Shabbat in Jerusalem... meeting up with the Israelis.. having a blast!

Our Israel experience thus far has been one to remember. While in Jerusalem, we had the opportunity to experience Shabbat in the holiest city in the world. To start off the morning, the twenty of us separated into three groups to attend different synagogues. Being a lifelong member of Beth Tfiloh myself, I decided to go to the Reform synagogue in order to have a new experience. May it be the strumming of the guitar, the joyful tone in the congregants’ voices, or the delicious Kiddush the service was followed by, my visit to the Reform synagogue of Jerusalem was definitely memorable. Following this service, the twenty Dillers got a tour around the old city by our knowledgeable tour guide, Pauline. Pauline explained each site in depth and even intertwined some fun activities into the tour. This excursion was not only informative, but entertaining too! After some down time in the hotel, the group met for havdallah to conclude the Sabbath. Together we sang and played an enjoyable game of high-low. By each fellow elaborating on both their favorite part of the trip and their least favorite part, this game turned into a great reminiscing session. Upon concluding Havdallah, the twenty of us were given free time on Ben Yehudah Street to shop, eat and meet up with family or friends. Personally, I met up with one of my best friends and her family with Rachel Safferman and Gabe Zuckerberg. Excitedly expounding on our summer, we realized just how many quality stories we had compiled in just one week. The next morning we woke up ready to embrace the day we had been anxiously anticipating ever since we had arrived; the day we would finally reunite with our beloved Israeli counterparts. In a matter of moments, the twenty members of the Baltimore group became a group of forty to collectively form Ashkemore.

-Erin Miller