In My Life

By John Lennon and Paul McCartney
Revised by Michael Peroff

There are places I remember
All my life
Though some have changed
Some forever, not for better
Some have gone
And some remain
All these places have there moments
With professors and friends
I still can recall
Some were asleep and some drank coffee
In my life, I loved them all

But of all these friends and professors
There is no one, compares with Reubs
And these memories lose their meaning
When I think of law as something new
Though I know I’ll never lose affection
For people and things
That went before
I know I’ll often stop and think about them
In my life, I learned a lot

Though I know I’ll never lose affection
For Reis and Hunt who helped us along the way
I know I’ll often stop and think about them
In my life, I learned a lot

On this trip, I learned so much

Saturday-Overlooking Jerusalem

OK, so you can't really see the Old City below, but trust us, it's there...

On our final full day together, we saw the sun rise over the old city of Jerusalem from the top of Mt. Scopus and the Hebrew University. After a number of Kodak moments we drove through the Judean desert past the oldest city in the world, Jericho. We arrived at the Masada fortress high above the Dead Sea. We learned about the story of Masada, a fortress that was built by King Herod and later occupied by Jewish resisters to Roman occupation of the land. Hollywood and Peter O’Toole did a good job but nothing compares to the real thing. From there we proceeded to the shores of the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth. We enjoyed a great lunch and had the traditional float and mud treatment. After returning to Jerusalem in the late afternoon, some are preparing to go to mass at the Holy Church of the Sepulcher for midnight Easter services, others will enjoy Jerusalem nightlife.

Friday

It was a warm and early morning when we departed for the modern city of Tel Aviv. We made one particular special stop for the benefit of Professor Sorkin. The King is alive and well and enjoying falafel in Jerusalem. Once we reached the city we had some time before our first meeting to travel to the spot where Prime Minister Yitzak Rabin was assassinated in November of 1995 in response to his efforts to make peace with the Palestinian people. As we know, in the years that have followed the process has become extremely frustrated. However, our first meeting demonstrated that it is not completely hopeless. We met with an Israeli based non for profit group known as Gisha; a legal organization with the goal of promoting and protecting freedom of movement for the Palestinian people, particularly residents of the Gaza Strip, by using the tools of the Israeli legal system and international law. Sari Bashi, the director of Gisha, explained how the organization files petitions with the Israeli High Court of Justice on behalf of citizens in the occupied territories whose right to travel has been unfairly restricted. She indicated that the results have been both positive and heartbreaking, but it is necessary that the group continue to fight the fight.

Our second and final meeting convened out of doors at Lewinsky Park near the old central bus station. Yiftach Millo, the Director of Assaf gave an informal talk about the dilemma of asylum seekers who enter Israel through the open border with Egypt at the Sinai Peninsula. Having walked hundreds of miles, from various African nations, including Eritrea, Ivory Coast, Sudan, Ethiopia, Darfur and Liberia, these individuals are initially detained in a prison in the southern part of Israel. They are later released to shelters that are run by the city of Tel Aviv while awaiting deportation to their respective countries if conditions allow for their safe return. Israel has made special efforts for Darfur refugees to remain permanently in Israel. Dean Ruebner and a few of the students toured the living quarters of a refugee shelter where men women and children are living in unacceptable and horrendous conditions. As a result, on our return to the United States we have decided as a group to raise money on behalf of this refugee center.

We then toured the city of Tel Aviv, and the ancient city of Jaffa. Many swam in the refreshing Mediterranean Sea while others shopped in the Carmel market and the adjacent artist’s fair at nearby Nachalat Benyamin. Before sundown, we returned to Jerusalem, cleaned up and put on our Friday night best for an enjoyable Sabbath dinner.
We ended the evening with a nice walk overlooking the old city all together.

LH

Thursday in the Negev

Morning meeting with representatives from the NGO - Regional Council of Unrecognized Villages in the Negev.

After a much needed day of independent study in the economic development of Israel (i.e. shopping and rest), we woke up bright and early for another exciting day. Our wake up call was at 5:30am and we boarded the bus and headed south into the hot Negev desert to visit a Non-Governmental Organization called The Regional Council for the Unrecognized Villages in the Negev (RCUV). RCUV is a democratically elected body, chosen to represent the Bedouin community of the 45 unrecognized villages in the Negev. All 35 of us pilled into a crowded office and sat on the crowded floor in the hot office. The presenter apologized profusely for the conditions of the office, but expressed that it was a good representation of how the Bedouin people live in unrecognized cities. We would soon find out that the conditions for us during the hour long meeting were a luxury compared to the citizens of the unrecognized villages of the Negev.

