Meet with Professionals
We began our final day in Jerusalem meeting with various individuals within the Israeli community that shared an interest either professionally or simply out of interest. Some of us met with individuals close by in Jerusalem, while others traveled as far as 90 minutes (close to Tel Aviv) to reach their destination. Meeting with individuals who are working for similar companies or non-profits as we are in the U.S. gave us a first-hand experience of what it would be like to work in Israel. This also gave us the opportunity to understand the differences and complexities working in Israel. The professionals each of us met with are listed below, along with some pictures.
- Hilary Bair – Meeting at Rubin Academy with opera singer and teacher, Robin Weisel Capsuto
- Hilary Cedergreen – Meeting with Cheri Fox at Table to Table warehouse/office or other agencies that deal with poverty and hunger issues
- Jennifer Scissors/Jason Cohen – Visited a local mountain reserve and met with local political attorney
- Vadi Dodge – Met with current and former IDF soldiers
- Steve Lieberman – Meeting in Jerusalem w/Yigal Schneider
- Lisa Nixon – Zichron Menachem – The Israeli Association for the Support of Children with Cancer and their Families
- Cheryl Perry – Meet with a Boys Day School in an Ultra Orthodox neighborhood in Jerusalem.
- Doug Snyder – Meet at Moshe Jonas stock and trading firm in Jerusalem
- Lisa Suffian – Met with Allergist Prof. Meir Shalit, M.D., head of the Allergy and Clinical Immunology Unity Department of Medicine at Hadassah hospital in Jerusalem
Kol HaOt
Our last official event of the day was at the David Moss studio in Chutzot HaYotzer, with known as Kol HaOt. Kol HaOt is an interactive Jewish Education Art Program which incorporates art into Jewish ideas, thoughts, values. The art studio was located on a small strip area called Artists’ Lane, which runs perpendicular to the Jewish Quarter, which provided a wonderful view. The group engaged in a short discussion of Torah, and then split up into pairs to create our own art work. The assignment consists of designing our own scrolls, with different color shapes, describing our trip to Israel. At the end, we shared are final products with each other. This exercise was a great way to reflect on the entire trip.
Ben Yehuda street
We had a few hours before heading out to dinner, so the group headed over to Ben Yehuda street, to grab a bite to eat (Shawarma) and partake in some last minute shopping. Most of us would agree that Ben Yehuda Street brought the best mix of food, shopping, and beauty compared to the others visited on this trip. This is certainly an area that will be missed.
Farewell dinner at Café Itamar
As the trip came to a close, we headed out for our Farewell dinner at Café Itamar in Jerusalem. This restaurant was beautiful, with a rain forest-like atmosphere. This dinner was a great opportunity to reflect on the entire trip, as well as spend some time with Amir. The food was great and we all truly enjoyed ourselves.
