Jerusalem Day 8 - September 1st 2009

Our day today was spent on the coast in the city of Tel Aviv. It is the largest city in Israel and is much less religious than Jerusalem. Our first stop was at a University Campus which housed a museum of Jewish History. The museum held a huge store of information abour Jewish traditions and life. One of the first things we learned was about the Diaspora, or the dispersing of the Jews. We also found out that the central focus of Jewish life is their family. Another interesting part of the museum was the festivals and holidays that Jewish people celebrate. Bar Mitsvahs are held for 13 year old boys who are ready to be responsible for his own actions and morals. Yom Kippor is actually a holiday that is coming up and I will be in Jerusalem for. It is a 25 hour fast and ends on the Day of Atonement. One more interesting fact I found out about Jewish traditions is that during their weddings they break glass. This is done to commemorate the destruction of the temple. In this way, no matter how happy the occassion, the Jewish people always remember that there were and always will be hard times in life. I think that is a really neat way to go about life. After the museum we went to a market for lunch. We ate a cute little cafe type place that had really good food and coffee. After lunch was the beach. The Mediterranean Sea was absolutely beautiful. The beaches were pretty packed and the water was almost uncomfortably warm, but everyone enjoyed our afternoon there. After the beach came our last stop of the day, Jaffa. In English Bibles this city is referred to Joppa and is essential to both the Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testament Jaffa is a central part in the story of Jonah. When Jonah ran away from God's call for him to go to Ninevah, he fled to Tarshish and ended up at the Jaffa port to get on a ship. In the New Testament, Jaffa is the city where Peter had his vision in Acts 10. This is important because it is when God showed Peter that His word was not just for the Jews but also for the Gentiles. Jaffa is one of the major historical sites around Tel Aviv. The day was a success! As usual....