The presenter tried not to be political in his presentation, but that was impossible. He explained that the primary goal of the RCUV is to receive governmental recognition of the Arab Bedouin (unrecognized) villages in the Negev, which have been excluded from governmental support or recognition. They define recognition as social, economic, and cultural equality with all citizens of Israel.

In 1948, as a result of the war or independence, 90% of the Arab population was forced out of the Negev and became refugees in The West Bank, Gaza, and Jordan. The remaining 10% were put into fenced areas where the Bedouins faced a new kind of society. They left their traditional lives of agriculture and farming and then forced into an unknown urban society. These societies posed many challenges for the Bedouin people. In the 1960s the Israeli Government created 7 recognized towns for Bedouins.

While a majority of the Bedouin people moved into one of the seven towns recognized by the Israeli government, there are still 76,000 Bedouins in 45 unrecognized villages. The unrecognized villages are made up of citizens living in metal or plastic shacks with cloth roofs, many without water or electricity. Many Bedouins do not have the means to move into the recognized communities and are therefore forced to live in the unrecognized towns.. There are three main criticisms of the Bedouin people against the Israeli government: First, the concentration of Bedouins is maximized in a minimum amount of land, whereas the Jews experience a minimum amount of citizens in a maximum amount of land. Second, The Bedouins were not included in any city planning for their own communities. Third, The Israeli government did not provide any sources of income for the Bedouin communities, the result being that the Bedouin communities live in the poorest communities of Israel.

The heart of the Bedouin argument is land. When the Bedouins were forced from their land, and into Bedouin villages, their ownership was not recognized. The Bedouins live a very traditional lifestyle, therefore their land agreements are oral, rather then traditional deeds. The Israeli government refused to recognize the long established oral land agreements.

After discussing the many challenges of the Bedouin people and the legal issues surrounding the conflict between Arab Bedouins and Israelis, we headed out of the crowded office to explore the village of Wadina’am, one of the unrecognized cities.

Our bus struggled to drive through the rubble of Wadina’am as we passed homes made out of metal and plastic. There was a great irony in this town – there is a massive power plant in the town with power lines that run across the land. However most of the Bedouin homes do not have the benefit of power. We passed dead camels lying in ditches on the side of the road and a donkey tied to a power line. In addition to living without power, most of these huts don’t have water, sewage, or protection from nature.

We passed by a modest but sturdy building made from mud. Our guide explained that it was a medical clinic that is no longer in open. The reason that it is no longer in operation is because the government shut it down because it got too much media attention. The medical conditions in the unrecognized cities is grim – there are no nearby medical clinics and to get ambulance services can take up to an hour during an emergency.

The bus stopped in a Bedouin tent in the middle of the town. We went in and sat on the floor and we were served a sweet tea. We were greeted by a Sheik who gave us a warm welcome. He talked with us about the situation in the unrecognized Bedouin villages. He discussed the legal battle for the Bedouin people of Wadina’am to be moved to a recognized city. They have been negotiating for new land since 1988. During the last 20 years, the citizens have experienced grave health problems due to the power lines that run through their community. The ministry of Health and Environment has declared Wadina’am as highly hazardous. A high percentage of the citizens of Wadina’am suffer from various forms of cancer and respiratory problems. For this reason, the Wadina’am citizens are willing to move anywhere.

Another problem that the citizens face is home demolition. Because the Israeli government does not recognize their villages, from time to time the government will demolish their homes and force them out. They will then have to rebuild their homes and start all over. Some families have been forced out of their homes because of demolition monthly, only to have to start all over again. The Arab Bedouins of the unrecognized cities also face severe problems with education and unemployment. The unemployment rate for women is 98% and it is not much better for the men.

After the presentation, we boarded the bus and we slowly made our way out of the town. It was difficult to drive away on our comfortable bus back to the luxuries that we are so accustomed to as we wave goodbye to children as they run with the bus to bid us farewell.

