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| Atara peaking over the partition |
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| bringing in the sefer torah |
The reason for this trip is my 3rd son Mendel's Bar Mitzvah. He had a bar mitzvah celebration back home the Shabbos right after his birthday, but instead of a party he opted for a 2 week trip to Israel with a bonus Kotel Bar Mitzvah. We learned from past experience that it gets pretty busy on Mondays and Thursdays with an onslaught of bar mitzvah boys making their way down to the kotel through the Old City of Yerushalaim (usually with musical instruments, shofars and a chuppah with balloons). We also know that when the sun is shining on the kotel square it gets quite warm. So, we planned for an EARLY morning Bar Mitzvah. We were entertaining a "Netz" Bar Mitzvah (as in finishing up davening as the sun comes up) but since it is November that would mean leaving our house no later than 5:00 am. Realistically that wasn't going to happen, but some how leaving at 5:30 would be practical! We took a back route to Jerusalem in order to beat any early morning traffic and of course got stuck behind several large construction trucks making or pace painfully slow. We arrived at the Zion Gate Parking at 6:45, got to the wall at 7:00 am.
Our friends who had made Aliyah a few years before were there waiting for us. When you come this early you can just pick a bimah next to the mechitza and go for it. It took a few minutes to round up a minyan, some random guy took charge of the davening and acted as gabbai. I brought a pocket wifi in order to stream Mendel's reading and aliyah live for our friends and family back in the states. Mendel got his aliyah, my nephew Shlomo got the second one, and our friend got the third. Mendel read very well, candy was thrown and mission was accomplished.
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| Mendel with his Kotel Bar Mitzvah certificate |
After the main event we were sure to take some group photos and to get Mendel's Bar Mitzvah certificate from the Rav of the Kotel (we will just ignore the not one but two spelling errors in his name....).
Our family was introduced to Israel's latest restaurant food fad "Cofix" where everything you order is 5 shekels. Coffee, danishes, burekas, pasta on and on. Our whole family at a substantial breakfast for 50 shekels. A bargain!
The next thing on our agenda was to test run an Old City Scavenger Hunt. Scavenger hunts have gained in popularity in Israel. I was going to reserve a slot with a well known company, but was asked by another company if we were willing to test run their scavenger hunt clues. They would supply the scavenger hunt with questions, we would follow the trail, take pictures of each marker, learn a bit about the Old City all for FREE! and if you know anything about me and my past trips, Free is free. We started at Jaffa Gate and worked our way all through the Old City, down the Cardo, to the Broad wall, into the square, back down to the Kotel Plaza, over to Dovid Hamelech's kever (gravesite) and more. We walked and searched for about 3 1/2 hours. There were a few bathroom breaks and snack breaks along the way and since we weren't racing as in a regular scavenger hunt the pace was more relaxed. We also had Atara who protested the stroller most of the time. By the time we got to the end, any more tourist attractions for the day were declined for a ride back to Ramat Beit Shemesh with some late lunch.
Later that evening my 11 and 9 year old nieces helped my 13 and 9 year old sons navigate the bus to the Ramat Beit Shemesh A' mercaz to purchase their own dinner and shabbos treats. They came home late and exhausted!
The reason for this trip is my 3rd son Mendel's Bar Mitzvah. He had a bar mitzvah celebration back home the Shabbos right after his birthday, but instead of a party he opted for a 2 week trip to Israel with a bonus Kotel Bar Mitzvah. We learned from past experience that it gets pretty busy on Mondays and Thursdays with an onslaught of bar mitzvah boys making their way down to the kotel through the Old City of Yerushalaim (usually with musical instruments, shofars and a chuppah with balloons). We also know that when the sun is shining on the kotel square it gets quite warm. So, we planned for an EARLY morning Bar Mitzvah. We were entertaining a "Netz" Bar Mitzvah (as in finishing up davening as the sun comes up) but since it is November that would mean leaving our house no later than 5:00 am. Realistically that wasn't going to happen, but some how leaving at 5:30 would be practical! We took a back route to Jerusalem in order to beat any early morning traffic and of course got stuck behind several large construction trucks making or pace painfully slow. We arrived at the Zion Gate Parking at 6:45, got to the wall at 7:00 am.
The next thing on our agenda was to test run an Old City Scavenger Hunt. Scavenger hunts have gained in popularity in Israel. I was going to reserve a slot with a well known company, but was asked by another company if we were willing to test run their scavenger hunt clues. They would supply the scavenger hunt with questions, we would follow the trail, take pictures of each marker, learn a bit about the Old City all for FREE! and if you know anything about me and my past trips, Free is free. We started at Jaffa Gate and worked our way all through the Old City, down the Cardo, to the Broad wall, into the square, back down to the Kotel Plaza, over to Dovid Hamelech's kever (gravesite) and more. We walked and searched for about 3 1/2 hours. There were a few bathroom breaks and snack breaks along the way and since we weren't racing as in a regular scavenger hunt the pace was more relaxed. We also had Atara who protested the stroller most of the time. By the time we got to the end, any more tourist attractions for the day were declined for a ride back to Ramat Beit Shemesh with some late lunch.
Later that evening my 11 and 9 year old nieces helped my 13 and 9 year old sons navigate the bus to the Ramat Beit Shemesh A' mercaz to purchase their own dinner and shabbos treats. They came home late and exhausted!
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