Our second day, we visited the Supreme Court of Israel, located in Jerusalem. The relatively new building is constructed with lines and circles throughout – lines for the law and circles for justice. How brilliant that the architect realized the practical application of the law can lead to justice! We were able to sit in one courtroom for a few minutes and follow the proceedings. Unlike US courts, where there is often a jury trial, in Israel all trials are heard by judges.
We left the Supreme Court and proceeded to Mt. Herzl and the grave of Theodore Herzl, the founder of Modern Zionism. We moved on from there to the military cemetery. It is always significant to acknowledge those who have dedicated their lives to Israel. This military cemetery drove home an important lesson – there are so many Jews from all over the world who have come to Israel and work together to create this Jewish society and country. There were monuments acknowledging the sacrifice of so many groups – those who died in the establishment of the state, Jews from different countries who died during WWII fighting the Nazis, as well as victims of terror. The individual attention given to each gravesite and monument was moving. The flowers and other items left by family members were heartbreaking.
After leaving the Military cemetery, we traveled to Tel Aviv. As we left the Jerusalem, Muki commented “say goodbye to Jerusalem” and I felt a pang – “If I forget thee O Jerusalem!” Even after several wonderful days, still twinges leaving our city.
Tel Aviv was bright and vibrant. Muki shared the history of the Neve Tzedek neighborhood – an original section of Tel Aviv that had become run down and is now going through a renewal. It’s a wonderful, warm artistic area with beautiful homes, stylish stores, restaurants and some jazz clubs. The narrow roads give the area a very picturesque look. Later, walking alone to dinner and back through the neighborhood, I could see how alive it is with so many different people.
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