We left the Bedouin village to visit the Women’s organization, Lakiya Negev Bedouin Weaving (LNBW). LNBW was established in 1991 as an income generating project for Palestinian Bedouin women living in villages and homesteads in the Negev desert. Lakiya provides women with the opportunity to develop the traditional skills of spinning and weaving, and to acquire new roles and skills in dyeing, production and business management.

We started with a traditional Bedouin lunch served in the traditional Bedouin tent. We sat on hand made rugs and cushions on the floor around tables filled with food. The main course was rice, vegetables, and chicken. We also had hummus (we just can’t get enough Hummus), salad, and goat cheese. The meal was topped off with sage tea and coffee.

After lunch a woman from the organization told us about the organization and explained that LNBW was created to employee women after the Bedouins were forced from their traditional way of life. In their traditional roles, women were in charge of building the tents made from hand woven rugs. With their new urban lifestyle, that job was eliminated. LNBW gives women the opportunity to continue their work and make money to help provide for their family. After the presentation, one woman took us through the process of weaving a rug - from gathering the wool, threading the wool, dying the wool, and eventually weaving the rug. The rugs were beautiful and many of us made purchases to support the organization and contribute to their work.
Meeting with the Bedouins presented us another perspective of the situation in Israel. We saw another struggle in the fight for human rights. I am left wondering - how do the Bedouins survive in those conditions? How do the children stay hopeful for a bright future? What will be the fate of the Bedouin people?

The Bedouins have great pride in their traditional way of life and will do everything they have to do to preserve their culture. I hope for the Bedouins that one day they are able to live their lives, own their land, and coexist with Israelis forever.
s.s.

Time to confess

Good morning,

I am sitting in the lobby of the hotel watching the sun rise in the holy city (I am still making up for oversleeping a few days ago), and I can't help but lament the state of the world today. It is not a political thing, it is simply the truth from the bottom of my heart. I don't know what will happen when we return on Monday, or how I can write a 25 page paper about the things we have seen. How can we possibly describe all of the things we have seen in the last week? Between the countless incredible sights and sounds of Israel and the exhaustion that set in from traveling and trying to keep up with the class, I have not had time to sort out all of the emotions that have been racing through my mind.

All I can say is that I hope that everyone on this trip and everyone following along on the blog will take a moment to reflect about the implications of human rights today. As far as we have come technologically and socially, we find ourselves in the same quandries that people have faced for thousands of years: Warring for resources and domination of people that are different from ourselves. And of course many people live comfortable lives and are fortunate enough to provide for their families, and yet countless more live in the most dire circumstances. It is not about which country should do this, and which country needs to do that- It is simply a reflection of what we see in the world today.

In any case, I am hopeful. If anything, this trip has shown me the power of people to overcome adversity and the everlasting desire for peace. I fully expect to see peace in our time, even if some of the people here and around the world would not agree. We have an opportunity to give people the hope that they have thirsted for, so long as we go back home and tell others of what we saw here. It is up to us to help as many people as we can regardless of race, ethnicity, country, gender, age, and religion. I am truly grateful to be on this trip and have an unforgetable experience with my 30 colleagues and 3 honorable professors who were willing to take us on this trip.

In conclusion, I keep hearing a song run through my head, and I feel it is appropriate to share it. Please, be at peace and spend time with your families and remember that the world is a beautiful place no matter how dark our lives may seem. I wish for everyone a long and healthy life with all the joy that life has to offer:

The General
by Dispatch

There was a decorated general with a heart of gold
They likened him to all the stories he told
Of past battles won and lost and legends of old
A seasoned veteran in his own time
On the battlefield he gained respectful fame
With many medals of bravery and stripes to his name
He grew a beard as soon as he could to cover the scars on his face
And always urged his men on
But on the eve of great battle with the infantry in dream
The old general tossed in his sleep and wrestled with its meaning
He awoke from the night to tell what he had seen
And slowly walked out of his tent
All the men held tall with their chests in the air
With courage in their blood and a fire in their stare
It was a grey morning and they all wondered how they would fare
'Til the old general told them to go home...

He said "I have seen the others
And I have discovered
That this fight is not worth fighting
And I've seen their mothers
And I will no other
To follow me where I'm going
So, Take a shower and shine your shoes
You've got no time to lose
You are young man, you must be living
Take a shower and shine your shoes
You've got no time to lose
You are young man, you must be living
Go now you are forgiven

Wednesday

A day of "Independent Research in International Trade Negotiations and Economic Development."

