Shane Hoerbert ’15 – As I lay in my bed around 4:30 in the morning with the second day of our Israel trip about to begin I hear the first Islamic prayer being played over loudspeakers throughout Tel-Aviv. After stepping out on the balcony to listen to the prayer I lace up the shoes for a run with Bradke along the beach. I think about the exciting day ahead and think about the track team (congrats on the fourth NCAC title) and all my fellow Wabash Men back home and on all the other immersion trips. How lucky we are!
After a quick breakfast we headed north out of Tel-Aviv to Casarea, which was built by Herod the Great, and has continually served as a port city until it was turned into a national park. We relived the religious and cultural history of the amphitheater, hippodrome, palaces, and bathhouses. We took a bunch of awesome pictures including one in which the group was reenacting the usage of the bathrooms located in the hippodrome.
We then proceeded further north to the old city of Acre in which we visited the White Mosque and witnessed the ritual cleanings and prayer. After stopping for a taste of traditional Israeli cuisine we headed back south to Haifa, and visited the Bahá’í gardens.
After the gardens we proceeded to the University of Haifa and visited with students and the Professor of Jewish studies. We intellectually and socially connected with this people on important sociological and political viewpoints.
After this long and amazing day we have arrived at the Colony Hotel (it is niceeeee). Words cannot express how excited I am for the rest of this trip. The guys are yelling at me to finish this blog so we can eat dinner. Shalom!
