The teachers arrive

There was a 2 hour delay for the Rochester teachers who were flying in from Toronto. They landed about 12:15 and were through customs just after 1PM. We guided them to change money or withdraw from the ATM.  We received sandwiches, drinks and cookies from the Aroma Café and boarded our bus for Jerusalem.

          The first stop was the usual overlook view, this time from Mount Scopus.  Some groups do this from the Tayelet on the other side of the city.  The guide, Avigayil, gave them a quick overview of what they saw.  I was a bit surprised there was no shehechiyanu or wine as we do with tour groups. The time was short due to the delay so we hurried to the Old City where we got off the bus near the Zion Gate. The group was going to the Kotel and the archaeological sites in that area.  Having seen those sites numerous times I ran off to my friend George’s shop to visit with him.  After a quick cup of coffee I returned to meet them at the Dung Gate.  From there we drove to Machne Yehudah.

          We were given an hour and a half to and actually spoke in three different classes wander and shop.  Some of us bought spices and others bought all different things. Back to the bus and on to dinner.  The most fascinating thing was the makeup of the table behind us.  In this strictly kosher table there was a family grouping with three people who looked “hippyish”, a haredi, ultra-orthodox couple, an older man wearing a knitted kippah and two women, one from the US who appeared to be non-religious.

          We returned to Modi’’in where the host families picked up their guests.

          On Tuesday morning everyone in the delegation went to their partnered schools.  I went to Dorot and visited 4 different classes. I taught in 2 of them regarding American Jewish life, heard a beautiful presentation in a 4^th grade class that will be sent home to Sinai. I also had a chance to promote the Baseball program (see earlier post). Hopefully my enthusiasm sold the program to a few.

Carol Greer and I were taken around by four 3^rd graders who speak English to see all parts of the school.

 

I was pleased to run into teachers I knew from past delegations.

          We then met with all the teachers from Rochester and their counterparts from the different schools. Yael katz from the Jewish Agency (Sochnut) worked with the teacher partners and that was followed by those partners working together.

          I chose not to go to Tel Aviv for dinner with the group.  I made arrangements to go into Tel Aviv and meet with a dear friend of my son Ben, go to dinner and plane his wedding for next December when I will return to perform the ceremony. I was dropped off at the train an took the 30, minute ride back to Modi’in in comfort.