In reality, we had no formal plans today so most of us went shopping....

Day 8:

The first night we actually get used to the time shift, we are wrenched from our sleep after receiving a 5:30 a.m. wake up call. After hurling the telephone against the wall, we dressed in our Tuesday’s best and made our way down to the bus for an early morning meeting with President Barak, the former Chief Justice of the Israeli Supreme Court.

After roughly an hour drive from Jerusalem to Herzlia, a town just outside of Tel Aviv, we finally arrived at (Blank) Law School, eager to hear the internationally renowned Justice speak. President Barak entered the room. We stood to our feet, sharpened our minds, and settled in for an exhilarating lecture. President Barak was quick to issue incisive commentary, stating that Israel has a ‘crippled’ constitution, yet such a constitution is better than no constitution at all.

Specifically, President Barak indicated that the Israeli “Constitution” consisted of 11 Chapters, including the “basic laws” of Israel. To illustrate, in 1992, Israel’s Knesset (Legislature) enacted two of the more recent basic laws, including the Human Right of Dignity and the Human Right to choose and practice a profession. These basic laws are extremely significant because they serve as a wellspring from which several implied rights, such as free speech are derived.

This statement invited multiple interpretations of the constitution. On one hand, there is the notion of loose constructionism, by where the language of the constitution is broadly interpreted and subject to change (a stance that President Barak seemed to favor). Conversely, there is also the potential to label the constitution as vague and ambiguous, requiring further development to cure the inherent defects in such a document.

Needless to say, this exchange served as an overwhelming revelation into the myriad potential interpretations of the constitutional language that spark discord.

President Barak continued his commentary on all the issues facing the state, describing the development of judicial review and its far-reaching effects, the role of the legislature in curing the defects in judicial opinion, and a series of conversations with President Jimmy Carter.

After an hour lecture, President Barak fielded probing questions from all comers, tackling inquiries ranging from the West Bank to the possible parallels between the Holocaust and Israel’s current treatment of the Palestinians.

A group picture concluded our meeting with this giant of the Israeli legal landscape. We made way to the student union to politick with the student body, whose collective gaze towards us piqued our interest.

Conversations were had over perhaps the largest (and cheapest) cheese sandwich ever fashioned by man.

Digestive supplements were taken, appetite was sated, the bus was found and the road was met.
-PV Wonder and Rutherford Saxberry

This afternoon, we visited the Legal Clinic at Al Quds University in East Jerusalem. The residents of East Jerusalem are not considered citizens of Israel, Jordan, or the occupied territories of Palestine. They only have residency status in Israel. On our way, we drove along the security wall erected by the Israeli Government separating the residents of East Jerusalem from the citizens in the Israeli settlements. The wall consisted of intimidating slabs of gray concrete encapsulating the entire city of East Jerusalem.

As American citizens, we were allowed entrance through the security gates and drove along an expressway reserved for Israeli citizens. As we approached the university campus, we noticed the drastic change in landscape and architecture. The vast areas of green trees and shrubs were instantly replaced with shades of gray dust and rocks. To combat the depressing environment, the residents of East Jerusalem used the wall for artistic expression. One painting depicted a pasture of flowers reaching for sunlight, contrasted with a more militant painting of a firmly clenched fist. Before conversing with a single student, we knew our discussion here would be a drastic departure from those of this morning.

We were warmly greeted with smiles by a delegation of law students and proceeded on a museum tour dedicated to Palestinian political prisoners. Following the tour, four senior law students presented independent research on the effects of the wall, the increase of Palestinian home destructions, the growing withdrawal of identification cards, and the restrictions placed on Palestinians returning to Israel at the airport (which we personally experience ourselves).

Through the presentations, we heard the rarely discussed socioeconomic consequences of the ongoing crisis between Israel and its Arab residents. Access to necessary resources including water, healthcare, jobs and education has been severely reduced for these residents. East Jerusalem faces total isolation from all other parts of the country. Students shared personal stories of activism and leadership during conflict. The most heart-wrenching stories were those of separated families, of mixed nationality, who are not allowed to be reunited under current laws.

While listening to their accounts, I remembered an African adage that when elephants fight it is the ground that suffers. I immediately thought of the innocent children and the unspoken psychological trauma they have suffered. They have no parks or playgrounds, and are bombarded with images of war including heavily armed guards and security checkpoints. Most sadly, these children have witnessed the fear, hopelessness, and desperation in their parents’ eyes.

