Shalom!

Shalom All!

What can I say? Things have more or less settled into a routine. However, about a week or so ago I definitely had a unique experience while helping Israel keep on top of their security. Earlier in the Ulpan some of the students were selected to participate in security check exercises at the Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. Yours truly volunteered to participate! I got to meet some of the security administrators and go into those restricted areas you don't usually get to enter. On top of that I got to intentionally lie to the security at the airport! Don't worry, family. All was under survellience and I was perfectly safe, and just so you know Israel's security is really good!

We did two trips - one to Tel Aviv & Jaffo and the other to Jerusalem. In Tel Aviv/Jaffo we went to the home of the first mayor of Tel Aviv which is where the leaders declared the state of Israel in May of 1948. We went through the old city of Jaffo and saw the port. Jaffo was the main port/entrance into the land of Israel for ages - thus it was the port from where Jonah tried to flee and probably where King Solomon had the wood from Lebanon sent in order to make overland transportation shorter - the wood of course being for the construction of the first Beit HaMikdash (Holy Temple).

In Jerusalem we visited the Yad Vashem Museum which a Holocaust Museum and research center. By the way it is also where President Bush will be visiting on his 3 day stay here. It is an overwhelming musuem and definitely worth more than one visit. Anything I say will be an understatement but it was terrible to see the capacity to which man can degrade to.

I must say it's been interesting being in Jerusalem during Bush's visit. We're pretty certain that we heard/saw the heliocopters carrying him and/or his personnel en route to Jerusalem as Tzuba is on the way. Also, several streets were closed in Jerusalem but as I travelled there I didn't notice anything different except that there was much more security personnel all around. Thanks for y'alls savlanut (patience) and I'll try to get something else on. I'm enjoying my time here and thank you all for your support and encouragement and prayers. I am still amazed that I am here!