Day 10 - Saying Good Bye...

We began our last day in Israel with an early breakfast followed by a city tour. Our bus driver, David, dropped us off at Independence Hall, where we got to learn about the history and development of Tel Aviv and how the original founding families left the ancient city of Jaffa just a few kilometers to the south to raise a city just for Jews built on a European lifestyle of "neighborhood living". These early Tel Aviv'niks were focused on bringing the arts, culture, education, and modernity to Israel and would do it through the city's architecture. 100 years later (Tel Aviv just celebrated its 100 birthday) the city is known as the New York City of the Middle East.

We also learned that the building which ultimately became the location for Israel's signing of its Declaration of Independence was the original house of the Dizengoff Family. Dizengoff was one of the original founding families who ultimately held the position of city mayor on four different occasions. He left the house and what was then a community museum of art to the city as he and his former wife (who died many years earlier) had no children.

During the tour we also had the opportunity to sit in the main hall and imagine the scene of all of Israel's leaders coming together to declare statehood. We even got to hear the original recording of the exact words spoken by Ben Gurion as he announced Israel's independence.

From here we began a walking tour of Neve Tzedek, a neighborhood that housed some of the former leaders, artists, and businesspeople, who helped develop Tel Aviv into the major metropolitan city it is today; and after seeing a few of these buildings, and the renovations they are going through so as to keep the original structures in tact, we continued on to Jaffa.

In Jaffa we walked along the city streets, experienced the ancient market place of Shuk Hapishpushim, and then concluded the tour along this ancient port city's boardwalk looking out onto the modern city skyline of Tel Aviv...the duality was a little surreal!

After Jaffa we returned to the hotel for our final opportunity to bath in the Mediterranean one last time and then shower, pack, and head of to the airport for our return home. There's no question that it's hard to believe that our trip is coming to an end.

See you all tomorrow!