Last night, I had a dream that I carried a child on each arm, and another child grabbed my dress as we walked down the road. I have not fully realized the meaning of my dream, but I am determined to do my part to save a devastated generation of Palestinian youth.

Tolu

Day Six. More Jerusalem, Bethlehem and a discussion with NGO's in the evening...

A day of contrasts and a ride on an emotional roller coaster (as told by a number of us)...

It has been over 24 hours since we visited Yad Vashem and I am still at a loss as to how to put into words my experience. The tangled knot of emotions resists any attempt to understand what I experienced there or at least put into words some of them. Yet I will make an attempt for the proverbial “folks back home.”

Yad Vashem is the Holocaust History Museum located in Jerusalem. We went first thing in the morning and there was a heavy haze over the entire city due to heavy winds blowing east and carrying the dust from desert. The museum is a prism-like triangular structure which represents the half of the Star of David, symbolic of the half of the entire population of Jews who were murdered during the Holocaust. The building is arranged in “chapters” each covering, in chronological order, the story of the Holocaust. As you enter, you are first confronted with a large video installation created from archival photos and film depicting happy smiling people, establishing for the viewer the conditions prior to the rise of the Third Reich. As you then proceed through the museum, you slowly see the rise of racism and the eventual murder of millions of people. I was an absolute mess within minutes.

In each room there are video screens which play interviews with Holocaust survivors. I had learned about the Holocaust in school as many of our group had but for me yesterday was the first time it walked out of the distant abstract annuals of history and became a very real tangible experience which had a personal significance. The question which continued to resonate in my heart was “Why” and unfortunately I still have no answer. I was so frustrated and saddened by the final room. I stopped in front of the video screen where an elderly couple told the story of how they met and got married while recovering in the hospital after being liberated from a concentration camp. For me, their story represented the hope at the end of every tragedy.
I have seen and experienced many things here in Israel and I am sure that many more things before I return to the States but right now, a small moment in a museum, watching two old people tell a simple story of their marriage after experiencing the darkness of the concentration camps was the expression of what I had hoped to take away from this trip.
M.B.

From the Holocaust Memorial to the Israel Museum where we saw the Shrine of the Book and the portions of the Dead Sea Scrolls. It was truly incredible to see the patience and skill that must have been required to create these writings. Every line and every letter was so precise. It was beautiful to see and made me ashamed of my own illegible handwriting. After viewing the scrolls, we saw a scale model of Jerusalem as it was in AD 66. Being able to see the entire city, miniaturized, made it much easier to understand where we had been the previous day and where we would be going later on. So far, this trip to Israel has been amazing and it just keeps getting better. I will be sorry to leave, but happy to share all of our stories with everyone.
M.B.H.

If until this point Israel has been center stage, then today in Bethlehem, a Palestinian occupied territory in the West Bank, we were able to take a peek behind the curtain. Not by choice, we left Dean Ruebner in Jerusalem. Then, we dropped our Israeli guide outside the segregation fence and passed through a military check point armed with our American passports. On to the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

To think, all of this trouble just to visit the Church of the Nativity, a Mosque, and of course another souvenir shop graciously offering what by now is the customary 15% discount on olive wood carvings of the manger scene. After our newly acquired Palestinian guide recited the Lord’s Prayer in ancient Aramaic, we walked towards the city center where the Church of the Nativity has stood since the 3rd century while the Muslim call to prayer rang out from the mosque minaret. This was truly our first experience behind the wall. It seemed that at every opportunity our guide reminded us that we were safe, welcomed, and encouraged to voice any complaints so that the next group of American tourists would not be similarly inconvenienced. The local Palestinian police force stopped traffic for us -- although Kristen could have accomplished that just fine on her own -- and posed for pictures with us one by one in front of a picture of Yasar Arafat. We casually strolled by the main square and into the Church.

The Church of the Nativity, marks the place where Christians say Jesus Christ was born, was commissioned in the year 326 by the roman emperor Constantine and it was beautiful inside. There was an amazing 4th century mosaic and the front of the church was very ornate. Then it was down to see where it all happened: the Grotto of the Nativity. There was a fourteen point star marking the spot where it is believed that Jesus was born.

