Friday 16 May 2003

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We dove into the start of the program this morning, first with an overview of the current matsav with David and then with an interesting driving tour along the 1948-1967 dividing line in Jerusalem. We started right near Ramat Rachel, which had been an army outpost along the border. We then proceeded to a spot where we had a panoramic view of the city and ended at the Mt. Zion Hotel. All through the tour, we gained an understanding of how winding the border between Jewish and Arab areas really is.

After the end of the tour, the group split up to get lunch and then to do some pre-Shabbat shopping. Most of us went to Kol HaNeshama, a liberal synagogue, for Kabbalat Shabbat, before returning to the hotel for Shabbat dinner and an Oneg Shabbat. The Oneg Shabbat included some singing, some dancing, and each of us presenting a gift to the group for Shabbat. These ranged from favorite Israeli treats (including ruggaleh from Marzipan) to stories or other thoughts.

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