Israel, Vienna, Berlin, and More

I haven’t blogged in a while, so I’m going to talk about my big trip to Israel, Vienna, and Berlin. This trip changed my life, in so many ways. I believe it is imperative that more American’s see the world. There’s so much great “stuff” out there to be seen. We really do live in a bubble. Check out my Flickr Collection for Summer ’08.

Israel

Dome of the Rock (Click to Enlarge)

I spent about 3 weeks in Israel, traveling all over the country; Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Amirim, Ein Gedi, and back to Jerusalem. I was in Israel for my cousin’s wedding (his wife is Israeli.) He made the entire trip possible (plus it was great having the entire family in the Holy land.) Being in Israel was a life changing experience for me. I’ve been raised Jewish, Reform Judiasm, but being in Israel, surrounded by so many other Jews, and passionate people in general, made me want to be more religious. We’ll see.

Police in Jerusalem (Click to Enlarge)

I never felt unsafe in Israel. I got used to having my bag searched each time I entered a resteraunt, and I got used to the constant military/police presence in the country. But I always felt safe. Israel wasn’t like a “police state” either, people appeared to be free.

Justin and Galit (Click to Enlarge)

My cousin’s wedding was unbelievable. The energy at an Israeli wedding is unbelievable; they just kept going and going. This was the first wedding where I took photos semi-professionally; in other words, I wasn’t the official photographer, just doing it on my own. I’ve uploaded a few photos, but I plan on assembling a more professional slideshow in the near future. Taking photos for a wedding is fun, but stressful.

Sunrise at Masada (Click to Enlarge)

Traveling through out Israel is easy, since it’s such a small country. I’d say my favorite part of Israel was the north, the city of Safed, in particular – it had the piousness of Jerusalem, but isolated in the mountains. Swimming in the Dead Sea was “fun,” but nothing beats watching sunrise atop Masada. Ein Gedi was beautiful, I _think_ I saw a Gazelle in the national park there, but I’m not quite sure. If you go to the Dead Sea, stop by and see the botanical gardens at the Ein Gedi Kibbutz, it’s phenomenal.

The Arab Markets (Click to Enlarge)

I miss Israel, Jerusalem in particular – wandering through the Arab Markets in the Muslim Quarter, bargaining with shop keepers, and stuffing a note in the Western Wall. In Jerusalem, one could see three religious living so close together, yet the difference between the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim quarters is so great. I’ll be going back to Israel, hopefully sooner than later.

A Gazelle…I think (Click to Enlarge)

Vienna

Graffiti in Vienna (Click to Enlarge)

I went to Vienna with my mom, mostly to search through records, to learn more about her side of the family, 17 members of which were murdered during the Holocaust. So, as you can imagine, the trip wasn’t really for “pleasure.” Vienna’s a nice city, pleasant and livable. It works – the subways, buses, trams, and it’s safe. Check out my mom’s website for more about her project in Vienna. There was amazing Graffiti in Vienna, best graffiti I’ve ever seen. Lots of photos on Flickr.

Berlin

A Holocaust Memorial (Click to Enlarge)

Berlin was nice, but tiring. Constantly being surrounded by memories of the Holocaust was tough, as there were memorials and museums everywhere. The city hasn’t forgotten. It’s a good place to visit, and has lots of history.

Overall

I had a good trip, if you have specific questions regarding my trip, don’t hesitate to email me.

Tagged as: 2008, berlin, holocaust, israel, jerusalem, military, summer, summer08, Travel, Vacation, vienna