and chairs.  We were originally scheduled to do everything outside, but the threat of rain forced us inside.  After setting up the room and putting out the food, we started with a Friday evening service outside, since the rain had not yet started.  What an experience!  Praying with our eyes, literally, towards the Temple Mount, we danced--rakadenu--and sang--sharnu--in celebration of our being in the Holy Land.  We even did a few hora circles, albeit separately from the women so as not to offend those who prefer a more orthodox setting.  


After the service, we went inside and had a dinner of chicken, couscous, and peas.  For dessert, we had a number of baked goods from the famous Marzipan bakery.  In between dinner and desert, everyone sat in a circle to sit and reflect.  We even sang a few niguns, which are tunes sung without lyrics.  They consist of "bum-bum-bums" and "lai-lai-lais" that are meant to get people to focus on the spirituality of the music.  It was a great end to a long week and a nice event to have right before our final ulpan exams. Tomorrow, the shabbaton continues and I couldn't be more excited.

9/22 | Ein Kerem

Today, I had the opportunity to go on a Hebrew University sponsored tour of Ein Kerem, an ancient village that has now been incorporated as a neighborhood of Jerusalem.  Ein Kerem is rich in Christian history, so we spent most of the day in and out of various churches, or knessiyot in Hebrew.  It was a fascinating look into a religion that I know very little about.  Since I saw so much today, I have decided to reflect on my trip to Ein Kerem through pictures and captions.  While there is much to write about, the beauty of Ein Kerem needs to be seen to be truly understood.

We started our tour at the Church of Saint John the Baptist, built on the spot where Christians believe John the Baptist was born.

The courtyard in front of the Church of Saint John the Baptist has tiles with the same prayer written in every major world language.

The crest of the Franciscans, a Roman Catholic religious order that has been tasked by the Pope to be the official custodians of the Holy Land.

Another courtyard in the Church of Saint John the Baptist complex.

There was a priest conducting a service during our visit to the church.  I believe parts of his sermon were in Hebrew, which struck me as very odd.  Hebrew is so intertwined with Judaism that it is weird to think of any other religion incorporating Hebrew into their practices.

The audience consisted solely of nuns.  All were singing, and one was even playing a guitar!

As we left the Church of Saint John the Baptist, we passed one of the few synagogues of Ein Kerem.  In the background is the bell tower of a church.  Nearby were the remnants of the tomb of a revered Muslim man.  Throughout Israel, it is possible to find places where the three Abrahamic faiths meet.

The paths we took to travel through Ein Kerem were beautiful.  It was hard not to stop and stare at all of the idyllic scenery.

Our next stop was the monastery of Notre Dame de Sion.  It was founded by two French brothers who were born Jewish but converted to Christianity.

The gardens of the monastery were beautiful.  The complex serves as a guest house for tourists looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of Jerusalem.

A cemetery took up a large portion of the monastery grounds.  This picture shows the graves of several nuns who spent their lives at Notre Dame de Sion.  Nearby were the graves of terminally ill people who chose to spend their last days in the quiet solitude of the monastery.

The monastery had great views of the Shephelah, the region of Israel that contains the hills of Judea.

A beautiful Russian Orthodox church nestled in the hills of Ein Kerem.  Construction was started by Elizabeth of Russia in the 1910s, but was stopped after she was executed during the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution.  Funding for its completion wasn't collected until after the fall of the Soviet Union and it was not finished until a few years ago.

The final church we visited was called the Church of the Visitation.  It is venerated as the site where Mary, mother of Jesus, visited Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist.

During Mary's visit to Elizabeth, Mary recited her song of praise called the Magnificat.  Like at the Church of Saint John the Baptist, the courtyard of the Church of the Visitation is filled with tiles with lyrics from the Magnificat in every major world language.

The visitation as depicted through sculpture.

The flag of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Jerusalem cross--one big cross with four smaller ones--can be found throughout Ein Kerem.

Beautiful artwork can be found all over the Church of the Visitation.

More beautiful artwork in the Church of the Visitation.

A fairly modern style of art that depicts Mary and the baby Jesus.

The rock that Elizabeth hid behind to protect John the Baptist from marauding Romans.

The view from outside the entrance to the Church of the Visitation.

Out last stop was to Mary's Spring, which is currently the site of a mosque.

Mary's Spring is a freshwater spring that Christians believe to be the site where Mary and Elizabeth met.

The interesting design of the drainage path for the spring.  Whoever designed this was not too intelligent because it is an uphill climb, so water will never make it to the hole.

Before we left, we stopped for ice cream, or gleedah in Hebrew.  I had the M&M's flavor; it was delicious!