Jerusalem

Yesterday I went to Jerusalem on a trip with the International School. There were only 15 people who came, but it was still fun. In the morning we went to the traditional site of King David's grave. It's neat, but apparently it's not where he would actually be buried. Who knows? It's still neat.
Afterwards, we went to the room where the last supper was held. It's actually right on top of King David's tomb. It was cool, but it's just a room with some stained glass windows. After that, we walked through the Jewish quarter and saw some underground ruins from the First and Second Temple periods. They were also really cool. I got a pita with za'atar on it for a snack. It was delicious. After snack time, we saw some more ruins and then went to eat lunch. I had a delicious schwarma in a laffa. It was very tasty.
After lunch, we went to the Western Wall. I went over to the tefillin table and did the usual Jewish things in front of the wall. When I got them from the table, one of the guys told me that teffilin are the best life insurance policy you can have. When I was returning them to the table, one of the Chabad guys asked me what my name was and when I am going to come to his house for Shabbat. I told him my name and that I didn't make it down to Jerusalem from Haifa very much. However, he told me that I now have a reason to come. He made me put his number in my phone. I'm not going to call him. Another Chabad guy asked me where I go to school. I told him Pitt, and he asked me if I knew Rabbi Weinstein and if I go to Chabad there. I told him I go sometimes for meals and that I usually help Rabbi Weinstein make a minyan on Shabbat if he needs men. He told me that they were friends and that I should go back to Pittsburgh and tell him that we'd met. I'll do it if I remember.
After the wall, our group walked through the Jewish quarter to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in the Christian quarter. I didn't go in because one of our guides from the International School is Orthodox and he doesn't go into churches. I don't want to say that I felt bad for him because he's a great guy and I like him a lot, but I felt that it would be rude to leave him outside of the church by himself for an hour and a half. So he and I wandered around the Christian quarter, bought a new backgammon set, got some drinks, and played backgammon. That was by far more interesting to me than going into the church. This was my second time in Jerusalem and I won't get that many more chances to go back, so I felt like I learned more by walking around the neighborhood than by going into the church. Plus, our tour guide was really boring and I didn't feel like standing through an hour long remedial Christianity lecture about its formation and the Great Schism and Christian theology. I say remedial because I took both Religions of the West and the Bible As Literature at Pitt, so I know what's up. While we were playing a Greek Orthodox Monk walked by and looked like he wanted to ask us if he could play. If he had asked, I would have said yes.
Once everyone got out of the church, we went to the Mahne Yehuda out door market for a bit and then we headed back to Haifa. It was a good trip and I hope to get back to Jerusalem at least once more before I leave. As glad as I am to be going back to Pitt, I'm sad that I won't get to do as much exploring now because I have to be back so early for classes.