and Hannah Cohen.
Many of us attended Shabbat morning services at congregation Shirah Hadashah where we experienced an Orthodox-egalitarian service. At least one woman had an Aliyah to the Torah and another woman chanted the Haftarah. The processional with the Torah moved along the women’s side of the Mechitzah and then changed hands from a woman to a man who carried the Torah through the men’s side. Women even participated in leading the service.
We all separated for lunch and then reconvened to walk to the Tower of David Citadel Museum which tells the history of Jerusalem through an animated film, various models, dioramas, maps and other illustrations.
It’s hard to get the attention of over twenty people!
Along the east edge of the citadel you can get an amazing panoramic view of the Old City. Here’s David and Debbie Savitzky,
and Hannah Cohen.
We walked back from the Old City to our hotel by way of the artists’ colony of Mishkenot Sha’ananim in time for Havdallah. Noam recognized Shalom Sherman (who had performed at Mark and Debbie’s wedding and, more recently, at Temple Adat Shalom) standing nearby. He was excited to see us all.
That evening most people went to the Ben Yehudah Street mall to eat dinner and explore the city’s night life.