Mount Hertzl

We went to Mount Hertzl, which is a national military cemetery located in Jerusalem. Theodore Hertzl – the founder of Zionism is buried at the top of the mountain. Former Prime Ministers as well as any fallen soldier killed on duty can be buried at this cemetery.
At this point on the trip, 8 Israeli soldiers joined up with us, and will be touring with our group for the remainder of the trip. They are on the trip for the same reason as the Canadians – to tour Israel. The idea is that us Canadians can meet Israeli peers in the army. Through them, we can learn about Israel through their eyes. As well they can learn about Canada through us. Three of the soldiers are in the K9 unit, 3 in the counter terrorist unit, 1 from the air force, and 1 from the tank unit. These soldiers are 20, and 21 years old, like myself. Conscription is Israel starts at 18, and lasts 2 years for women and 3 for men.

These are our 8 soldiers and medic on the last day of the trip

We had the privaledge to pay respect to a fallen soldier in the K9 unit who was friends with the 3 soldiers in the K9 unit that were with us. He was killed on duty in the Gaza strip only 2 months ago. Burried in that same area are the soldiers who have fallen this past summer while fighting the Hezbollah in Lebanon. Only a few graves away, there was a man paying respect to his son who had been killed when his tank was hit. He was killed only 3 weeks ago. The father was very nice, as he talked to us about his son, and also showed us pictures. Both these soldiers had recently turned 21 just before their deaths.
After the visit to Mount Hertzl, we went to the market for lunch. The market was packed, as the most popular time to shop for the fresh foods is Friday – just before the Sabbath. We bought a fresh challah right from the oven – the best challah I have ever tasted.
We later went back to the Kotel to experience the start of Shabbat. This time it was a completely different experience compared to yesterday because bringing in Shabbat is a special occasion. It was less touristy, and there were many more people there. There is also a certain exciting atmosphere to welcome in the day of rest.
After Shabbat started, we began our hour and a half walk back the kibbutz through the streets of Jerusalem. The weather was perfect for us Canadians, but the Israelis thought it was cold. Once back at the hotel, we had a nice Shabbat meal followed by another long night at the kibbutz bar.
After a long week of traveling, and always on the run, it is nice to bring in the Shabbat, as we get a day to relax and wind down from a long week of travels.