Israeli Days/Jordanian Nights: Day 3

Tel Aviv University houses the Museum of the Jewish People, or Beit Hatfutsot.

The Museum of the Jewish People was the first thing on today's agenda. Notable among the exhibits focused around the Jewish Diaspora (in my opinion) was the section that covered Jews living on the African continent — perhaps something that wouldn't normally cross your mind.

I read a bunch of the descriptions accompanying the exhibits, but honestly, my presently-tired brain only sees a melange of semi-connected terms/ideas/images: the Visigoths, Ashkenazi Jews, quotes from Abba Kovner, models of synagogues in different parts of the world, and plenty of maps depicting migration. 

Moshe Rosenthalis' "The History of the Jewish People" — a four-painting series depicting Jewish history via a visual narrative — caught my eye for a substantial period of time. The paintings are individually entitled "The Exodus from Egypt," "From the Inquisition until the Immigration to Jewish Palestine," "From the Israeli War of Independence until the Settlement of the Negev Desert," and "Jerusalem."

I want to say something witty and neat about Moses holding the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai ("The Exodus from Egypt"), but the creative juices seem to be lacking right now. I examined that painting most intently, though, down to the brush strokes that comprised the mountainside. Whether religious or not, it is certainly something to see. 

After a short drive back toward the beach and another stroll down a different portion of the promenade, we heard from a woman that works at the Peres Center for Peace, a non-profit organization dedicated to peace-building between Israel and its neighbors.

Sports are a large part of the organization's peace education program for elementary-age children. Our group will be participating in one of their biggest events of the year come Monday, a large soccer tournament that seeks to advance the Peres Center's peace-building efforts between Jews and Arabs. Kids from each side of the everlasting Israeli-Palestinian conflict get to know each other by working as a team with the common goal of capturing the tournament crown. It should be a grand time.

In the words of stereotypical white sorority girls everywhere, I literally cannot even right now (in regards to staying awake any longer). 

לילה טוב (Goodnight!)

-LTH