Shabbat Shalom!

we did some more touring today, trying to pack in the myriad of sites to see here in the old city before we leave. i think we are all ready to come home, two weeks is a long time and it feels like i've been here a month. time goes differently here somehow...
it was really neat to see the pools of bethesda today, very moving to be in one of the oldest preserved places in the old city. i can't even wrap my head around all that i have been blessed to see and hear while i've been here. even more moving than the sites we've seen have been the people that we have met and talked with. it seems that this place engenders a spirit of kinship among all people who come here, and it's easy to strike up a conversation with someone that you would ordinarily just walk by on the street. to hear the stories of these "living stones" of jerusalem has been probably the most rewarding part of the trip.
we celebrated shabbat with a jewish community here. the service was beautiful, i could have listened to the cantor for hours. when she sang the song of the sea, the one miriam sang after the israelites had crossed the red sea safely, i was so moved to be able to hear it in much the same way as miriam sang it centuries ago...
shabbat service was followed by a fabulous dinner, with many jewish families and their children. the best part of the dinner was not the food, although that was delicious, but the little boy, son of one of our host families, who stood proudly on his papa's chair and recited the blessing over the bread in a strong, clear, child's voice. it was a lovely moment and the smile on his face and the pride that he obviously felt to have completed such an honor was priceless.
today, we spend the day just enjoying our last day here, then on to a plane to come home. i am ready to leave, but will take pieces of this place with me forward into the rest of my journey that we call life....
l'chaim!
to life!