Shabbat at the SEC was spiritually uplifiting...

For those of us that have experienced the start of Shabbat in the Old City of Jerusalem praying at the Western Wall, there is only one word to describe it…magical! Since the SEC is situated only five minutes from the Western Wall, our group enjoyed a very spiritual and uplifting Shabbat praying in the evening at the Kotel. We later enjoyed a fun filled a relaxing Shabbat dinner in the SEC’s courtyard area.

Shabbat morning was filled with continued prayer at the SEC’s chapel with their donated Torahs and followed with lunch. Later in the afternoon the rabbis had a lively discussion about Jewish religious laws in a Q&A secession. Finally Shabbat was brought to a close in an uplifting Havdalah. Ultimately Shabbat at the SEC in Jerusalem turned out to a remarkably relaxing, spiritual and thought provoking time as our summer seminar was completed.

-- Karmel Melamed

Photo Essay: Sights from outside the S.E.C.

The area surrounding the S.E.C. here in the Old City of Jerusalem is a remarkable place where east meets west and where the ancient world meets the modern world. I am always blown away at how both worlds can coexist in one place. Earlier this morning I ventured outside the immediate S.E.C.'s building to further explore this area. No where else on planet earth will you such a lovely mixture of the old and new worlds of human kind woven together so beautifully in one area. This is one reason why Jerusalem is so special for the world's three major religions. These sights were remarkable considering the busy traffic in the area, the magnificent views of the various homes in the distances, the ancient stone buildings and an overall magical sense of electricity in the area.

Below are just a few snapshots I captured of the immediate areas surrounding the S.E.C. which are indeed unique and breathtaking.


-- Karmel Melamed