Students experienced Shabbat and Shavuot in Jerusalem, learning about the holiday and its customs with Dr. Lenny Gordon (Shavuot this year began on Motzei Shabbat, the close of the sabbath), and had an optional tikkun study session late into the night (a Shavuot traditon) with Prof. Lefkovitz. Students had to caffeinate and wake up for a class on Palestinian and Israeli poetry with Prof. Lefkovitz, which focused especially on Mahmoud Darwish and Yehuda Amichai.

On Monday (June 6), the group’s last day in Jerusalem (though they’ll be back briefly to visit the Beit Din), they visited the wonderful Museum of Islamic Art and took in exhibits on fashion, textiles, and watches.