All About Israel
By Brandon Dean
Learning About the Western Wall
At the Western Wall you can write notes and put them in the cracks. It is a very holy spot. It has been there for centuries. The Western Wall was actually the kotel. Jews have dreamed of praying to it. In every kind of weather it still has its beauty. The stones are darker now. When many, many people come close to it they start to cry. People like to pray to it because it has been around for a very long time. It is holy because it was part of the Beis Hamikdash. The Western Wall is one of the mot popular places.
Foods of Israel
Falafel is the most popular food in Israel. Breakfast in Israel is hearty and may include vegetables, olives, cheese and sometimes even fish. Lunch is the main meal of the day. They might eat a kebab. Dinner is a lighter meal of salad or fish.
Jerusalem
In Jerusalem there are many old and beautiful shuls. One of the most famous shuls is called Churvah. Jerusalem is Israel's largest populated city with 801,000 residents. Jerusalem's Old City is the home of many religion. The Arabs were very angry. One night they burned the shul to the ground. In the early 1800's there was a terrible earthquake in Tzefas. Houses we destroyed and many people died. The Beit-El shul was famous in Jerusalem for being a center for Mekubalim people who study the secrets of the Torah. Jerusalem is the capital of Israel anyone of the world. The oldest part of Jerusalem is the old city which is divided in four quarters. The Armenians, Christians, Jews, and Muslims pray there. Jerusalem is home to the Israeli government, Hebrew University, the biblical zoo and the kotel.
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv was founded in April 11, 1909 and the first Jews to settle in modern Tel Aviv were Yemenite Jews. It is now the second largest city in Israel with a population of 410,000 people. It is located on the Mediterranean coast. Tel Aviv University has 30,000 students. Israel's largest university hosts the Diaspora Museum in Ramat Aviv. Dizengof center is a large shopping area with a pretty and colorful fountain. Many visitors come to Tel Aviv each year. The 2.5 million visitors come from around the world to enjoy culture, fashion shopping, museums, restaurants, hotels, clubs, beaches, and sports. Tel Aviv beaches are ranked in the top ten in the world and it has the second largest economy in the Mediterranean. As you can see Tel Aviv is a great place to visit and live.
Masada
Masada is the site of two ancient palaces built as part of a fortress by the governor Herod the Great almost 2000 years ago. The ruins are located on a mountain above the Dead Sea. The fortress was taken over by Jews fleeing the Romans in 66 A.D. The Romans set up eight camps around the base of Masada and built a ramp out of earth to the fortress walls. To reach the ruins of Masada you can take a cable car to the top, hike up the winding snake path, or climb the much easier Roman Ramp.
Fun Facts It is fun to float in the Dead Sea. You could write notes in the Western Wall. You could go to the Agam Fountain. You could go to a beach. It is fun to go camel riding.