We all lined up to touch the small hole in the ground, and I have to say it was very humbling for me. Part of my family is Roman Catholic and I knew that they would have loved to be able to have the opportunity to see this spot. It was a bit emotional for me. Some of us joined in a chorus of silent night (and Shaun lead others in a verse of Santa Baby)Then we saw the spot where they believe the manger was before we saw the Roman Catholic Church, St. Catherine’s.

After our short visit to the scene of Jesus’ birth, we moved into the city center. On the walls of the local Peace Center were large posters of four Palestinian men holding uzis. Our guide unashamedly explained that these men were martyrs from the PLO jihadist movement killed just ten days earlier in Gaza by Israeli rocket fire. As incense wafted from nearby store fronts and Arabic men smoking hookah looked on with curiosity, we proceeded towards the Mosque…
DMK and BMS

For me this entire trip has been about embracing as many different experiences as possible. The day we went to the Temple Mount two of our group were privy to tour the mosque located there because of their faith. I was quite jealous that I was not able to participate in this opportunity but something came along later that more than made up for it to me.

After having spent several hours in Bethlehem eating shopping and visiting several ancient churches there was one last site that some of us were able to see: the Mosque of Omar. Located right across the oldest working church in the world, this mosque was the first one I was ever able to see inside. We were told by our guide that the men could enter the mosque as long as they took their shoes off and any woman who was properly covered. I could not have been more excited as I entered into the building and removed my shoes in the little area inside the door and carried them with me up the carpeted stairs.

Walking up a few flights of carpeted stairs inside the mosque I was awe struck that I was finally able to see inside a completely different place of worship.

A handful of us walked up to the third floor after checking our shoes on a landing, we entered a room with a clock that said five different times for the daily prayers for Muslims displayed on the wall. I was awe struck to imagine this now empty room filled with worshipers, praising Allah in their particular way and it seemed beautiful to me.

This beauty was amplified for me when we were getting ready to leave. A local man who had followed us to our room inside the mosque where we soaked in the religious significance of this place of worship offered to ring a prayer to us before we left. At first our guide translated his offer to our two fellow Muslim colleagues but they asked if the prayer could be read for all of the group. The offer was accepted and we all knelt in a circle around the local man who sat in a chair with a copy of the Quaran and began to read. His reading was like a song; one of the most beautiful I have heard in a long time. His voice was filled with passion and heart and everyone in the room felt truly moved. We soaked in this prayer and truly were able to appreciate this different experience in Bethelham.

I don’t know if I have had a single day here that impacted me more than this one in its entirety. I am so thankful for the opportunity to immerse myself in the different aspects of the different major religions of the world. This is by far one of the best opportunities that I have had in my life and I cannot than everyone who made this possible for me enough.
-MOB

Outside the mosque the remainder of the group watched Professor Reis haggle with a local Palestinian over the purchase of some beaded necklaces. This rather persistent salesman managed to unload his stock of beaded necklaces on Professor Reis for what might (or might not) have been a reasonable price (please act surprised if you end up getting one of these necklaces as a gift). Other locals saw this and approached the group in an effort to sell their stock of necklaces and local children came begging for shekels. After waiting, and waiting for the others in the mosque, many of us began to feel uncomfortable. The second man selling necklaces was very pushy. He was willing to sell 4 necklaces for $5. The only problem was that I did not have any dollars on me, and I did not have anything less than 100 schekles. I kept telling him that I did not have any money, and only had a credit card. But he kept trying to sell the necklaces. He was very persistent. He told me that he needed the money for his family, they are very poor, they can not go to the other side (of the separation barrier). He said that four Palestinians were killed the other day and no one cares, but if four Israeli’s were killed then people would care. He asked why we only spend money in the rich shops. Many of the locals were staring at us as were waiting. As soon as the others came out of the mosque and we were ready to go back to the bus.
NLB

On Monday night, representatives of two Israeli NGOs visited with us at the hotel, Ronit Piso of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) and Avi Berg of B’tselem.

