Holidays in the Holy Land
By Yael - December 20, 2016
As I get ready to leave Israel in a few days, I am starting to think about what I’ll be doing when I get home. I arrive home just in time for Chanukah, which this year starts on the same day as Christmas. I’m a little disappointed that I don’t get to be in Israel for Chanukah since I’ve heard it’s a lot of fun to be here for it.
However, I’ve already started to experience some holiday spirit. On our final trip together as a program we went to Haifa and Akko. Haifa is a very diverse city with all three major world religions represented. As part of the trip we had the chance to visit the German Colony, which was decorated for Christmas/Chanukah, and in the center of the main street there were symbols of all three religions: a menorah for Judaism, a Christmas tree for Christianity, and a crescent for Islam. It was particularly special because from the German Colony you can see the Baha’i Gardens; Baha’i is another religion that believes Israel to be a holy land.
The smaller differences between the United States and Israel around the holidays are starting to stick out to me as well. For one, there are large sections of Chanukah merchandise in the stores! While I knew that this would happen, it is still surprising and exciting for me to see it. I am doing my best to soak up as much Chanukah spirit (and food) as I can before I leave!