More photos from October

We walked to the Western Wall early one morning as Jews celebrated the end of Sukkot and the beginning of Simchat Torah.  Worshippers filled the courtyard, sang and waved branches overhead.  We saw several Torah scrolls carried in beautifully ornamented cases.  .

This was my second time at the Wall, but my previous visit was on the Sabbath so photography was not permitted, neither was using cell phones, nor writing.  But apparently it was still okay to place a pre-written note into the cracks of the walls even if it is Sabbath

At the Arabic Culture night, a father and son who work as muezzins at Al Aqsa Mosque sang the Call to Prayer and verses from the Quran for us, also demonstrating Islamic prayer.  We ate a delicious meal I can only compare to chicken chimichangas, but better, with amazing side dishes.  Then we worked off the extra calories with folk dancing in the gym.  Sorry for the blurry photo--blame it on the beat!

Emily talks with her friend Johnathan at the Seder or Passover meal at the Jerusalem Center.  The menu was salad, then fish, then soup, later chicken with mashed potatoes, then fruit, and finally Israeli sweets.

At the end of the meal Amanda found the hidden matza and was rewarded with a box of chocolate candies.  She shared them with us for family home evening.

We attended a Liberal Orthodox synagoge on Friday night with instructor Ophir Yarden.  The rabbi and congregation sang hymns and psalms to say goodbye to the old day and welcome in the Sabbath as a bride would be welcomed to her wedding.  We followed along in the song book as best as we could, and tried to learn a few more Hebrew letters as we soaked in the melodies and joined in the choruses.

A view of the October sky over West Jerusalem.

On October 17 we snorkeled off the stony beach of Eilat, the southernmost tip of Israel.

After chasing fish for 4 hours, we enjoyed dinner at the restaurant affectionately known as the "cow kibbutz."  We brought home a gallon of chocolate milk.