As part of its advocacy, B’tselem gives video cameras to Palestinians in the Occupied Territories to document treatment of the locals by the Israeli military. Many of us were fascinated by this program and the stories of some Palestinians who were asked to surrender their cameras; Avi reminded us that this program is in its infancy but has certainly been recognized as a good moderator of the Israeli attitude towards Palestinians. Both Avi and Ronit mentioned that the Israeli Supreme Court decided that the Palestinians have the right to document human rights violations by the military. Ronit, while not a lawyer, had intimate knowledge of the court system and how best to bring cases against the Israeli government on behalf of Palestinians, and she noted that most of her work is in education and advocacy. Avi helped us focus on the question of the legality of the settlements in the West Bank, near the Green Line (1967 Armistice Line), which was very helpful in preparing us for a discussion with the former President of the Israeli Supreme Court, Aron Barak.
P.J.

A very long and intense day!

Day Five - What’s All The Fuss About?

Today was dedicated more to the historical significance of the Holy City of Jerusalem than the legal implications of human rights. It is impossible to understand the complexity and diversity of this city and state without paying homage to the incredible history that exists beneath our feet. The level of concern about security as we traveled around the city was minimal unless you include being accosted by overly zealous shop owners trying to sell us everything from beaded necklaces to hookahs. The city is actually quite safe due to the high level of security personnel that are omnipresent, including security cameras on almost every corner.

The day began on top of the Temple Mount where the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock stand. This place and these two buildings are the third most holy place in Islam behind Mecca and Medina located in Saudi Arabia. As we toured the outside of buildings, our guide explained that the Israeli government made the decision to no longer allow tourists to go into these buildings. However, Dean Ruebner secured access for two of our colleagues because they are Muslims and permitted enter these two monumental structures to pray. They rejoined the group a short time later after an unforgettable experience.

Mahsa and Tope told us about the exquisite tile work on the inside of the Dome of the Rock and the impressive marble column from the original mosque that existed beneath the current Al-Aqsa Mosque. The Dome of the Rock is where the faithful believe Muhammad ascended to heaven, and has ever since been a highly visited attraction for Muslims around the world.

After that, we walked deeper into the city and began our walk down (or up) the Via Dolorosa which is the legendary street where, following his conviction by the Roman court, Jesus is believed to have walked with the horizontal beam of the cross on his back. There are 14 stations that represent 14 significant incidents that occurred during Jesus’ final walk to the hill where he was crucified. At the second station, our colleague Tim was given the opportunity to carry a 5 foot cross along the path, ending at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher where Jesus was taken down from the cross and laid to rest. At first, he explained that he thought it was a cool way to reminisce about Jesus, but it turned into a highly emotional endeavor. By the end of the walk, he began to realize the tremendous stress this inflicts, and began to ponder about the cross that each person carries in their own life. He later said that it taught him about the strength of faith and the power of the human mind to endure the most strenuous circumstances .

Once we finished touring the Church, we walked to the Western Wall. This wall is what remains of the Second Temple that the Jews built more than 2000 years ago. It is a Jewish tradition to take a small piece of paper and write a prayer or a wish on it and stick it into the cracks of the massive rocks that make up the 40 foot high wall (and thanks to modern technology, you can now email your prayer to the wall from the computer that you are looking at right now). After sticking my prayer into the rocks, I was greeted by a Hassidic Jewish man who proceeded to tie a red piece of yarn around my wrist and recite a prayer. After he finished speaking Hebrew, he informed me that this was a special piece of yarn that means that I will be getting married in less than 1 year (Needless to say, my girlfriend is ecstatic). This wall, we learned, was a retaining wall that supported the Temple Mount on which stood the Second Temple. The Temple was destroyed in 70 AD after which, the wall became a holy place.

It is truly amazing that three of the most important religious sites are located within walking distance, and in the case of the Western Wall and the Dome of the Rock, one on top of the other.

We were fortunate to go back to the hotel after the wall to give our poor feet a break, but we returned to the same place a couple of hours later to see the excavations that are currently ongoing underneath the Western Wall. We walked down a long corridor that runs underneath the ground that covers the rest of the Western Wall (only a small portion of the Western Wall is currently viewable). It was a great day, but the best was yet to come. It was truly divinely inspired that we happened to be in Jerusalem on the holiest day of the year… St. Patrick’s Day. We gathered what strength we had left, which was minimal, and spent the rest of the night in an Irish Pub drinking until our hearts were content. Unfortunately, those pictures will not be available due to technical problems (that being that they are totally off-topic and inappropriate for law students to be posting on this website).

Written by MP

Jerusalem

Day Five. We've seen way too much today to write about before a good night's sleep!