Day 5 - End of the Conference

The last day of the conference consisted of implementation workshops where we worked with groups to solve hypothetical international human rights emergencies. The exercises were a lot of fun, and it was great to use some of the things we had learned throughout the conference.

And of course, it wouldn't be a conference without an amazing closing ceremony and festive dinner. The ceremony was held at Beit Shmuel , which, like a lot of the places we visited that week, had yet another amazing view of the city. It was a bittersweet ending to a remarkable week. We were all so sad that it was all over, but grateful for the experience and connections we made. 

Beit Shmuel

View from the top

After the closing ceremony, I met up with a friend from undergrad who is undergoing a Masters program in Jerusalem. She generously let me crash at her place, and showed me more of the Jerusalem nightlife. We went to Ben Yehuda Street, which is a popular pedestrian mall area with both locals and tourists.

Ben-Yedhuda Street

We ended up at Mike's Place, a well-known sports bar. It had a great atmosphere, wonderful service, and a friendly, lively crowd. While we were hanging out, we made a couple of new friends - two Modern Orthodox guys from New Jersey who were studying at a Yeshiva, which are religious schools that focus on the study of the Talmud and Torah. We had such a great time with them - they were hilarious, and I got to learn a bit about Modern Orthodoxy.
The best line from that night was when one of the guys lightheartedly shoved the other, causing his kippa to fall off his head and onto the ground. I was curious as to whether there was any moral significance to taking it off, like if there were religious penalties or something like that. So, when I asked them what happens when they take their kippas off, they said "Oh, we lose our magic powers."
So good.

Posing with our new boyfriends

Jerusalem Day 2 - The Old City

After our first official day of the conference hearing about theory and practice from a number of fascinating and engaging speakers, we went to the Old City to see the Night Spectacular at the Tower of David Museum. The Tower of David is an ancient fortress, which also used to be the palace of King David.

Walls of the Old City

They have a nighttime light show here which, true to its name, is indeed spectacular. The walls serve as the stage, and the show traces Jerusalem's long history up until modern times in the most dazzling way. The story of Jerusalem was displayed before us through enormous, breathtaking audiovisual effects and dramatic music in a celebration of sight and sound. It is truly remarkable, and one of the most captivating shows I've ever seen.

The entrance

Upon our arrival, we walked through the garden and saw an assortment of projector images displayed on the walls, ranging from farming and garden scenes to people playing chess. After we made our way to our seats, the show started, executing an enthralling performance. I was hypnotized for 45 minutes as Jerusalem's history unfolded before my very eyes.

The stage for the light show

When the Night Spectacular ended, we walked around the Old City and made our way through the Arab, Christian, and Jewish quarters.

We ended at the Western Wall, also known as the Wailing Wall. It is situated at the western end of the Temple Mount and is the most sacred site for the Jewish faith aside from the Temple Mount itself, and has been a site of Jewish pilgrimage and prayer for centuries. The area surrounding the Wall is split into two sections - one for men and one for women.

Torahs

There's a great quote which describes praying at the Wall as if one "has prayed before the throne of glory because the gate of heaven is situated there and it is open to hear prayer". Visiting it was the most intense part of the whole trip; chills ran up and down my spine during my entire time there. When I entered the women's section, I could feel the energy radiating from everyone praying, and could almost see it whizzing around in the air. All around me women were muttering prayers, their heads bowed and eyes closed. Many were crying, wailing, as they read from their Torahs and touched the Wall itself. I have never seen anyone express their faith in such a heartfelt, impassioned manner. It was beautiful and emotional to be around so many people displaying such a strong spiritual connection.

This was definitely one of my favorite days of the trip. Not only was it an incredible cultural experience, everything - from the relations formed with other delegates, the speakers we heard from, and of course our night tour - went along swimmingly and without a hitch.